Nostalgia & History > Three Shots from Everywhere

These three shots from old files date from everywhere and different times.

1. No. 36, the old Desert wind coming up Cajon Pass into Summit on the wrong main.

2. 4449 just south of Mojave in the 1980's. I forget why it was running to Southern California then. At this point, my daughter managed to lock us out of our car, so that was the end of the chase! She is now about 40, and we still laugh about the incident. Wasn't laughing then!

3. 3985 on a Rocky Mountain Railroad trip at West Speer, Wyoming (I think). It was still a coal burner then.

Thanks for looking, and as always, comments welcome.

Brian Black
Retired SP/UP Conductor
Castle rock, CO

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Is that your VW bus I see in the first two photos?

Great pictures.

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Brian, your #2 shot brings back a lot of memories for me. Vince "The Godfather" Cipolla was the pilot on this trip, and Richard Honea was working the helper. I met them up at Tehachapi when they stopped to take on water. I took a couple pictures of Vince and Richard standing in front of the 4449 as the sun was coming up, which are now hanging in my den. I Then followed the train down to LA taking pictures at various locations, Mojave, Fleta, climbing Vincent Grade...where by the way, the signal maintainer was able to give them a red signal at the west end, so they had to stop and then start on the up grade...pretty spectacular. I then caught them coming into Lang and then again arriving at Burbank Jct. But one of my favorite shots was taken at the top end of "A" Yard of Vince sitting on the seat box of the 4449 in his overalls, in all his glory. I made numerous copies of these pictures. Vince has a set, and thankfully I was able to give Richard a set a few years ago, before he passed away.
So, I guess it's a good thing you got locked out of your car...you probably would have just gotten in my way...LOL!

spengr80 Wrote:
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> Brian, your #2 shot brings back a lot of memories
> for me. Vince "The Godfather" Cipolla was the
> pilot on this trip, and Richard Honea was working
> the helper. I met them up at Tehachapi when they
> stopped to take on water. I took a couple pictures
> of Vince and Richard standing in front of the 4449
> as the sun was coming up, which are now hanging in
> my den. I Then followed the train down to LA
> taking pictures at various locations, Mojave,
> Fleta, climbing Vincent Grade...where by the way,
> the signal maintainer was able to give them a red
> signal at the west end, so they had to stop and
> then start on the up grade...pretty spectacular. I
> then caught them coming into Lang and then again
> arriving at Burbank Jct. But one of my favorite
> shots was taken at the top end of "A" Yard of
> Vince sitting on the seat box of the 4449 in his
> overalls, in all his glory. I made numerous copies
> of these pictures. Vince has a set, and thankfully
> I was able to give Richard a set a few years ago,
> before he passed away.
> So, I guess it's a good thing you got locked out
> of your car...you probably would have just gotten
> in my way...LOL!

Hey now, don't go blaming the maintainer :), I'll deny everything

GP25 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is that your VW bus I see in the first two
> photos?
>
> Great pictures.

Thanks for the nice comment. Nope, not my VW. My daughter locked us out of a 1979 Chevy station wagon. I forget what I was driving at the Cajon shot.

Was that 4449 trip the one that led to the filming of "Tough Guys?" I know it wasn't the 1984 Worlds Fair trip, as she had a much longer consist of matched Daylight cars, and was assisted in the area where you got that photo by a couple of Daylight painted diesels.

The 4449 is heading to LA out of Mojave with what I think was called the "glasshopper". They had just left the Sacramento opening of the California State Railroad Museum for a quick trip to LA. The GLASSHOPPER was a new type of hopper car and going to be displayed along with the 4449 to help celebrate an LA birthday. The photo most likely taken on May 12th, 1981.

C.C.Chas.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/24/12 01:05 by choochoocharlie.

sp5312 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> spengr80 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Brian, your #2 shot brings back a lot of
> memories
> > for me. Vince "The Godfather" Cipolla was the
> > pilot on this trip, and Richard Honea was
> working
> > the helper. I met them up at Tehachapi when
> they
> > stopped to take on water. I took a couple
> pictures
> > of Vince and Richard standing in front of the
> 4449
> > as the sun was coming up, which are now hanging
> in
> > my den. I Then followed the train down to LA
> > taking pictures at various locations, Mojave,
> > Fleta, climbing Vincent Grade...where by the
> way,
> > the signal maintainer was able to give them a
> red
> > signal at the west end, so they had to stop and
> > then start on the up grade...pretty spectacular.
> I
> > then caught them coming into Lang and then
> again
> > arriving at Burbank Jct. But one of my favorite
> > shots was taken at the top end of "A" Yard of
> > Vince sitting on the seat box of the 4449 in
> his
> > overalls, in all his glory. I made numerous
> copies
> > of these pictures. Vince has a set, and
> thankfully
> > I was able to give Richard a set a few years
> ago,
> > before he passed away.
> > So, I guess it's a good thing you got locked
> out
> > of your car...you probably would have just
> gotten
> > in my way...LOL!
>
> Hey now, don't go blaming the maintainer :), I'll
> deny everything
I got a picture of the Signal Maintainer's truck parked along the ROW at the spring switch, west end of Vincent. He is standing next to the signal case with the door open...what can I say? LOL!