Nostalgia & History > SP Coastline strikes again

Here are three more photos from Santa Barbara.

1 - SP SD45T-2 #9223 assisted by 5 more units leads a train of 159 cars under the Las Positas Rd bridge heading West out of Santa Barbara. The reason for the number of diesels and the very large number of cars is pretty simple in this case. A three unit Westbound freight, most likely the West peddler, died in the Santa Barbara yard. The next Westbound that came into town had orders from the dispatcher to couple both trains cars and power together and then head West to San Luis Obispo. Apparently all the power just happened to be working that day, which was good news for the crew I would guess. Photo taken July 8th, 1974.
2 - SP GE U30C #7919 waits with an Eastbound at the wait signal due to Amtraks Coast Starlight #13 arrival at the Santa Barbara station. This is at the Castillo St Bridge. Photo taken July 21st, 1974.
3 - SP caboose #1807 on the end of the Eastbound in photo #2 heading East after waiting for Amtrak. This photo also taken on July 21st, 1974.

C.C.Chas.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/12 19:24 by choochoocharlie.

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Great light on that first shot!

2nd that beautiful evening light!

Thanks again. I patched 1/829 that day out of SLO but I show 8779-8754-8888-8655. My notes don't say where I went to get it.

Nudge

Excellent first image.

Awesome pics again! Hearing, feeling, and smelling the power of the first train would have been a moving experience.

That red frog light on the U30C looks to be in need of some attention. That would have been an FRA attention getter, no?

Love the framing on the first shot.

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

spnudge Wrote:
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> Thanks again. I patched 1/829 that day out of SLO
> but I show 8779-8754-8888-8655. My notes don't say
> where I went to get it.
>
> Nudge

Probably handed off the lead three to someone (GU) and picked up one



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/12 07:25 by WAF.

I'll bet that the 9223 was a real pain in the butt to try and handle with 159 cars over that roller coaster territory. I'm glad I wasn't on it.

JDE

Steamjocky Wrote:
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> I'll bet that the 9223 was a real pain in the butt
> to try and handle with 159 cars over that roller
> coaster territory. I'm glad I wasn't on it.
>
> JDE


Can you elaborate on that comment? Thanks!

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steamjocky Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'll bet that the 9223 was a real pain in the
> butt
> > to try and handle with 159 cars over that
> roller
> > coaster territory. I'm glad I wasn't on it.
> >
> > JDE
>
>
> Can you elaborate on that comment? Thanks!


For an engineer, this would be a nightmare! 159 cars over undulating territory leaves a high possibility of extreme run-ins and break-in-two's.....

V

SLOCONDR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/12 16:15 by SLOCONDR.

It will be the caboose crew that will feel the pain by the time they arrive at BI

WAF Wrote:
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> It will be the caboose crew that will feel the
> pain by the time they arrive at BI


So true, Wes.

V

SLO(bruised)CONDR

With a train of 159 cars and the lay of the land for the coast route, you could have 4 parts of your train going uphill and 3 parts of your train going downhill while the rest of the train was on (almost) flat territory. Remember, the job of the engineer is to control the slack in the train. I don't care how good your are, you won't be able to have a slack-free trip over this district. It just might not be as rough depending on who the engineer was. I never worked over the coast enough to feel comfortable taking a train like that.

You can't use the air because the length of the train pretty much rules that out. I feel sorry for the guys in the cabooses.

Any way to find out who the crew was on that trip? Wes? Mark?

JDE

Steamjocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> With a train of 159 cars and the lay of the land
> for the coast route, you could have 4 parts of
> your train going uphill and 3 parts of your train
> going downhill while the rest of the train was on
> (almost) flat territory. Remember, the job of the
> engineer is to control the slack in the train. I
> don't care how good your are, you won't be able to
> have a slack-free trip over this district. It
> just might not be as rough depending on who the
> engineer was. I never worked over the coast
> enough to feel comfortable taking a train like
> that.
>
> You can't use the air because the length of the
> train pretty much rules that out. I feel sorry
> for the guys in the cabooses.
>
> Any way to find out who the crew was on that trip?
> Wes? Mark?
>
> JDE



You are so right .. I worked the Coast for 16 years and there is not a level piece of track between SB and SLO... several others on TO will back me up. the longest train I ever had was nearly 12,000 feet of pig flats... talk about a challenge !