Nostalgia & History > The Santa Rosa on the Lark at Glendale 1960

SP business car Santa Rosa brings up the rear of the Lark at Glendale in 1960. The passengers are awaiting the arrival of the Coast Daylight. I believe the Santa Rosa was the car used by the Head Cheese of the NWP. What ever happened to this car?

Photobobs website:
http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/index1.html

---

I believe the SANTA ROSA was purchased by Willis Kyle and stored for many years on the Yreka Western. Recently is was sold to an individual and is now at GGRM. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong. - Tony J.

The REDWOOD was the car assigned to the GM/VP of the NWP

Now I remember that the Redwood was NWP's car but where was the Santa Rosa out of?

Was this car SP 128? If so, it was indeed owned by Willis Kyle. In the early '90's, it showed up at SP's Fresno yard, painted silver with black trucks and lettering. It moved to Glorietta (near Clovis) on the Friant Branch for storage at Wawona Frozen Foods. Mr. Kyle and the owner of Wawona were friends, and the spur was long enough to house the car and still allow up to three reefers to be spotted. Around 1993 or so, the car was repainted into the attractive blue, grey, black and red of the San Joaquin Valley Railroad. It was then moved to Exeter, carrying the Kyle family for a memorable ride over the Exeter Branch, a line that hadn't seen a passenger train in decades. Once in Exeter, the car was for hire and made several special moves in 1994, including at least one arranged by Rob Carlson. It was also used on a campaign special for a local politician, traveling over most of the SJVR "SP" side. The ATSF side (Exeter to Lindsay) never saw the car, due to a very tight curve at the ex VE junction at Exeter. At about the same time the SJVR was sold off, the car departed Exeter. I was told that it returned to Yreka, but Tony's info on it being sold actually makes more sense, as Willis Kyle had passed away, and he was the reason for antiques like the Santa Rosa remaining on the roster as long as it did. For the record, the car is very original inside and very comfortable to ride in. When it left Exeter, it was not HEP equipped and I believe it still had friction bearing trucks.

John

Yes it car SP128. Thanks for all the info.

As a follow up to my fist post, one of the excursions that used the Santa Rosa while it was on the SJVR was run in June of '94. On this trip, the train made a special run from LacJac (Reedley) to Lone Star on the former ATSF Visalia Subdivision. The depot at Lone Star still stands, but the tracks were all ripped up in 1995/1996. The June, 1994 excursion was one of the very last trains to operate on this trackage. Ironically, this stretch of track provided the smoothest ride of the entire trip, as the remainder of the journey was over the ex SP Exeter Branch which was / is in poor condition. One interesting event happened on this trip. At the diamond where the ATSF Visalia Sub. crossed the SP Exeter Branch, the stop boards were still in place. The SJVR crew, professional to highest degree, stopped and proceeded as had been done at this spot for many years. The only difference in this case was the fact that the Santa Fe trackage on both sides of the diamond had already been ripped up! I believe the diamond is still there, but I would assume the stop boards have been removed by now...

John

Try this for photos:

http://railroadnews.net/picture/sjvrtour.html

photobob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Now I remember that the Redwood was NWP's car but
> where was the Santa Rosa out of?

Car Sana Rosa was assigned to the Mechanical Dept. in 1965
and was in the pool at Oakland.

There was a car at YW and it was sold to Dave Wilkinson. I think it was moved just before friction journals were banned from interchange.

Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There was a car at YW and it was sold to Dave
> Wilkinson. I think it was moved just before
> friction journals were banned from interchange.
>
> Nudge


I believe Dave Wilkinson's car is the SAN MARINO. We dined aboard it last October. Very nicely restored inside. - Tony J.

And the San Marino is the ex-Del Monte business car, SP 107?

Dave Wilkinson purchased ex-AT&SF Business Car #409, not the San Marino. If I remember right the 409 arrived in Fillmore, CA in 1992 or 93. It does have friction bearings.

Mark Dees owned the San Marino (ex-SP Del Monte) and he moved it and the Pony Express to Fillmore in 1994. We started PC-2 work on the San Marino and work proceeded in fits and starts as Mark's attention moved from his Private Car to race cars and back. When Mark was killed in a tragic car accident in December of 1996 work stopped.

I bought the Pony Express from the estate to continue with a project that Mark and I had been planning to do with the Pony. Harry Purnell purchased the San Marino from the estate in 1999 and myself and three others completed the PC-2 inspection/rebuild. The PC-2 was completed at the end of May, 2000 and the car was moved to Birmingham, AL shortly thereafter.

Harry sold the car a couple of years ago to Dean Levin and it now resides in New Orleans, LA

Work on the Pony's PC-2 started in October of 1997 and proceeded in bits and pieces as time allowed until completion in August of 2001.

The Pony is kept at Los Angeles Union Station.

Further info.

Previous mention was made of the Business Car Redwood which was used by the NWP. Here is the information I have on that car.

Private Car SP 131 “Los Angeles” is former Southern Pacific Business Car #131 “Los Angeles“. Built by Pullman Co. in Dec 1926, as 3 Compartment, 2 Drawing Room, Lounge, Observation car "Balboa.". It was purchased by the SP for the Northwestern Pacific Railroad on July 12, 1954 and converted to a business car by SP’s Sacramento Shops. Painted in two-tone gray It was assigned to the Northwestern Pacific as NWP No.1 "Redwood" on November 4, 1954. It was transferred back to the SP and became SP #131 "Western" September 3, 1959. By April of 1962 it had been renamed "Sacramento" for use by the Western Division Superintendent. No.131 was assigned to the Los Angeles Division Superintendent in 1984 and renamed “Los Angeles". It was retired from service in 1987 and was sold to a private party. Purchased by the current owner in 1998, the interior has been restored to an elegant splendor reminiscent of the golden age of railroad travel while the exterior has been repainted in SP’s classic two-tone Lark gray.

Photobob - Thanks for the shot of the Santa Rosa. I love seeing your Biz car pics.

I had the pleasure, at a very young age, of being taken through the "Redwood" in Tiburon yard by the car knocker, Slim. I was given an orange by the steward and watched as Slim gave a radio check to San Rafael. I thought I saw a picture of many years ago of the "Redwood" in Sausalto back in the 40s?


Nudge

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>> No.131 was assigned to the Los
> Angeles Division Superintendent in 1984 and
> renamed “Los Angeles". It was retired from
> service in 1987 and was sold to a private party.
> Purchased by the current owner in 1998, the
> interior has been restored to an elegant splendor
> reminiscent of the golden age of railroad travel
> while the exterior has been repainted in SP’s
> classic two-tone Lark gray.
>
> >
>Stan: I wonder about that 1984 assignment. I know that the "Los Angeles" resided for a few years in the mid to late 1970's across from the enginemen's locker room/register room at Taylor Yard. Maybe there was another number than 131? I also believe it spent some time in Mexico before being offered for sale. I remember seeing the Ad in "Private Varnish". Seems the asking price was in the 90 thousand range. That was in the late 1980's.

Thank you for the correction. It was the 409 that we dined in. - Tony J.

cewherry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Stan: I wonder about that 1984 assignment. I
> know that the "Los Angeles" resided for a few
> years in the mid to late 1970's across from the
> enginemen's locker room/register room at Taylor
> Yard. Maybe there was another number than 131? I
> also believe it spent some time in Mexico before
> being offered for sale. I remember seeing the Ad
> in "Private Varnish". Seems the asking price was
> in the 90 thousand range. That was in the late
> 1980's.


You saw SP 110 Los Angeles. When it was sent to Mexico, along with SP 107 Del Monte in the early 80's. SP 131 Sacramento was sent to LA to replace it. It was renamed Los Angeles on reassignment.

SP 110 Los Angeles was still stored at ITAC in Madison, IL last I knew.

px320 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cewherry Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Stan: I wonder about that 1984 assignment. I
> > know that the "Los Angeles" resided for a
> few
> > years in the mid to late 1970's across from
> the
> > enginemen's locker room/register room at
> Taylor
> > Yard. Maybe there was another number than
> 131? I
> > also believe it spent some time in Mexico
> before
> > being offered for sale. I remember seeing the
> Ad
> > in "Private Varnish". Seems the asking price
> was
> > in the 90 thousand range. That was in the
> late
> > 1980's.
>
>
> You saw SP 110 Los Angeles. When it was sent to
> Mexico, along with SP 107 Del Monte in the early
> 80's. SP 131 Sacramento was sent to LA to replace
> it. It was renamed Los Angeles on reassignment.
>
> SP 110 Los Angeles was still stored at ITAC in
> Madison, IL last I knew.

Thanks Stan. A follow-up question: What happened to the ex-ATSF open-end car that languished for years on the SP at Pomona. Can you bring me up to date on it? And, what is ITAC? TIA

Charlie

cool, looks like this shot was taken when the public storage buildings (aka the ugly wall) were going in. Or was this way before these structures were added to the west side of "the Slide" siding? Or has "the Slide" even been added at the time of this photo?!?

cewherry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Stan. A follow-up question: What happened
> to the ex-ATSF open-end car that languished for
> years on the SP at Pomona. Can you bring me up to
> date on it? And, what is ITAC? TIA
>
> Charlie
>
There is an ex-ATSF Horse car in the RLHS collection at Pomona. I suspect that's the car you're reffering to.

ITAC = Illinois Transit Assembly Corporation - A misnomer. ITAC is one of the few decent car shops that rebuilds private cars. It specializes in Budd Stainless Steel cars.