Nostalgia & History > "Water bottle" for F3 and the WP "motor"

Since my wife was born and raised in Elko, NV, this image caught my eye. It's an unusual version of WP's train No. 1 and 2, in this case in 1950 the train sported an EMD F-3, a tender from a 4-8-2 for water for its train heat boiler, and a couple of cars. The WP timetable only indicates the train as "coaches only" without a name, but running on the time of the Royal Gorge. It ran as such from March 1950 through September 1950. I recall that Railroad Magazine's Joe Easley did a sketch of this unusual train for his monthly feature "Along the Iron Pike". When the Budd RDCs showed up, the timetable listed the schedule as "motor No. 1 and 2. Later of course the cars were dubbed "Zephyrettes" on their stop-everywhere daylight run across Nevada. The second photo shows a Zephyrette in Salt Lake City in 1956.
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM --JEB MP 0.0 Council Bluffs



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/10 13:55 by Copy19.

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That certainly is interesting with the tender...

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> That certainly is interesting with the tender...

All that water for just one coach?

Butch

truxtrax Wrote:
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> wabash2800 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That certainly is interesting with the
> tender...
>
> All that water for just one coach?
>
> Butch

According to Virgil Staff's book, D-Day on the Western Pacific, the tender was filled with only about 3 or 4 feet of water at Oakland which was enough for the whole trip to Salt Lake City.
JEB

Great shots. Thanks for posting.

I have read that the tenders also carried additional fuel for the F3As. I know that Joe Strapac's WP Diesel Years states this based off Joe's research and I think Virgil Staff also makes mention of that. I have never been able to verify, but if true this would be one of the earlier examples of diesel loco fuel tenders, I think.

Z

"Joe Easley"--now there's a name that brings back memories. Just like brass pounder Eddie Sand.

My wife tells me we are looking at the eastbound train. The Stockman's Hotel is out of the picture to the right. The Depot Market --landmark for locals she said, is right across the track to the left. The Star Hotel, still there, was a noted Basque restaurant and hotel was on the same block. The Southern Pacific main line was north of the WP one block to the right. It reminds me of the old joke about Elko when a guest at the Stockman's, awakened by all the train traffic, calls the front desk and asks the clerk, "Say what time does this hotel get into Chicago?"
JEB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/10 16:41 by Copy19.

Copy19 Wrote:
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> My wife tells me we are looking at the eastbound
> train. The Stockman's Hotel is out of the picture
> to the right. The Depot Market --landmark for
> locals she said, is right across the track to the
> left. The Star Hotel, still there, was a noted
> Basque restaurant and hotel was on the same block.
> The Southern Pacific main line was north of the WP
> one block to the right. It reminds me of the old
> joke about Elko when a guest at the Stockman's,
> awakened by all the train traffic, calls the front
> desk and asks the clerk, "Say what time does this
> hotel get into Chicago?"
> JEB
JEB
Your wife is totally accurate. This is eastbound train no.2 at the meal stop at Elko.
The Stockmans hotel is out of sight to the right but within walking distance for the meal stop.
This was after the Stockmans was remodeled from the Meyer Hotel in 1945 and before it burned down to the basement in 1957 and consequently rebuilt to what it is today.
This photo taken almost on the sidewalk in front of the Star Hotel (still there ) which was just east of the Depot Msrket and Sam's Bar and Cafe(an other interesting place pertaining to the WPRR in those days).
Just behind the photographer and to the right out of sight was Elko's answer to "skid row" the Central Bar, the Blue Jay Bar and Cafe, and the Rialto Bar just across the street to the right.
The most interesting things about both photos are the definition of the changes in the WP during this circa.
The station building in the picture is the original WP Elko station building constructed in about 1903 and was until the relocation of both tracks through town the Easter Division offices. This photo was taken in early spring as there is still snow below the station sign.
It was razzed and a new single story Depot and office was built in the late 1960,s. Started my RR career in the old building in 1953.
The 4 car train is the most interesting train to ever operate on the Eastern Division.
In my total recollection of WP from 1932 until the takeover by the UP this was the only time that the WP ever ran two scheduled passenger trains between Salt Lake City and Portola.
With the inauguration of CZ 17 and 18 with stops only at Wendover,(train was used to deadhead crews) Elko,(Also engine crew Chang point) Winnemucca,(train crew change point) and Gerlach,(engine crew change point) there were no stops even flag stops. This was a special pass only train. Service was needed to service the railroad points and the small towns thus tri weekly service on the Eastern Division.
The consist shown in the photo is very interesting with one of the CZ F-3's shown on the point.
She power had to be used out of the CZ pool due to the steam generator and the aux water car was to supplement the meager water supply.
This is the same time the WP eliminated every other section on the Division and management was teased that they apparently cut off every other car in their passenger train also. The schedule on this train was designed to cover the Eastern Division during daylight hours to mainly service the RR facilities and the intermediate towns.
The RDC's 375 and 376 were put in service in late 1950 and the 4 car train and F unit were abolished. In my early railroading days trains 1 and 2 were the only way to town and the joke was in order to ride these trains you had to have a pass from the Roadmster and a bottle of wine. before the conductor would let you on.
Ah the old days, some good some bad.

That first photo in front of the depot was taken March 11, 1950, most likely by Wilbur Whittaker. A similar photo of the same scene appears on page 331 of Dunscomb & Stindt's Western Pacific book. According to Guy Dunscomb, this version of the Royal Gorge train operated March 20, 1949 to September 14, 1950.