Steam & Excursion > Steam Railroading Could Produce Some Beautiful Scenes Here's One!

Add a steam locomotive to a scene like this and you really set the era for the photo.

Here we are at the Santa Fe Yards in San Bernadino, California in the 1940's with AT&SF #1960 and #824 and ther crew slowly moving through the yard. The classic mission style depot and waiting passenger cars all speak to an era of railroading that would not last much longer.

Let's just sit back and drink in this timeless scene while we can.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/13/17 03:15 by LoggerHogger.

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Santa Fe 1960 was last assigned to the Valley Division. It was retired on the last day of 1949, but wasn't sold for scrap until February of 1952.

The 824 has an interesting history. It started life in 1901 as a 4-cylinder Vauclain compound 2-8-0 with a Vanderbilt firebox, the sole member of the 824-class. The firebox arrangement didn't work out very well, and the engine gained the nickname "Mt. Pelee" among the crews. It was simpled in 1909, and Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail attests that it had "three different boilers, four different fireboxes, and a greater number of unwilling crews" over the course of its career. The San Bernardino Shops converted it into an 0-8-0 using the boiler and firebox from retired 4-4-2 #1404 in 1937, and reboilered it once more before all was said and done. Unlike 1960's prolonged storage following retirement, the 824 was dispatched to its final reward fairly quickly. It was removed from service at San Bernardino on April 6, 1950, formally retired three months later, and sent to the torch in September.

They restored the big old shop whistle, on the smokestack, and it goes off at 8am,12pm and 5pm, sometimes I could faintly hear it all the way in Highland if conditions were right! (back in 2008-2014, when I worked pest control route in San Berdoo). And if you are driving on Mt.Vernon Ave. overpass when it goes off, better hold on to that steering wheel! But back in the time of this photo, that big whistle was a part of everyone's life routine.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

That's a GREAT scene. Just sit back and listen to these guys kicking cars.
The Frisco's roundhouse whistle at Lindenwood could be heard for miles. In a straight line, we lived maybe a mile and a half from it. It would also blow to call out the wrecker. Dad would listen and see which division it blew for.
Memories.....

Martin,
Always a pleasure to see what you post. How clean and tidy everything looks in this picture.


Nudge

Samta Fe had a very large shop whistle in Cleburne Tx. It blew at 8 am, 12, 1PM and 5. You could hear it all over town and them some.

Fantastic photo, things sure look different now. But I'm glad the depot survives, it is one of my favorites.

Nathan

Wow! A classic scene from another era, almost completely devoid of trash & litter. I'm almost speechless...

Lance/199

spnudge Wrote:
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> Martin,
> Always a pleasure to see what you post. How clean
> and tidy everything looks in this picture.
>
>
> Nudge

Prototype track never looked that good. It must be a model.

-JLS

santafe199 Wrote:
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> Wow! A classic scene from another era, almost
> completely devoid of trash & litter. I'm
> almost speechless...
>
> Lance/199

LOL! No Trash! Plus no trashy people!, Just a lot of hard working folks!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

And from those of us who called on the shops, hung out there, etc, I don't remember it looking
like that!

Out