Nostalgia & History > SP 2390 at San Luis Obispo

Earlier today, there was a photo of SP 2381 switching at San Luis Obispo in 1950.  Fast forward about 17 years, for an SP locomotive nine numbers higher on the roster, but several decades newer in technology.  2390 was one of the Fairbanks-Morse switchers that was normally found in the San Francisco Bay area, but in this case had migrated south to the home of Cal Poly College.  I was going through SLO on the way to Berkeley with a truckload of furniture in Sept. 1967 (I've probably told this story before) and stopped to get a photo of the SLO roundhouse, which I had missed the last time I was in town because that was the day SP 4460 came through on its way to St. Louis and I had used all my film on that rare move.  So here I was eight years later, and I found the turntable was still there, but the roundhouse was long gone.  At least I got a photo of an FM switcher that's long gone, and the SP employee in the foreground had been there long enough to remember the narrow gauge Pacific Coast RR that had its terminal a few blocks away.  As a bonus, one of the old wooden-sided boxcars from the Wellsville Addison & Galeton was in a nearby train--one can imagine trying to include this relic in a manifest train today.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/15 21:45 by DNRY122.

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Now there is a classic pair of shots.  Talk about nostalgia, beet gons and an FM switcher.  Does anyone know who the crewman is in the first shot and approx dates of shots?  Thanks in advance.

Kent in CArmel;Valley

The photos were taken on Aug. 30,1967 plus of minus one day.
 

Good photos, but I'll go with the Ten Wheeler.
Chris

One of the ironies of railway preservation is that at least six SP 4-6-0 locomotives still exist, including two narrow gauge engines and one reportedly operable, but NO SP Fairbanks-Morse diesels have survived--no switchers and no TrainMasters.

I removed a pair of number boards from a FM switcher in El Paso that was being scrapped and put them on C19 2-8-0 # 3420.  They were originally on a steam locomotive.  Now back where they belong.
Chris

The goats in SLO were furnished by the Western Division.(Bayshore) and they would be headed east to work just like the steamers.  Last yard job I worked  in SLO, was a Fireman  on Yard Job # 751, OD at  3:00 PM. It was on Sept. 29, 1969, with the 2389 and the engineer was Wright Baker.

I had already worked at  5:20 AM od for a Helper with Elk Mallagh and tied up at 11:00 AM.  That's when we still had the 16 hour law.


Nudge