Steam & Excursion > With Extra Flags Flying The Locomotive Races On By At Speed!

With her tall drivers rolling at speed Western Pacific 4-8-4 #482 makes quite a sight as she speeds past the photographer near Massack, California in the Feather River Canyon.

The year is 1948 and the sight of steam powered passenger trains on the WP will last only a few more years before diesel power takes over the line. For now, however the chance to catch such a train on film was not to be missed.


Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/18 03:19 by LoggerHogger.

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Beautimous! Keep em coming Martin.

This is the Railway Club of Southern California's "Feather River Holiday" excursion, which ran from Los Angeles to Portola, CA and back on September 4-6, 1948. The train left LA via the Santa Fe (note the Santa Fe baggage car immediately behind the tender) at 1:30pm on the 4th, and was handed off to WP and engine 482 at Stockton the morning of the 5th. The train did a photo stop at Oroville and runbys at the Pulga bridges and Williams Loop, arriving at Portola late in the afternoon with just enough sun for roster shots around the engine terminal. It's the only WP railfan excursion I know of that used one of the GS-64-77 class 4-8-4's.

This image was taken by a Northern California fan motorcading the train. I was told Waldemar Sievers took it, but there is room for doubt on that point. The photo appears on page 303 of Dunscomb & Stindt's Western Pacific Steam Locomotives, Passenger Trains and Cars credited simply to the Harre Demoro collection.