Steam & Excursion > Common On Some Roads This One Was Unique To This Line!

While many mainline railroads had a number of 2-6-6-2 articulated locomotives on their roster by the 1940's, this wheel arrangement was somewhat unique to the Southern Pacific.

In February 1943 the SP jumped at the chance to acquire the 2 such ALCO-built 2-6-6-2's that had been built in 1920 for the Verde Tunnel & Smelter Company of Arizona. This pair of slow moving compounds were just what the SP needed to meet war-time demand in the Los Angeles area.

Here we see SP #3930 and her train as she moved through Garnet, California with another slow freight train of ore cars. Garnet is near Palm Springs and still sees rail traffic today, but not behind such a unique pair of engines any more as #3930 and #3931. Don Sims took this great photo.


Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/17 07:17 by LoggerHogger.

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Garnet, California, near Palm Springs. Right in the middle of the "blow sand" area, at the bottom of the grade over Beaumont Hill. I remember a few fun times there cutting in a helper with the 40 MPH wind blowing sand in your face.

TIOGA PASS

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/17 00:46 by aronco.

Garnet today is the land of wind generators.

To the right of Don is now the site of Amtrak's "Palm Springs" station.