Steam & Excursion > This Was A Busy Spot, Where 2 Steam Railroads Came Together!

In May, 1946 when this photo was taken at Halls Flat, California two different railroads called this place home.  Halls Flat was a stop on the Western Pacific line that ran from Keddie up to Bieber.  It was located several miles north of Westwood, California. 

Halls Flat was also where one of the Fruit Growers logging railroad lines connected with the WP.  It was here that the loaded log trains were picked up by the WP to take them to the FGS mill in Westwood.

In this fine view we see FGS 90-ton Baldwin 2-8-2 #104 stopped next to the "Whisky Special".  It was this train that would take Loggers from Halls Flat down to Westwood for the weekend.  The "Whiskey Special" was operated by the WP just for the FGS loggers.  Before Fruit Growers Supply bought out Red River Lumber, in 1944, this "Whiskey Special" was operated for RRL.

We can assume that the stack of cord wood next to the water tower in the scene was used to fire up the locomotives that were parked here over the weekend on the next Monday morning.  Not an easy job to do early in the morning if you still had a hangover from the night before.

Martin



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/21 02:43 by LoggerHogger.

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Interesting safety grills along the bottom of the windows of the WP coach.  How common were they used?  

That WP coach is actually an ex-Sacramento Northern interurban car.  I don't have the details handy, but WP purchased 4 or 5 ex-SN cars and used them on these trains.

Z

zephyrus Wrote:
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> That WP coach is actually an ex-Sacramento
> Northern interurban car.  I don't have the
> details handy, but WP purchased 4 or 5 ex-SN cars
> and used them on these trains.
>
> Z

SN trailer cars 1021-1025 became WP 451-455 in December 1941. All steel cars built by Hall-Scott Motor Car Company in 1913 for the OA&E. 
Per the book Sacramento Northern by Harre Demoro.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/21 18:27 by PHall.