Nostalgia & History > -Remembering the Ducor Turn

   I can remember the year, 1988, but what month I don't when the Ducor Turn replaced the 809 or was it the 908 train that traveled the route from Bakersfield Yard to Calwa Yard in Fresno via the SP Exeter Line to Ducor and ATSF  Porterville Orosi District the rest of the way. I had heard about the trouble the Santa Fe crews had at Oil Junction accessing the SP main line to Famoso and I guess it had something to do with the local freights becoming "Turns" like the Ducor Turn that really never made it all the way to Ducor. They were always dog-catching the crews on the 809/908 trains.
   I had a neighbor when I lived in Bakersfield that was the regular conductor on the "North Local" Turns like the Bakersfield-Corcoran Turn and the Ducor Turn.  He alternated days to either destination, even rode with him on the Ducor Turn on of all days, a Saturday and he refered to it as an Extra Ducor when he called WR 51 the SP dispatcher, we actually we went to Jovista. GREAT MEMORIES.!!!

   Here are a couple of shots of what was called the Ducor Turn

First at Famoso is the Turn headed toward the siding and the Exeter Branch...7/27/1988
Second The Ducor has cleared the Main at Oil Jct to PU emptys left earlier.....9/29/1989
Third The Ducor Turn waiting at Oil Jct for authority to enter the SP main line. Only time I saw a GP7 on this train....01/25/1992

I do have a couple more

Thanks for looking

Jay



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/15 09:41 by lamta_jay.

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June 20, 1992

This was a Saturday and Lee Meyers and I drove up to see the branch. We first saw the train northbound in Richgrove about to turn left towards Jovista.

Fourth was taken at Trocha on the spur to Jovista. This was a 20mph track at the time and was quite smooth
Fifth taken at the Junction in Richgrove on the return trip. ABS wa out of service but the search light signals were still in place.
Sixth shot taken from a bridge at the SP Cawelo siding after he switched cars in Famoso. After this shot he pulled some cars at Continetel Grain at I think Saco.

What a day never to be repeated. Tracks gone thanks to Trail America !

Thanks for looking

Jay

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That Jovista shot is pretty rare, saw cars many times, never saw a train, great shots.

Out

I followed the ex-SP Exeter Branch trackage on 3/24/13 and noticed milepost 295 at Richgrove still standing, but now looking just a little out of place...

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Luckily I made an effort to go and see the Santa Fe local that worked the southern (RR eastern) end of the Exeter Branch in the last few years before they sold there rights to it. During that time how the ATSF operated depended on if it was their year to operate the Oil City Branch or not. The job the worked the Exeter Branch also did the Oil City work. On the alternate years the local worked as a Cororan Turn three day a week and  Ducor Turn three days a week.

thanks for posting the shots.

Cliff