Steam & Excursion > Working Summers In Some Helper Districts Was A Real Treat!

Let's face it, working on a steam locomotive in most helper districts was hard work.  There were grades with long freight trains that had to be overcome on a daily basis.  In the winter those grades usually meant lot's of snow that the crews had to overcome as well.  However, in the summer, the scenery changed with the warm days and the winter snows were simply a bad memory.

In August, 1955 Harold Stewart made his way to Cascade Summit, on the Southern Pacific's Natron Cutoff between Oakridge and Chemult, Oregon.  Here, in the warm summer day he found Cab-Forward #4283 taking on water, by the shores of Odell Lake.   The fireman has a wonderful view of the lake from his perch up on the tender of the big articulated locomotive. 

It was days like this on "The Hill" that made all those winter trips worthwhile.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/20 04:17 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin:

Thanks for posting the photo. That is a very nice "postcard ready" photo in my opinion.  One of those classic, "having fun wish you were" here versions.

It looks like perfect place to watch some classic SP steam and after she leaves, walk down to the lake with a rod and catch some dinner!

John Mills

 

Why yes, a perfect counterpart to shoving out of Indio with a "Deck' in Summer.

Out 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/31/20 17:24 by callum_out.

I wonder if his next shot was of the PA's on the Portland-bound "Shasta Daylight?"

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

callum_out Wrote:
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> Why yes, a perfect counterpart to shoving out of
> Indio with a "DecK' in Summer.

I once asked an engineer who had worked on steam, in Indio, in the summer, what was the 
worst part of that experience. His reply: sitting, stopped, on a train conducting an air test with
cars on either side of your engine preventing any breeze from reaching you. 
We can only imagine.

Charlie
 

I can imagine, though, a cab forward big steamer had a cooler cab at speed in summer.
I hope.