Railroaders' Nostalgia > Trains and crews on SP Coast Line - June 1981

Fourteen months later this is how things looked on the Coast Line. The upcoming severe recession starting in late 1981 and lasting until mid 1983 loomed ahead:


June 1, 1981 - eastbounds arriving Taylor Yard or LATC from San Luis Obispo

7358 E - WJLAP - 6 loads, 42 empties, 1570 tons, 2374 feet
Conductor - Santos
Engineer - V. Cipolla ("The Godfather")

7627 E - OAWCY - 13 loads, 69 empties, 4260 tons, 7071 feet (mostly empty TOFC flats for LATC)
Conductor - Kadlubowsi
Engineer - J. Guerin

8543 E - WJECQ - 00 loads, 121 empties, 3246 tons, 5912 feet (all empty sugar beet racks for the Imperial Valley)
Conductor - Walter
Engineer - J. Horne (remember no "e")

7959 E - 2/OAWCY - 38 loads, 19 empties, 3890 tons, 3551 feet
Conductor - L. Arnson
Engineer - D. Duchesi


June 3 eastbounds

3377 E - WJECQ - 13 loads, 72 empties, 2993 tons, 4396 feet
Conductor - Hadley
Engineer - C. McBride

9277 E - GULAP - 37 loads, 19 empties, 3986 tons, 3498 feet
Conductor - Zukerman
Engineer - Downs

8706 E - PTLAY - 56 loads, 4 empties, 5146 tons, 3526 feet (reroute to Coast from Valley)
Conductor - Moore
Engineer - Jenkins

9344 E - OALAC - 57 loads, 4 empties, 4198 tons, no footage listed
Conductor - C. McCallister
Engineer - K. Thorndill

9362 E - OALAT - 59 loads, 29 empties, 5175 tons, 8325 feet (non-clearing)
Conductor - Hampton
Engineer - E. Rosa


June 5 eastbounds

7325 E - OAWCY - 70 loads, 33 empties, 8041 tons, 6336 feet
Conductor - Kadlubowski
Engineer - Callanan

7200 E - OALAC - 69 loads, 1 empty, 4956 tons, 6528 feet
Conductor - A. Broda
Engineer - R. McCarthy

9087 E - GULAP - 70(!) loads, 6 empties, 6745 tons, 4259 feet (had a huge p/u at both Surf and Oxnard)
Conductor - R. Smith
Engineer - R. Snaer (not Snear, it's Snaer)

9316 E - OAWCK - 45 loads, 45 empties, 6456 tons, 5239 feet
Conductor - L. Arnson
Engineer - R. Craig


June 13 westbounds to San Luis Obispo

7654 W - YUEUY - 1 load, 99 empties, 3309 tons, 5785 feet (reroute to Coast instead of via Tehachapi)
Conductor - Hampton
Engineer - J. Horne

9209 W - WCOAK - 70 loads, 14 empties, 6576 tons, 6268 feet
Conductor - Hadley
Engineer - B. Bray

8508 W - ECWJS - 69 loads, 1 empty, 6650 tons, 3215 feet (Sugar Beet loads for Union Sugar, near Guadalupe)
Conductor - Wolford
Engineer - D. Nelson (#1)

9099 W - LAOAC - 82 loads, 2 empties, 6118 tons, 6193 feet
Conductor - C. McCallister
Engineer - K. Thorndill

6314 W - LAWJY - 40 loads, 92 empties, 6417 tons, 7455 feet
Conductor - J. Blakeman
Engineer - R. Honea

5309 W - YUWJS - 40 loads, 1 empty, 3868 tons, 1884 feet (Sugar Beet loads for Spreckels, near Salinas)
Conductor - Butler
Engineer - J. Bell (aka "Tinker Bell")


June 14 wb's

9357 W - WCOAT - 35 loads, 49 empties, 5165 tons, 5290 feet
Conductor - Varney
Engineer - P. Rasmussen

9198 W - LAWJY - 20 loads, 77 empties, 4040 tons, 5456 feet
Conductor - Santos
Engineer - Adams

8498 W - LAOAC - 75 loads, 2 empties, 5704 tons, 5604 feet
Conductor - Oltman
Engineer - V. Cipolla

9321 W - 2/LAWJY - 47 loads, 42 empties, 5832 tons, 4829 feet
Conductor - Tangen
Engineer - Keyser


June 17 wb's

9093 W - LAWJY - 36 loads, 49 empties, 5900 tons, no footage listed
Conductor - C. McCallister
Engineer - L. Manthie

7783 W - WCOAT - 44 loads, 34 empties, 5418 tons, 5154 feet
Conductor - Zukerman
Engineer - C. Krueger

7674 W - LAOAK - 8 loads, 93 empties, 4074 tons, 5567 feet
Conductor - Varney
Engineer - N. Schickendaz

7230 W - LAOAC - 53 loads, 1 empty, 3443 tons, 3629 feet
Conductor - R. Smith
Engineer - B. Bray


June 22 westbounds

8323 W - 2/YUWJS - 69 loads, 1 empty, 5604 feet, 3216 tons
Conductor - Wolford
Engineer - S. Hellickson

9223 W - LAEUY - 0 loads, 83 empties, 2878 tons, 5008 feet (reroute to Coast)
Conductor - Hampton
Engineer - J. Neal

8504 W - LAOAT - 43 loads, 1 empty, 3270 tons, 3488 feet (LAOAT run instead of WCOAT to forward hot Texas TOFC loads to Oakland)
Conductor - Lowrey
Engineer - K. Waage

9113 W - LAWJY - 40 loads, 92 empties, 7114 tons, 7702 feet
Conductor - Mitchell
Engineer - V. Cipolla

9228 W - LAOAC - 75 loads, 1 empty, 6132 tons, 6094 feet
Conductor - Kadlubowski
Engineer - R. Craig

8667 W - YUWJS - 62 loads, 1 empty, 5980 tons, 2896 feet
Conductor - Kracht
Engineer - E. Hull


June 28 wb's

UP3358 W - 2/YUWJS - 81 loads, 1 empty, 8129 tons, 3770 feet
Conductor - Oltman
Engineer - D. Duchesi

8960 W - LAOAC - 38 loads, 1 empty, 2612 tons, 3415 feet
Conductor - DiMaggio
Engineer - Fisher

9311 W - YUWJS - 65 loads, 1 empty, 5561 tons, no footage listed
Conductor - Dynes
Engineer - D. Moore

7359 W - WCEUY - 12 loads, 87 empties, 4213 tons, 5956 feet (reroute to Coast)
Conductor - R. Smith
Engineer - C. Krueger

9126 W - LAOAC - 50 loads, 1 empty, 4000 tons, 5351 feet
Conductor - D. Nagle
Engineer - F. McKinnon

7332 W - LAWJY - 65 loads, 64 empties, 8404 tons, 7041 feet
Conductor - Ristich
Engineer - K. Waage



Allen



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/15 21:23 by bradleymckay.

Well Allen, I see I still haven't made that list.


V

SLOCONDR

SLOCONDR Wrote:
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> Well Allen, I see I still haven't made that list.

Me neither, but as one of the "new" guys who had not seen your earlier posts, thanks!

-E.O.

Hey, I just had rules class with J. (Jim?) Guerin last week in Los Angeles, there are a few other names I recognize but do not know personally. I graduated High School in 1981. I tried, but no railroad was hiring. Almost a decade later, I finally hired on with the big yellow railroad...

What was the basis for deciding to run a WJLAP versus running a GULAP?

Was it the case that when they had Sunset Route or Golden State Route perishable out of the Salinas Valley they called a WJLAP, but otherwise they called a GULAP?

TIA,

Rob L.

This is a good time trip, I was the ATM at Surf then, and know all of them. Here are a some with all of their initials, and a few nicknames, etc:

RW Santos
Vincent C Cipolla

Charlie C Kadluboski
James F (Dagwood) Guerin

George A (The Orangutan) Walter
JF (Snuffy) Horne

Louis G Arnson
David I (Duke) Duceshi

Lyle C (The Pilgrim) Hadley
Clay H McBride

Joe J Zukerman
Gerry A Downs

Al P Broda
The late Jay M Bell was also Ding Dong

rob_l Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What was the basis for deciding to run a WJLAP
> versus running a GULAP?
>
> Was it the case that when they had Sunset Route or
> Golden State Route perishable out of the Salinas
> Valley they called a WJLAP, but otherwise they
> called a GULAP?
>
> TIA,
>
> Rob L.
Only OP&C would have that answer. Peddler would handle the packing sheds and that would be both Sunset and Golden State perishables. No answer, Rob

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a good time trip, I was the ATM at Surf
> then, and know all of them. Here are a some with
> all of their initials, and a few nicknames, etc:
>
> RW Santos
> Vincent C Cipolla
>
> Charlie C Kadluboski
> James F (Dagwood) Guerin
>
> George A (The Orangutan) Walter
> JF (Snuffy) Horne
>
> Louis G Arnson
> David I (Duke) Duceshi
>
> Lyle C (The Pilgrim) Hadley
> Clay H McBride
>
> Joe J Zukerman
> Gerry A Downs
>
> Al P Broda
> The late Jay M Bell was also Ding Dong


And as you probably remember Clay McBride was one of the engineers involved in the Surf derailment 2 months previous.



Allen

Allen,
I assume you are referring to the Westbound derailing just East of the depot?
That derailment involved three trains, 35 cars, one engine, and one employee injury. There was an eastbound in the siding, and the local was in the house track.
The derailment went to both sides, so it hit cars in the siding, broke a window in the depot, and hit the caboose and the engine on the local, resulting in Studley getting a minor injury. The car that hit the depot raised the telephone receiver off the cradle just enough to make the outside line appear to be dead, so the telegrapher drove up to the Air Force South Vandenberg gate to use the phone to call me. The Air Policeman on duty wanted to know who was going to pay for the call!
G

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Allen,
> I assume you are referring to the Westbound
> derailing just East of the depot?
> That derailment involved three trains, 35 cars,
> one engine, and one employee injury. There was an
> eastbound in the siding, and the local was in the
> house track.
> The derailment went to both sides, so it hit cars
> in the siding, broke a window in the depot, and
> hit the caboose and the engine on the local,
> resulting in Studley getting a minor injury. The
> car that hit the depot raised the telephone
> receiver off the cradle just enough to make the
> outside line appear to be dead, so the telegrapher
> drove up to the Air Force South Vandenberg gate to
> use the phone to call me. The Air Policeman on
> duty wanted to know who was going to pay for the
> call!
> G


And the Conductor on the local, Bill Jackson never returned to the RR after his injury. He is doing pretty good now days.


V

SLOCONDR

SLOCONDR Wrote:
-----------------
>
> And the Conductor on the local, Bill Jackson never
> returned to the RR after his injury. He is doing
> pretty good now days.
>
>
> V
>
> SLOCONDR


"V" do you remember who the hogger was on the local? I think Bob Swain was involved too correct?


Allen

Virlon,
The injured person on the local was "Studley Q Hungwell."

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Virlon,
> The injured person on the local was "Studley Q
> Hungwell."


It was Billy Jackson, he was in the caboose reading when the cars off of the main line train crushed it.. Bob was on one of the two mainline trains George. I sat in Sierra Vista with Bill when the attorney interviewed him. Today he has a metal plate in his head. You're losing it George.


V

SLOCONDR

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a good time trip, I was the ATM at Surf
> then, and know all of them. Here are a some with
> all of their initials, and a few nicknames, etc:
>
> RW Santos
> Vincent C Cipolla
>
> Charlie C Kadluboski
> James F (Dagwood) Guerin
>
> George A (The Orangutan) Walter
> JF (Snuffy) Horne
>
> Louis G Arnson
> David I (Duke) Duceshi
>
> Lyle C (The Pilgrim) Hadley
> Clay H McBride
>
> Joe J Zukerman
> Gerry A Downs
>
> Al P Broda
> The late Jay M Bell was also Ding Dong


Here are some more RR nicknames I can remember from years ago..."Bone Crusher" Bray; Dick Hadley "Joy Boy" (my conductor on the Surf Turn);
Al Broda "Banana Nose"; Jim Bensen "Park Ranger"; Gerry Downs "Gramps"; Frank Adams "Mars Light"; Scott Hellickson "Neptune"; Norm Schickendanz "Dances with Chickens", and there are many more, I have forgotten over the years. The main authority would be "Dagwood", Jim Guerin...he can remember most if not all of the SJ and coast engineers nicknames...Oh yeah, I was known as "Jeffrey Willie"...

Al Broda was also known as "Nozzle Nose"! (I wish I was able to 'rescue' more of those crew registers. But, glad I was able to get a few!)


Take Care, Stay Safe, Have Fun!

Larry

Since they're both gone, Al and his son Roger were more commonly known as Banana Nose, and the Little Big Horn.

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since they're both gone, Al and his son Roger were
> more commonly known as Banana Nose, and the Little
> Big Horn.


You're talking only about retirement I hope, George?


V

SLOCONDR

Virlon,
Unfortunately I wasn't.

Al drove a Renzenberger for a short time around Roseville before I went to Sparks, which was the last time I saw him.

Roger worked the yard in Roseville until he retired, and I'm pretty sure that I heard he passed seven or eight years ago.
G

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Virlon,
> Unfortunately I wasn't.
>
> Al drove a Renzenberger for a short time around
> Roseville before I went to Sparks, which was the
> last time I saw him.
>
> Roger worked the yard in Roseville until he
> retired, and I'm pretty sure that I heard he
> passed seven or eight years ago.
> G


I'm really sorry to hear that Al may no longer be with us. I always had a lot of respect for Al after an incident in 1966. I had been called to work a job in Anaheim one late afternoon. The crew dispatcher had run out of PE people for the job so Al was called from the SP board to protect the job. Of course in those days we worked 16 hours. Kathy and I had been married but a short time, and didn't have two nickels to rub together, when I got called for this job. She made me a butter sandwich and a thermos of coffee for the 16 hours. Well, after arriving Anaheim I introduced myself to Mr. Broda and he told me I would be the head brakeman. I went out and helped get the engine ready for our shift. After 7 1/2 hours on duty the engineer say's "let's go to beans". Well, I still had 1/2 of that butter sandwich left and some of the coffee too. Mr. Broda comes up on the engine and say's, like the engineer, let's go to beans. I told him I had my lunch with me. He see's that butter sandwich and said "what's that?" to which I replied "my lunch". He started laughing and said you have to eat something more than a butter sandwich, we're going to be out here another 8 hours. He then asked if I had any money. Yes, I have plenty of money. He told me to stand up, which I did. He reached in my back pocket and grabbed my wallet and when he opened it the moths flew out. He said "Come on, we are going to beans". On the way back to the train, after dinner, I was walking with him and he kinda held back from the rest of the crew. When they were a ways ahead of us he pulls out his wallet and takes out 5 #20.00 bills and said "here, take this and don't pay me back until you can give it all back at one time" I argued with him for about 10" and lost the argument. It took me the better part of a year to get $100.00 together. I went to the bank one day and got a brand new, crisp, $100.00 bill and took it to his house. Needless to say he was a friend forever.


V

SLOCONDR

ExSPCondr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Since they're both gone, Al and his son Roger were
> more commonly known as Banana Nose, and the Little
> Big Horn.


also hose nose and nozzle nose. I worked with AL quite a bit. Did not know he was so benevolent !



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/15 20:18 by SanJoaquinEngr.