Western Railroad Discussion > A look at the ex-SP yard tower at Fresno, CA

A few months ago, a photo of what turned out to the SP yard tower at Watsonville Junction, CA lead to speculation about the ease of accessing the roof to redirect the lights mounted there:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,6172424,6172747#6172747

There aren't many of those standard SP yard towers left, but one still stood in Fresno, CA, at least as of last month (I've heard the railroad doesn't use the tower anymore).  The first photo shows the tower looking railroad east with the old enginehouse in the background.  From what I've read, the enginehouse is half of the Visalia Electric carbarn from Exeter, relocated to Fresno in the 1950's to provide diesel servicing.  A sign on the enginehouse indicates it's now a Harbor Rail Services locomotive and railcar repair shop, but no locomotives or railcars were visible outside.  The second view looking down more steeply on the tower shows the trap door that allowed roof access for maintaining floodlights or, in this case, air conditioners.  As long as we're up here, the third photo shows a westbound freight in the yard with the enginehouse and tower visible above the power and downtown Fresno in the distance.

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I've always thought a drone would be perfect for "the palm and the pine" just south of Madera. Maybe you can do that next time, if the widening project on 99 hasn't obliterated the originals by then: https://mercedcountytimes.com/its-the-final-year-for-maderas-original-palm-and-pine/

Are there any other "standard" SP yard towers left, or is this the last one?

That tower provides a view of the yard and operations--why in the world would UP not want yardmasters to use it???!

I believe SPARKS IS STILL STANDING.........

coach Wrote:
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> That tower provides a view of the yard and
> operations--why in the world would UP not want
> yardmasters to use it???!

Cameras can do that job for cheaper. That being said, as yardmaster, nothing beats windows and a good pair of binoculars.

Posted from Android

It may be interestng to fnd out what the modern responsibilities of a UPrr Yardmaster currently is. It sounds likey oversee more than one yard using remote technologies. For all we know they all reside in Omaha and work from cubucles. Perhaps from Starbucks with a good Internet.

The bogger operations could be different than the smaller yards, Intermodal yards, North Platte, Roseville are quite different than distant flat yards. Curious what the modern practice is. Considering that we are literally generations away from the cigar smoking, fedora wearing RR Managers of the past.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/26 09:32 by TCnR.

Fresno is kind of sad these days. I can remember my first visit in 1966. Empty facility shown there was full of
Large and small Alcos. RSD-12s, RS32s, RS11s.
Thanks for posting.
Regards, Jim Evans

The yard at least has many cars. 
It is curious that the tower, despite being not being used, looks to have more recent air conditioners on the roof?

weather Wrote:

> I believe SPARKS IS STILL STANDING.........

Sparks isn’t a freestanding, standard SP yard tower. The tower was grafted onto the existing depot that had been moved in from Wadsworth.

In the early 2000's the UP big boss in the Central Valley (Dan Shudak) had the  tower rebuilt with new air conditioning and a number of other things. The Yardmasters in Fresno were in the yard office and had been for a long time. He wanted them up in that tower and was willing to pay to rebuild it. The craft of Yardmaster was eliminated by the Union Pacific a number of years ago and the function of a Yardmaster is now done by a local manager, in this case in Fresno. The only "Yardmasters" left in Northern California work Roseville Yard and who knows how much longer that situation will be before they put Managers in those positions?

Nice to see the diesel shop building is still in place, even if it is not in use currently. I recall the BIG Hissy - fit back in the 1980's when Espee was re - habbing Fresno Yard, and The Powers That Be reused the old track centers, rather than the new wider track centers that were then required by CAL - PUC. Rather than spending much time with a complete yard re-hab, Espee simply started using virtually every siding in the San Jouquin Valley for set - outs & pickups !!! While the road crews probably liked the extra money in their pocket, it was likely negated by many days / nights spent in a lonely siding somewhere, waiting for the Dog Catch crew to relieve them.

TCnR Wrote:
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> It may be interestng to fnd out what the modern
> responsibilities of a UPrr Yardmaster currently
> is. It sounds likey oversee more than one yard
> using remote technologies. For all we know they
> all reside in Omaha and work from cubucles.
> Perhaps from Starbucks with a good Internet.
>
> The bogger operations could be different than the
> smaller yards, Intermodal yards, North Platte,
> Roseville are quite different than distant flat
> yards. Curious what the modern practice is.
> Considering that we are literally generations away
> from the cigar smoking, fedora wearing RR Managers
> of the past.

Are there very many yardmaster positions even left on the UP?

Probably not. The program of eliminating Yardmasters and having low level Managers at the terminal do the job has been going on for awhile.

In the west on the UP there are still yardmasters in Roseville, Ozol, and West Colton.

Roseville actually has 2 yardmaster positions, the trim yardmaster and hump yardmaster. The hump yardmaster is based on the I St bridge in Sacramento and also gets to be a bridge tender. 

Same deal in Ozol. The yardmaster is on the Carquinez Bridge and also functions as a bridge tender.

Because they got rid of yadmasters and now use cameras.

Standing but not used in years.

sp3204 Wrote:
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> Probably not. The program of eliminating
> Yardmasters and having low level Managers at the
> terminal do the job has been going on for awhile.


Union busting at its finest.

Regards

Posted from iPhone

Nice photos of Fresno, always enjoyed seeing the yard if we took 99 to see my grandparents in Bakersfield.

Nathan

atsf121 Wrote:
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> Nice photos of Fresno, always enjoyed seeing the
> yard if we took 99 to see my grandparents in
> Bakersfield.
>
> Nathan

You can see in the over all photo of the yard how wide the track centers are in the main yard bowl.  I remember reading back in the 80's (I think it was then) when SP had undertaken a major maintenance rehabilitation on the Fresno yard tracks, the state of California said it was a major rebuild and that the tracks were too close together (the original track centers didn't comply with new regulations), so SP removed ever other track to comply with the orders.