Nostalgia & History > Yard crew with Southern Pacific Railroad freight train

I did a search for Railroad Train Crew on the Digital Public Library of America and obtained Picture 1. 
 
Picture 1, Yard crew with Southern Pacific Railroad freight train.  Publication date: 1887.  West Oakland yard crew with Southern Pacific steam locomotive 307 and freight car lettered: California Fast Freight Line. The Southern Pacific and the Union Pacific joined in 1885 to form the California Fast Freight Line to guarantee the swift shipment of fruit across the Overland Route. Ice blocks were placed at each end of the ventilated box cars to cool the car's contents. Notes:  Original measurements: 1 photographic print mounted on 9-7/8 x 13-3/4 in. board; 7 x 9-3/4 in.  Contact Information California State Railroad Museum Library 111 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814, Telephone: (916) 323-8073, email: Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov, http://www.csrmf.org/
 

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=12ptPicture 2, Lower left.=12pt =12ptPicture 3, Upper left.=12pt =12ptPicture 4, Lower middle left.

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Picture 5, Upper middle left. 
 
Picture 6, Lower middle.
 
Picture 7, Upper Middle
 

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Picture 8, Lower middle right.
 
Picture 9, Lower right. 
 
Picture 10,  Engine must be narrow-gage. 
 

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Well, looks like they got everybody on duty that shift to go out and pose for this one. I like the photo of the gentleman dressed to the nines with the derby and suit and tie with a lantern in one hand and a cigar in the other, like he is going to go out and switch cars. Nice period photo.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

On the last picture with the men standing on the rail, look close at the head of the rail, it looks very worn. 

I LOVE this photo!  Not a whimp in this crowd!..These are men who love what they are doing, especially the short guy in the middle of the photo. I perceive the current the current crop of railroad men in their orange vests pretty much emulate the guys in this picture.

czuleget Wrote:
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> On the last picture with the men standing on the
> rail, look close at the head of the rail, it looks
> very worn. 


Probably iron, not steel.

LD

>  
> Picture 10,  Engine must be narrow-gage. 
>  


Standard gauge. There is a switch under th train, the driver is on the frog.

I love that everyone has a hat. Sorry John Wayne fans, but it was the Derby not the Stetson that won the west.

Thanks for another of Flynns' Fascinating Fantastic Foto Finds.

LD



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/18 21:42 by LarryDoyle.

SP in Oakland has always been standard gauge; the (steel) rail has been turned to put the worn side to the field side rather than the gauge side; and it's an engine with cars, not a "train".