Steam & Excursion > Sometimes Familiar Locomotives Show Up In Unfamiliar Places!

One look at Southern Pacific 4-6-0 #2181 reveals her in working trim as you would expect to find her. However the background for this photo tells another story.

The date of this photo is June 16, 1935. That unique tower behind #2181 can only mean one place in the West, Yreka, California. Yes, SP #2181 is on lease to the Yreka Western while that roads normal steam power is down for maintenance.

While most shortlines of the steam era had enough spare engines to fall back on when the roads primary motive power was down for repair, some like the Yreka Western, especially during the Great Depression, had to turn to their larger neighboring roads for leased power when the need arose.

This swapping of power led to some interesting scenes like this one for visiting railfans.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/17 03:45 by LoggerHogger.

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The Yreka Railroad/Yreka Western leased a number of different SP engines through the 30's. Mainly due to the fact that only engine they owned at the time (ex-McCloud River No.10) was unservicable for most of her Yreka career. Also The YW experimented with a small Plymouth switch engine, but it could barely handle two boxcars up Butcher Hill. The YRR leased the 2181 in 1931, followed by 2171 in 1932, and 2181 again in 1933. The YW got No.10 repaired in 1933, but was back to leasing from the SP in 1936, starting with 2178, then 2932 in 1937, followed by 2937 in 1938. Leasing of SP engines ended for a time when the YW acquired McCloud No.9 in 1939. The YW would lease an SP engine again in the 40's to assist the No.9 with the increased amounts of tonnage brought on by World War II.

The tower in the background, is what I've seen identified as the water softener in a number of other photos. I'm not sure of the exact location, but I've been lead to believe this was once located somewhere behind the roundhouse (the YW used to have a 4 stall roundhouse that burned down in the late 30's).

Tim Stricker
Pierre, SD

Posted from Android

When did the ex-Bamberger EMD SW switcher arrive on the YW property?
I saw it there on a visit in 1962.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/14/17 10:43 by JimBaker.

The YW purchased the Bamberger 602 in 1958, followed by two ALCo S-1's in 1963.

Tim Stricker
Pierre, SD

Posted from Android