Nostalgia & History > Southern Pacific #9 Under Steam

I've been going through some old film that my great grandpa had captured and am finally getting around to uploading it to my computer. It was transferred to VHS some time ago so some of the quality has been lost. This shows SP #9 operating and carrying quite a few people. I'm not sure what year this was, or what the occasion was, but I wanted to share it here rather than keeping it on the shelf.

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Thanks so much for posting this wonderful video here.
Men -- there were a lot of people on that train!
Someone on here will probably know when this trip
happened. Whoever filmed this trip was riding on
top of the front of the tender and got some great
views of the desert and of the large crowd riding
this special excursion, and we eve get a brief
glimpse interior of the cab during that excursion.
I am very glad your great-grandfather filmed this
excursion.

Great footage!

This was taken in 1954 at the dedication of SP's new 50-ton diesel "Little Giant" and the retirement of 4-6-0 #8. The train #9 is pulling departed the ceremonies in Owenyo and proceeded south towards Keeler. You can see #18 to the left of the train as it departs Owenyo.

Martin



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/17 03:50 by LoggerHogger.

Thank you for the background on this event! It's great to know now where/when this took place. Looks like it was a fun event.

The narrow gauge trip, sponsored by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & locomotive Historical Society, ran on Oct. 16, 1954. Two photos taken at Owenyo that day can be found at: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3205181,3205329

It was part of a three-day excursion from Los Angeles to Mojave on the main line and from Mojave to Owenyo on the Owenyo Branch. For a photo taken on the first day (Oct. 15), in Soledad Canyon, go to: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,4091608

The R&LHS's excursion and events in Owenyo (including the narrow gauge trip) were well described on pgs. 3-6 of the November 1954 Southern Pacific Bulletin.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/17 10:16 by johnsweetser.

Thanks for the additional info. Reading more about the event, I realize I cut the video clip short. Here is an additional clip showing SP2335 and SP2350 and some of the celebrations prior to the first video I posted.

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A color photo of the R&LHS's excursion train that I previously mentioned at Mojave with No. 4449 on the point ready to return to Los Angeles on Oct. 17, 1954 is at (third photo): https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,869669

(trivia note: the trailers in the background were layover housing for Santa Fe swing brakemen that worked Bakersfield-Mojave)

Neat.
Before I read the text the first video I thought was the special train that did the opening of the Lone Pine to Death Valley hoopla back in the 1930's.
A few days ago here in SO CA a "then and now" broadcast of that opening was done by the late Californian Huell Houser.
The scenes are almost identical.
Anybody know where a video of that event (1930's) can be seen?

BobP wrote:

> ... the opening of the Lone Pine to Death Valley hoopla back in the 1930's.


What does this mean? The Owenyo Branch ("Lone Pine Branch" after 1960) never went to Death Valley.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/10/17 12:54 by johnsweetser.

I think he was referring to SP's Mojave - Lone Pine "Jawbone" branch, built then to help build the aqueduct.

The "hoopla" for the completion of the Owenyo Branch happened on Oct. 18, 1910, not "in the 1930's."

OK, OK I now found the link and detail.
https://blogs.chapman.edu/huell-howser-archives/1999/08/12/71/
The SP NG is in the last half.

Wedding of the Waters-California’s Gold (110) California's Gold

In 1937 an amazing 3 day event took place to celebrate the opening of a new road from Lone Pine to Death Valley. Starting with a gourd full of water taken from the highest lake in the U.S. on the side of Mt. Whitney, the gourd is taken to the lowest lake in the US – Bad Water in Death Valley. Using all modes of important California transportation (Indian runner, Pony Express, miner & burro, 20 mule team, stagecoach, train, car, and plane) with many famous participants, the water is finally poured in, thus consummating the wedding.

Join Huell and Luis 60 years later as they recreate this amazing event, with many descendants, a few people who were there the 1st time, tons of vintage photos and films on this incredible piece of California’s Gold