Steam & Excursion > This Was An Unusual Enough Sight To Warrant Photographing It!

Back in 1955, even though steam motive power was fading fast from the railroad scene, there still were plenty of daily opportunities for railfans to catch steam in action.  With this in mind, the railfans of the day were still looking for interesting moves of steam power to add to their steam photograph collection.

The sight of a light move of Southern Pacific #2471 in Richmond, California was special enough for one railfan to take the time capture this image of the move for us on film.  Perhaps the photographer realized at the time that his chance to catch such an image in the near future would be almost impossible with steam disappearing fast from the railroad scene.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/19 01:26 by LoggerHogger.

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I like photos such as this.  It shows the scene and buildings and life of the times and it shows the top fo the boiler and tender.  Thanks for posting this.

That’s a good looking machine.
SR

Wonder why it's occupying the main track without showing anything in the indicators? That would be a violation of the rules. 

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wonder why it's occupying the main track without
> showing anything in the indicators? That would be
> a violation of the rules. 

I thought, and was told by the "old heads", that once the locomotive was uncoupled from the train, the train numbers were to be removed from the indicator boxes. Similarly, the train number was not to be displayed until coupled to the train. The pacific in the photo is thus, not on a train,,,,,,,,yet.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BCHellman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wonder why it's occupying the main track
> without
> > showing anything in the indicators? That would
> be
> > a violation of the rules. 
>
> I thought, and was told by the "old heads", that
> once the locomotive was uncoupled from the train,
> the train numbers were to be removed from the
> indicator boxes. Similarly, the train number was
> not to be displayed until coupled to the train.
> The pacific in the photo is thus, not on a
> train,,,,,,,,yet.

Yard Limits?  If so, he may occupy the main without authority.

-LD

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BCHellman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Wonder why it's occupying the main track
> without
> > showing anything in the indicators? That would
> be
> > a violation of the rules. 
>
> I thought, and was told by the "old heads", that
> once the locomotive was uncoupled from the train,
> the train numbers were to be removed from the
> indicator boxes. Similarly, the train number was
> not to be displayed until coupled to the train.
> The pacific in the photo is thus, not on a
> train,,,,,,,,yet.

I went to Western Division No. 260, April 24, 1955. What I didn't realize is that (Oakland) Yard Limits extended from Oakland all the way to San Pablo on the Martinez Subdivision, which includes Richmond. Since it's not necessary to have a clearance in Yard Limits, there was no need to have numbers in the indicators. My guess is that such a large engine was either going to get a train at Richmond Yard, where he'll put the clearance in the indicators, or has delivered a train to Richmond Yard, where he has taken down the clearance in the indicators, and is returning light to West Oakland Roundhouse. 

Rule 21-C governs the use of indicators. From the 1951 SP rulebook, which would have been in effect at the time of the photograph:

"A train with engine equipped with train indicators must not leave its initial station until identification is displayed.....Train indication must be removed on arrival at destination, unless otherwise provided"

In the all powerful "unless otherwise provided," there's a Special Instruction in the Western Division SI stating that engines from Oakland Pier and "Desert unit West Oakland" may display indicators to and from the West Oakland Roundhouse..

One other note from the photo. The posted speed board is 40. The SI shows mile 11.42 to 16.00 (Richmond) as being 40 freight and 45 for passenger. Not sure why there are not two speeds listed. The speed limit was imposed by the City of Richmond, according to the Special Instructions.  

Looks like it's passing a station platform?
So where is it, and which way is it pointed?
So far I haven't recognized the "40" board.

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > BCHellman Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Wonder why it's occupying the main track
> > without
> > > showing anything in the indicators? That
> would
> > be
> > > a violation of the rules. 
> >
> > I thought, and was told by the "old heads",
> that
> > once the locomotive was uncoupled from the
> train,
> > the train numbers were to be removed from the
> > indicator boxes. Similarly, the train number
> was
> > not to be displayed until coupled to the train.
> > The pacific in the photo is thus, not on a
> > train,,,,,,,,yet.
>
> Yard Limits?  If so, he may occupy the main
> without authority.
>
> -LD

Yes, 16 miles of Yard Limits!

timz Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks like it's passing a station platform?
> So where is it, and which way is it pointed?
> So far I haven't recognized the "40" board.

If it's not Richmond, the only other possible place I can think of would be Paul Ave. (Mile 4.1), on the Coast Divsion. Yard limits for San Francisco extend to San Bruno. But it fails on a number of levels.  Where is the platform on the other side? According to the Special Instruction, speed was restricted to 40mph for freight between mile 3.1 to 8.10. Sixty-miles an hour for passenger. But the 40mph board would be outside of Paul Ave. 

You guys should work for the CIA !  LOL

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

He's right -- the camera is looking compass-east
at 23rd St. Best pic to compare is page 6-7 of
the SP Morning Sun Volume 2. There's also
that Don Hansen pic of train 75 that's been
published two or three times -- it's on page 39
of SP Hist Diesels Vol 9, but cropped too tight
to show as much as we'd like.

Anyone got a Spec Instr between 1949 and 1955?
Both of those show 50 passenger starting here,
so the 40 board is a puzzle.

Wouldn't a picture in Richmond also include the Waterside Drill? Or was that not built yet?

The pic is in San Francisco.

The "40" board is an increase-to-40 board.