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Nostalgia & History > I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA...Date: 05/03/15 23:44 I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: Evan_Werkema These two color slides from the Western Railway Museum Archives were taken by I.J. Brain at Niles, CA in August 1948...that much at least was on the slide mount. What I'm puzzling over is just what we're looking at here. The train indicators on 4-6-2 2436 just say X2436, indicating an extra. It doesn't really look like an excursion - the baggage car doors aren't open and bulging with fans pressed against some boards nailed across the opening, and unless the photo line was unusually neat, it doesn't look like any other fans are in the vicinity. Anybody have any ideas what SP Extra 2436 East might have been?
  Date: 05/04/15 01:10 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: TCnR Looks like everybody went for some lunch at the bars over to left side off camera.
...and I don't mean beans. Date: 05/04/15 05:00 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: millerdc Could be a military extra.
Date: 05/04/15 05:32 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: mopacrr I was wondering where everyone went. It looks like a fan trip,but there aren't any fans milling around.
Date: 05/04/15 09:08 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: hogheaded TCnR Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Looks like everybody went for some lunch at the > bars over to left side off camera. > ...and I don't mean beans. That would be my take on it, based upon personal experience. It may be that those are Harriman coaches off the Commutes that are deadheading home after an excursion; the train crew had an extended wait for an opposing train, or two, to clear before it could make the run to San Jose; decided to avail themselves of Niles' amenities. Anyone know of an excursion over on a Sierra foothills branch about that time? An August ride in one of those old ovens certainly would have been a "hot" ticket, eh? EO Date: 05/04/15 14:32 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: KeyRouteKen Speaking of I.J. Brain (Sr)...
Here is a photo of him to the right of SN 1005 with his ever present cigar. Vernon Sappers (in uniform) is in front of 1005's gong.. Eddie Hansen (in uniform) is to the left of Vernon. The scene is taken in Concord, CA. Not sure of date.. I.J. Brain (Sr) was also one of the Founders of BAERA and a Past President of same.. A long time member of the Eastbay Model Engineers Society in Emeryville, he modeled O-scale trolleys and Interurbans. I have two of his cars in my collection! KRK  Date: 05/04/15 20:41 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: rob_l Sure wish I knew what happened to Insley Brain's astounding 16mm Milwaukee Road electric movies.
Best regards, Rob L. Date: 05/04/15 23:54 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: AAA Nice photos. There were many excursion trains to various picnic grounds in Niles Canyon in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Backing to Niles to turn the train and layover would seem likely, but I don't know if people were picnicing in the canyon as late as '48. The garden off to the right conceals the Roadmaster's house.
Randolph Ruiz San Francisco, CA AAA Architecture Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/15 00:30 by AAA. Date: 05/05/15 09:37 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: KeyRouteKen rob_l Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Sure wish I knew what happened to Insley Brain's > astounding 16mm Milwaukee Road electric movies. > > Best regards, > > Rob L. Hi Rob-- Are we talking about Senior or Junior ?? "Junior" had a LOT of films. Years ago near the Shattuck Hotel in Berkeley at a BAERA meeting, he was on the Program for entertainment. He had put together a film on how to travel from Oakland to Rio Vista Junction by TRAIN. It involved the Sacramento Northern thru Shephard Canyon and the BART test track at Concord, among others. It was VERY cleverly done !!! Wish I had a copy ! "Junior" also had an O-scale scratch-built model of the SN parlor car "Bidwell" .. It was beautiful ! Ran it at the Emeryville club of EBMES now and then . More notes: "Senior" worked for many years with the State of California in Sacramento with the "Department of Finance" ... "Junior" used to live in Alameda, I believe. Moved to San Francisco and died at age 72. Someone at BAERA might now what happened to his collections! He had no family that I know of. KRK Date: 05/05/15 10:22 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: rob_l KeyRouteKen Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > rob_l Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Sure wish I knew what happened to Insley > Brain's > > astounding 16mm Milwaukee Road electric movies. > > > > Best regards, > > > > Rob L. > > Hi Rob-- Are we talking about Senior or Junior > ?? Junior. The one who wrote the fine paperback book on the Milwaukee electrification. > "Junior" used to live in Alameda, I believe. > Moved to San Francisco and died at age 72. > Someone at BAERA might now what happened to his > collections! > He had no family that I know of. > I asked BAERA about his Milwaukee movies. They don't have them and don't know what happened to them. Best regards, Rob L. Date: 05/05/15 18:03 Re: I.J. Brain: Speaking of Niles, CA... Author: tighttrains I don't believe this is a railfan excursion Evan. If this was a movement of cars to Jamestown or something for an offline excursion, SP 2901 or 2902 would have likely been on the rear of the train. This certainly could be a company special however. A movement of Scouts or another non-railfan organization would be highly probable during the month of August.
Scott Inman Sacramento, CA |