Nostalgia & History > Easter Sunday, 1971,Tracy, CA, SP Train #51

SP 6461 with the San Joaquin Daylight at Tracy, Easter Sunday, 1971

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Looks like a nice 'postcard' shot!

Take Care, Stay Safe, Have Fun!

Larry

Very interesting shot. I cannot recall having ever seen a photo of the Daylight in diesel at Tracy before. Even for years after Amtrak took over SP's passenger service, the Tracy yard office, seen in the photo, was a busy place. Not only were there a number of railroad departments based in that building, it was also the home of "Tracy Telegraph" - the radio communications nerve center for the SP in that area, comparable to one of the dispatchers today. Unfortunately, Tracy (on the SP that is)began to dry up and close up in the 1990s.

Did the Daylight run down the 'west side' line from Tracy?

I don't know where exactly they all go, but there is still a 6-day-a-week Tracy local that carries string after string of boxcars from Roseville to Tracy, the California Northern operates their trains out of this office and there are jobs that seem to work day and night. 1951 busy it may not be, but there's still some decent activity in Tracy.

sfericsf Wrote:
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> Did the Daylight run down the 'west side' line
> from Tracy?

The omly passinger train on the westside that I recall was 57 and 58 ,the OWL

If google earth isn't lying, it looks like you can take some communter train from San Jose to Stockton, going thru Tracy.

tmamtrak Wrote:
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> I don't know where exactly they all go, but there
> is still a 6-day-a-week Tracy local that carries
> string after string of boxcars from Roseville to
> Tracy, the California Northern operates their
> trains out of this office and there are jobs that
> seem to work day and night. 1951 busy it may not
> be, but there's still some decent activity in
> Tracy.

Most of the boxcars are empties or dunnage cars going to the tomato plants on the CFNR, of course loaded with paste outbound.

Posted from iPhone

The current commuter train ACE (Altamont Commuter Express) runs on the ex WP line that has a Tracy stop that is South of 'downtown' Tracy, not the former SP line pictured. The SP Mococco line from Tracy to Martinez is still in place but mostly out of service, and the former SP line from Tracy to Niles is gone, except for the Niles Canyon Scenic in Niles Canyon.

Jim B

51 and 52, the San Joaquin Daylights, ran between Oakland and Los Angeles via Martinez, Tracy, Lathrop, (where a connection was made with the Sacramento Daylight, trains 53 and 54), Modesto, Fresno, Bakersfield and Mojave.
The Owl, trains 57 and 58, used the West side line from Fresno to Tracy via Mendota and Patterson. The Owl did not get near the station at Tracy. It stopped some distance away on the connection to the Mococco line (Tracy to Martinez via Antioch).
Both the San Joaquin and the Owl made regular connections with the Cascade and Shasta Daylight at Martinez.

Norm

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

aronco Wrote:
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> The Owl, trains 57 and 58, used the West side line
> from Fresno to Tracy via Mendota and Patterson.
> The Owl did not get near the station at Tracy. It
> stopped some distance away on the connection to
> the Mococco line (Tracy to Martinez via Antioch).
> Norm

The Owl didn't go by the new station in the picture but I'm pretty sure it did stop at the old Tracy station that was located in the "bowtie" section of town where all the lines came together.

Good to see this type of power for this train. I saw the last run and have a movie of the SJ Daylight at Saugus on April 30, 1971 the day before it went into railroad lore . It had 15 cars . This shot here can not be too far from April 30th since it is Easter. Will there EVER be another train carrying people  over the hill to Mojave from Bakersfield?  Any thoughts on that please comment. I know the BNSF and UP share those tracks so dispatching is a headache, but I only would be happy with ONE train even thought the running time from L.A. to Oakland is not that attractive in modern times. it could also serve as a commuter style train  with a food car from the Antelope Valley to points in the S.J. Valley including Sacramento if it was marketed that way.

Phil Blommendahl
Getzville, NY