Steam & Excursion > There Were Days That Railroad Clubs Had This Kind Of Acess!

Steam was still going strong on the Southern Pacific when the Railroad Booster Club of Southern California was invited by the railroad to visit their Alhambra Shops one Sunday.  Here we see the self guided tour in process.

What stands out here is the well-dressed and well-behaved railfans allowed to tour through the roundhouse yards and not a diesel in sight to spoil the view.   Those were the days!

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/20 02:26 by LoggerHogger.

---

I count, maybe 3 youngsters in the crowd ...?
I love it!

Great picture..

​W.

( note:  a few visitors are "standing on the rail", Bad practice.
Most visitors are not standing on rails..)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/20 03:28 by wcamp1472.

The shinny steel of a rail head is always slippery to any foot that treads upon it and it is about 6" higher than the tie or ground.  It takes energy to lift the body 6" if you step on a rail when walking across and much easier to step over.  That is why every company requires everyone to step over a rail and not try to lift body by stepping on the slippery head of rail. Besides if you slip on one rail and fall over you might hit your head on another rail.  A ankle bone can be splintered by a foot slipping off a rail head and that kind of injury in some cases can never heal well and walk is painful for rest of life.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/20 03:42 by PlyWoody.

Railroads were more accommodating to the public in those days.  Southern Pacific hospitality on a quiet Sunday morning.  

A 'hard' lesson I learned early, as an eager volunteer  around steam engines..

We were 'helping out' in George Hart's Rail Tours, inc., York, Pa, on 4th of July weekend, 1965..
It was early Saturday morning.....with a weekend of fun, helping-out, and taking pictures ...
all ahead of us..😃

I'm not sure why a couple of us were in the turntable pit ( assisting?  cleaning?) ...but, while climbing 
out , no easy way out, I stepped on the circular, rim-rail --- around the bottom of the pit,
and applied all my weight to thrust myself up to ground level.

I planted my left foot on the rail, and attempted to 'power-out ' of the pit.
Then, while swinging my right leg in the air,  and two arms on the pit's edge..
my left foot suddenly slipped off the rail --- instantly, I landed with my left shin
on that rail....with my 'full weight'...  
INSTANT PAIN !!!!

The pain was terrible...brought tears to my eyes...  swelling immediately followed.
I remember, as a newby, being warned about NOT STEPPING ON THE RAIL...
but the pit was deep, the short support 'ties' and the rail-circle were a good 10 to 16" 
'step' towards getting out..
BIG mistake!  

I hobbled around the entire weekend ...it was horrible..

To this day, I have a marked 'dent' in my left shin...and on the 'misery-days', 
my shin aches with the same pain from 55 years ago...& continues to remind me
of that terrible lesson...

Needless to say...I ALWAYS STEP OVER ALL RAILS..SHINY OR NOT..

That was how I started my career with steam engines...
Luckily, I've never had a painful RR 'accident', since ..

Wes Camp



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/20 04:45 by wcamp1472.

A lot less lawyers then I'm sure.

Posted from Android

A great image for a Saturday (railfanning day)...or any day, for that matter. So much to see here, both in terms of railroads and people. The sights these folks must have seen that day at a location like that one can only imagine, not the least of which being two Daylight GS 4-8-4 tenders visible (and the 4451 itself in the shadows at far left). And yes, for such events you dressed at least in nice casual clothes. I wouldn't be surprised, if the view were different, if we'd see a few of the participants wearing neckties, probably at least the four gentlemen wearing hats (the one at the left looks to be particularly nattily attired). If there's railroad regalia being worn, it probably is no more than a necktie or tie clasp. A former world, to be sure...in so many ways.

I count myself lucky that I got to experience some group tours of railroad facilities like this, even down to how people dressed. And memorable they were, all. And yes, even into the 1990s, people dressed up a bit, with even an occasional necktie, although worn jeans and abundant railfan-logo-wear was becoming more common. And glad to say, behavior was still good, much as in this image.

The railroaders who showed us around and spoke to us were generally pleasant. If a bit bemused at the beginning of a contact with them, they generally warmed to the group as they took questions and engaged in discussion, and came to recognize a bit of knowledge and appreciation among their visitors. And then you'd see the glimmers of  pride -- that somebody who didn't work in the daily grind here everyday actually appreciated what they were seeing, and the work being done. The work that I and my co-workers do.  That moment of self-affirmation and pride of place is something anyone appreciates.

A wonderful image. IOTD please, Mr. Webmaster. Thanks, Martin, for posting it for us to enjoy...and remember.

MC
Muskegon, Michigan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/20 05:02 by ironmtn.

Where were the Alhambra shops?  It looks like a large facility.

Just across the LA River from Mission Tower.  Now an intermodal terminal unless that's been razed since I last lived in SoCal (2009)

Ok.  That's what I thought.  Thanks.

JB 

goduckies Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A lot less lawyers then I'm sure.
>
> Posted from Android


And a LOT more common sense!

As above...
.....Along with common sense, courtesy and respect which
were  behaviors exhibited while taking tours of  RR property.
Days now lost in the mists of time...

I still behave in a civil manner --- with everybody...
Oh, well.

The 80 years I've lived have been the most momentous 
in recorded history ....the world of 1940 was rapidly fading...

The discoveries, journeys and events over that period, since, are unprecedented.
We are plunging into a rime warp...that is analogous to a train tunnel....what
will be there we we emerge from this leader-less period...now that the Constitution
concept of "the Balance of Powers" has been shredded... will the future leaders
be up to the task of 'reconstruction'?

I feel the political damage being done, is permanent...  
The pendulum swings,....right now, towards uncertainty.
I mourn for our future generations ...

Glad I'm getting off, soon..  

Wes.

( there's nothing specific or imminent in my life ...but, Father Time keeps a close eye
on how much sand is still left in my hourglass ...).

Well said Wes, but at the same time the pace and scope of 
changes..Social, Technical, and yes, Political is something 
that surpassed  the previous 10 generations. I'm glad I witnessed it.
I'm right up there pushing  80, and I look at  slides I took
at Cajon in the 90's which are now historic and
not repeatable...it moved that fast.  I remember being with my then 10 year old son
photographing the manned "Devore Helper" (at Devore) waiting to assist SP freights and being
invited into the cab and given a "tour" of the controls...no, could not take a
cab ride , but try getting an invitation into a parked and manned
diesel today! The guys who watched the steamers
in Cajon before me thought that the steam era would never end, even as they 
were at the last turn of their wheels. I for one would like
to see railroading 50 years from now.
The upcoming generations seem to find 
their own greatness and I do not despair
for my children......think of the optimism
every one has in their youth. We'll muddle through again
and again.
George Andrassy 
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/27/20 11:24 by Auburnrail.

Thank you.
I needed a change of perspective..
😄

W.

While working at the Roaring Camp & Big Trees years ago, I saw a young woman trying to "walk the rail" like a tightrope and I immediately stopped her and told her not to do that as she could "slip and break a leg or something". Needless to say, about an hour later I heard sirens approaching and an amblance turning on to the frontage road that follows the old S.P. grade adjacent to our railroad. It seems she did not heed my advice and was still doing her tightrope act when she slipped and broke BOTH her legs! This time she did it on the S.P.'s preoperty and not on ours. 

Don't blame the lawyers, blame their clients.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Don't blame the lawyers, blame their clients.

Then what about those so called lawyers, that chase and convince clients to take legal action?

Everybody hates lawyers until they need one! One of our most "esteemed" Americans has about 2200 lawsuits under his belt--many questionable--it sets an example--eh? 

 

PlyWoody Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The shinny steal of a rail head is always slippery
> to any foot that treads upon it and it is about 6"
> higher than the tie or ground.  It takes
> energy to lift the body 6" if you step on a rail
> when walking across and much easier to step
> over.  That is why every company requires
> everyone to step over a rail and not try to lift
> body by stepping on the slippery head of rail.
> Besides if you slip on one rail and fall over you
> might hit your head on another rail.  A ankle
> bone can be splintered by a foot slipping off a
> rail head and that kind of injury in some cases
> can never heal well and walk is painful for rest
> of life.

This is gospel to all of us in North America but you go to Europe or most any other place and it is totally ignored.  I have never figured out why.

Gordon

> This is gospel to all of us in North America but
> you go to Europe or most any other place and it is
> totally ignored.  I have never figured out why.

Maybe because in various European countries medical care is "free" (tax-supported) and during recuperation your paycheck keeps coming in. Although, I found trespassing it is pretty well enforced  in the UK and mainlines are fenced.