Steam & Excursion > There Were Plenty Of Busy Men Before This Train Could Leave!

Any steam powered passenger train had more than just the engine crew that had their tasks to perform before any train left the depot.  We see some of the other workers doing their jobs here.

AT&SF 4-6-2 #3523 is preparing to leave the Santa Fe's 40th Street and San Pablo Ave depot in Emeryville, California in the early 1950's.  While the engineer and fireman give their steed one last inspection, the boys at Railway Express Agency are busy transferring the packages on and off the head-end cars.

We can only imagine the work being done on board by the porters, cooks conductor and others as they prepare for this trains departure.  As soon as the passengers have boarded all will be ready for them from the front to the back of this classic steam train.

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/19 04:29 by LoggerHogger.

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What can you tell us about the 999?

Thats a rare number...

W.

Wes,

AT&SF #999 was a 2-8-0.  Here she is in Emeryville in 1939.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/19 05:46 by LoggerHogger.

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I love that the SANTA FE reached all the way into OAKLAND.  Just something about that "audacity" in the heart of SP's empire!

coach Wrote:
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> I love that the SANTA FE reached all the way into
> OAKLAND.  Just something about that "audacity" in
> the heart of SP's empire!

That was the reason the line was built in the first place. To give the SP some competition.
The WP would be built for the very same reason.

Lots of personal memories for me in that shot, Martin.  My dad worked for the Railway Express Agency and met every train that stopped in Little Falls, NY.  I witnessed a lot of his work and that photo with the REA truck triggered the memories.

This is an early morning photo.....anybody hazard to guess what train this might be?

That REA truck is also interesting.
Thanks for the posting.
ALLEN

Note the Key System electric train second picture left.

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> This is an early morning photo.....anybody hazard
> to guess what train this might be?

The November 1950 edition of The Official Guide shows unnamed train No. 4 departing Oakland, 40th & San Pablo,
at 9:25AM daily. The equipment listing shows the following: "Nos. 23 and 4 carry sleeping cars, dining car and chair car
between Barstow and Oakland".

EDIT: Further reading of Santa Fe's employee timetable effective 9/24/1950, (thanks to Ed Gibson's wx4.org site), shows
the unnamed train referred to above as actually called "California Limited" departing at the same 9:25AM, daily and arriving
Barstow at 10:10PM, same day where it combined with another No. 4, same name, which had originated at Los Angeles at
6:15PM. The ORG cited above shows the sleeper to be an Oakland-Chicago 10 section, 1 drawing room, 2 compartment car
and the Oakland diner only went as far as Barstow with meals beyond to be taken at Fred Harvey dining rooms until La Junta where 
another diner was added for the remainder of the trip to Chicago. 

Charlie
 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/19 10:54 by cewherry.

Just shy of 13-hrs to go from Oakland to Barstow!!!  Man, is "California Limited" ever a misleading name for this train!

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> Just shy of 13-hrs to go from Oakland to
> Barstow!!!  Man, is "California Limited" ever a
> misleading name for this train!

If you wanted speed you took one of the Golden Gates.