Steam & Excursion > In This Role, The Steam Locomotive Crew Runs Light Half The Time!

The job of a helper engine crew was a study in opposites when it came to their daily work assignments.  On the one hand, they were called on to push their engine to its limits as they worked her at full throttle while assisting heavy freight trains over steep mountain grades.  On the other hand, however, when that task was done, they were left all alone as they ran light down grade all by themselves, to await then next freight that needed their added power.

In September, 1941 Southern Pacific #4143 and her crew were caught on film at Oilville near Colfax, California as they ran light after their last helper assist for the day.  Soon they would arrive back in Roseville, where they would take on fuel and water.  After that, the big Cab-Forward would be tied down, to await the next call that would bring her out to put all the tractive effort she has to the rear of yet another heavy freight train, to get that train over Donner Summit.

Martin

P.S. Note the 3' gauge tracks of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge on the right.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/19 04:11 by LoggerHogger.

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Looks like the Nevada County Narrow Gauge tracks running parallel in the bottom right.

In order to get out of rat race KC pool life, I'd bump onto the pusher board in Topeka for a while. About all it did was push loaded coal trains up the hills to Emporia. It was an easy job, basically just put it in R-8 and kick back, the head end did all the thinking. It was almost always in the day time, and when we got to Emporia, we just copied a track warrant and ran back lite to either tie up, or maybe stay on duty and push another one.

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Martin:

Thanks for posting. All those wires but steam power doing the job!

When I was very, very young I recall watching eastbound freights rolling through Colfax. Consists were 100+ cars with three Cab Forwards (head end, middle and a pusher) shaking the whole town as they left town. Later the diesel F-7 A and B units required 10 engines to handle the same consist.

John Mills

LoggerHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Soon they would
> arrive back in Colfax, where they would take on
> fuel and water.  After that, the big Cab-Forward
> would be tied down, to await the next call that
> would bring her out to put all the tractive effort
> she has to the rear of yet another heavy freight
> train, to get that train over Donner Summit.
 
Most likely it returned to Roseville. The Colfax helpers were 2-8-0 Harriman Hogs used on the point between Colfax and Emigrant Gap, the steepest part of Donner. The Back-up Mallets would help from Roseville to Norden, then turn at Norden, returning light to Roseville. 

I have DS sheets for entire months of 1935 and 1947 and all Back-ups returned light to Roseville.

In the early 1950's the EB freights would run right through Colfax with just three cab ahead (AC) locomotives. By that time I don't believe they were running "mallets" on the Hill.

John MIlls

John Mills wrote:

"In the early 1950's the EB freights
would run right through Colfax with just three cab ahead (AC) locomotives. By that time I don't believe they were running "mallets" on the Hill."

I don't understand John Mills' post.

The cab-aheads were often called Mallets by their crews.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/06/19 15:52 by johnsweetser.

Oilville???!  Never heard of that up there.  Must be just east of Colfax, based on the NCRR tracks to the right.  

Speaking of the NCRR, you can trace the line for a while down the grade out of Colfax, but it's hard to find where it passes under the UP and heads up toward Nevada City.  Does anyone know where to look thee days??

Under the bridge over I-80,  the ROW is a well used dirt road.
G