Nostalgia & History > The "Overland" passing Port Costa early 1960's

Train 27 the westbound "Overland" lead by 6447 passing Port Costa. This was a neat place to hang out as a kid with a parade of SP passenger trains and freight.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

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Bob.   was right, Port Costa was a neat place to hang out....Ralph Buhr and my self use to ride our bikes from Martinez to Port Costa and we could make the trip inabouta half hour...Before the strike around 1948-1950, SP use to add helpers to almost all EB freights...There was a lot of switching as both WB and eB made pickups and set outs took on water even if they didn't need it....There were about 12 engines 10 2-8-0's and two 2-6-0's for use as local power and helpers and there was the shell drag that sported a 0-6-0 that departed Port Costa behinf 246 to work the Shell oil plant all night.and return as the sun was coming up...After the strike, the helper service stopped and three 2-8-0's were sent else where. Road power was 4-8-2's and GS2's,GS3's and GS6's...The only engines that ever stalled on the bridge at Martinez were the GS's....Up to 1952, 2-10-2's worked the Schellville turn and shared work with 2-8-2's on the Tracy drags.  The first Cab forwards to be assigned to the Western division were AC'4 and 5 4100-4125 and for a long time they worked side by side with the 4300's and 4400's.

Yesss!  The "real" Espee.

Thanks, Bob.

And to Barstool, for his comments.

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

A great photograph of a  great railroad  in its heyday . Thanks for sharing.

Port Costa - always an odd place in later years and never quickly accessable. This is definitely the best photo of it taken in post-steam years on the SP. For a young photographer you really composed this picture better than most guys with many years of experience could! Thanks for going there back then and for posting this now.