Nostalgia & History > A Nice Sequence with a Scartlet and Grey GP9 in Charge

Roger Puta took this nice four photo sequence in May 1979.  That's SP 3839, 3709, and 8720 (GP9, GP9, and U33C).  In the first two shots the covered hoppers are right behind the power.  Later Roger shot a couple more with the hoppers deeper in the train.  And where was Roger when he took these?  These Kodachromes sure kept well.

Thanks,
Marty Bernard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/17 00:15 by MartyBernard.

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Altamont Pass...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Marty, in that last photo you can see the WP RoW in the background.
SR

Beauty

Posted from iPhone

BoilingMan Wrote:

> Marty, in that last photo you can see the WP RoW
> in the background.

I think that's Altamont Pass Road in the background, Roger is standing on the WP, and the SP train is westbound.

A late running RVSJA

Nice!  SP Altamont Pass photos are always great.

Can't explain why there are cement hoppers behind the road power in photos 1 and 2 and not in photos 3 and 4.  That's a head scratcher. 

Maybe they stalled and had to double the hill to Altamont siding.  The first 2 photos look to have been taken earlier than the second 2.


Allen


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/17 08:56 by bradleymckay.

bradleymckay Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice!  SP Altamont Pass photos are always great.
>
> Can't explain why there are cement hoppers behind
> the road power in photos 1 and 2 and not in photos
> 3 and 4.  That's a head scratcher. 
>
> Maybe they stalled and had to double the hill to
> Altamont siding.  The first 2 photos look to have
> been taken earlier than the second 2.
>
>
> Allen

Set out at East Pleasanton
>
>
>  

Yep, something amiss. The cars may be a set out at East Pleasonton but the photos are all on the pass, nowhere near East Pleasonton.

Looking at the pole shadows, there seems to be quie some time between the two sets of photos. The cement cars can be seen in the background, but doesn't look like the right tonnage for doubling the hill. Suspect they had a mechanical problem of some sort.

Nice photos, very clean and the right time of year for color.

Its a westbound train. In the first pic you can see the pole line going up and over Tunnel 11 west of Chorro.

In the next pics, it is winding through some curves heading for the little horse shoe. 

The last pic you can look across the ravine and see the tracks west of the little horse shoe, heading for the east switch at Serrano. As a matter of fact, that was where the "OLD" east switch at Serrano used to be before it was moved up around the corner where it is now.

Well, then again, after looking at the pics a mite closer, I may very well,  be completely wrong. 

Okay, it could be Cuesta and they stalled. Their doubling the hill????????



Nudge



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/17 13:14 by spnudge.

Ok, mystery solved.  These WERE taken on different days.  The U33C in the first two photos is the 8721, while in the second two photos the U33C is the 8720!

Like was mentioned before, this is the RVSJA (or later MJOAL) on Altamont Pass.  Neat photos.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/17 19:24 by billmeeker.

billmeeker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ok, mystery solved.  These WERE taken on
> different days.  The U33C in the first two photos
> is the 8721, while in the second two photos the
> U33C is the 8720!
>
> Like was mentioned before, this is the RVSJA (or
> later MJOAL) on Altamont Pass.  Neat photos.

Totally bizarre, but now I see that the U33C's have different numbers like you said.   Looks like the same consist set up the same way,  except its a different U33C.  What are the chances of that happening?? 


Allen

Could it be that this train, on different days, had a single U33C up the valley, then had the same pair of GP9's tacked on at Tracy for the climb over Altamont Pass?


bradleymckay Wrote:

> Totally bizarre, but now I see that the U33C's
> have different numbers like you said.   Looks
> like the same consist set up the same way, 
> except its a different U33C.  What are the
> chances of that happening?? 
>
>
> Allen

The U-boat in all four photos is the same.  I have the advantage of the high resolution scans. Also Jamies Schmid photographed the train and his captions say the train was doubled according to a comment on Facebook.  Jamie and Roger were friends.

Marty

Here is the reference given on Facebook:  Page 369, Southern Pacific Western Division.

Marty

MartyBernard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The U-boat in all four photos is the same.  I
> have the advantage of the high resolution scans.
> Also Jamies Schmid photographed the train and his
> captions say the train was doubled according to a
> comment on Facebook.  Jamie and Roger were
> friends.
>
> Marty

Well that makes the most sense.  I guessed the train doubled because in 1979 SP was short of power and the RVSJA got whatever power was available.  If the RVSJA left Tracy with less than 1.2 horsepower per ton the crews knew there was a good chance they would stall and have to double the hill.

With the naked eye it really does look like the U33C number boards show 8720 in pic 3.


Allen

Wonderful shots!!