Steam & Excursion > Three SP Malleys for "Throwback Thursday."

Here's three from the Nolan Black collection of some of the AC-4 and 5 class cab forward Malleys.  Now before someone jumps on me about how these are not true malleys, let me say I agree, but to the SP guys, all the cab forwards were known as  Malleys.

1.  A photographer named Birney shot this brute at Bakersfield in April of 1938.

2,  another malley ready for heavy freight service on the Tehachapi grades.  Bakersfield, 1939.

3..  The fireman clowns for Dad as he shot this one that had just come in form Bakersfield on an unidentified passenger train at Los Angeles's old Central station.  September, 1938.

Thanks for looking, and as always, comments welcome

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

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Great, thanks.

Wonderful photos.
Bob

Seems unusual for the fireman to blank the numberboards
while the engine's still on the train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/26 14:17 by timz.

road engine is cutting off going to the house

Thanks Nolan!

timz Wrote:
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> Seems unusual for the fireman to blank the
> numberboards
> while the engine's still on the train.

Not unusual at all. I am not in possession of a SP Rule book in effect at the time of Nolan's photo; however
SP's February 15, 1943 edition of Rule 21 (C) said, in part: " Indicators...must be removed when train arrives
at destination and has stopped clear of main track. ...."; what appears to be the case in photo 3.

By December 1, 1951 the subject of removal of train indication was revised in SP's rule book, again in Rule 21 (C),
last paragraph by providing: "Train Indication must be removed on arrival at destination, unless otherwise
provided."...no mention of: "...and has stopped clear of main track."

As a side note, my mentor of all things railroading told me there were multiple occasions at SP's Alhambra Ave.Roundhouse
in Los Angeles when a fireman was called from home to return to the roundhouse and complete his chore of removing the train
numbers he had inadvertently overlooked. Apparently it was a big deal, back when things were done differently.

Charlie 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/26 21:27 by cewherry.

tehachcond wrote of the first photo:

> A photographer named Birney shot this brute at Bakersfield in April of 1938.

Actually, the photo was taken at Los Angeles.  Compare with this Otto Perry photo found at the Denver Public Library: 

https://digital.denverlibrary.org/nodes/view/1089923?keywords=otto+perry+southern+pacific&type=all&highlights=WyJwZXJyeSwiLCJvdHRvLCIsInNvdXRoZXJuIiwicGFjaWZpYyIsIm90dG8iLCJwZXJyeSJd&lsk=9030a7f70bd949cdba59c8dccc5ddc18

No building like that existed at Bakersfield.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/26 09:31 by johnsweetser.

Seeing the balancing act the fireman had to make on the front of the cab makes me think the fireman appreciated the inside number access profided by the cabs of the later AC's

Three beautiful images !