Nostalgia & History > mundo: When the Elsinore sideswiped the Corona pumphouse

Mundo in the subject line means the following photos were taken by Trainorders user mundo.

1) Looking east near the Main St. crossing in Corona, CA around 1950, the pumphouse that supplied water to Corona's two water tanks can be seen on the left.  The well itself would have been under the derrick at the left edge of the frame, and usually the small square building underneath it constituted the complete pumphouse at most Santa Fe installations.  I don't know the exct function of the attached, larger building that paralleled the tracks - whether it housed larger pumps or a water treatment plant (a list of Santa Fe water tanks from 1920 claims Corona's tanks held raw water, so maybe not).  From this view, however, it's clear that the building was quite close to the switching lead beside it, to the point that the company installed one of its standard "Warning, Structures on this Track WILL NOT CLEAR Man on Side of Car" signs.

2, 3) A better view of the track side and east end of the building can be seen in these two views as 4-8-4 #2911 gets underway with an eastbound passenger train.  Note the three tall, shuttered windows facing the tracks.

 

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4, 5, 6) In October 1951, the Elsinore Local based out of Corona derailed on a switch beside the pumphouse and a CNW boxcar sideswiped the building.  Ed took a number of photos of the aftermath before and after the offending car was removed.
 

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7) Diesel 414, one of many FT's Santa Fe temporarily refitted as "road switchers" with footboards and back-up headlights, was standing by to assist.

8) Although the writing was clearly on the wall (pardon the expression), steam had nearly two years left to run on the LA Division in 1951, so the water facilities at Corona were still needed.  Santa Fe 4-6-2 #3446 takes a good look at the damaged pumphouse as it gets underway eastbound.

9) This repost of one of Ed's color slides from January 1953 shows the building after it was patched up.  The south wall still looks a bit caved-in, and there are now only two tall windows on the trackside wall.  Aerial photos suggest the pumphouse and at least one of the Corona water tanks lingered into the early 1960's, but eventually it was all torn down.  A Metrolink parking lot occupies the site today.

Thanks as always to Ed for sharing his photos with us!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/19 06:41 by Evan_Werkema.

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Caption for photo 5 - "Yup, it's off the tracks."

DLM Wrote:

> Caption for photo 5 - "Yup, it's off the tracks."

Must be CNW's famous "Slambeau 400."

That was really a good story and photos. Amazing the 2900 had a white painted eccentric rod and crosshead guide while other rods were not painted.

tomstp Wrote:
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> That was really a good story and photos. Amazing
> the 2900 had a white painted eccentric rod and
> crosshead guide while other rods were not painted.

More like white-wash, when looking for cracks. That stuff doesn't last very long in service.

The box car is interesting, other than 3M there wasn't much box traffic on the branch.

Out
 

THE C&NW box, could have been switching for a Corona business, but then again Box car traffic for Corona was very limited. Inbound  containers for Sunkist  is my only first thought.

Elsinore had a box car customer, shipping natural gas heaters, made to look like real logs.  It was just two block north of the station.

Like Pacific Foundry? I used to do all their hydraulic work.

Out

The Elsinore did do all of the local switching in Corona. And that boxcar may have also been a team track customer.
Lots of team track customers in the Corona - Norco area like the Naval Hospital in Norco.

Great look back, amazing how much has changed.

Posted from iPhone

Thanks Evan for posting this photo set.   Now I have a few questions. #1  What was the tower for, behind the pump house ?   Looks like it might have been for a windmill water pump at one time.   #2, I noticed the #2911 appears to have two different box pok style wheels on 3rd and 4th drivers. Any idea who made those different wheels ?   I think the #3 is General Steel Castings.  The #4 driver looks like many others that were used on large Santa Fe power from Baldwin.  They are also different than the ones on the 4-6-2.   Who made those wheels  ?  Really interesting castings.

Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho

hawkinsun Wrote:

> Thanks Evan for posting this photo set.   Now I
> have a few questions. #1  What was the tower for,
> behind the pump house ?   Looks like it might
> have been for a windmill water pump at one time.

I can't confirm whether the pump at Corona was ever wind-driven, but derricks like that were common features on pumphouses whether or not they ever had a "windmill."  The Santa Fe standard pumphouse plan shows a derrick but no "windmill."  As I understand it, the derrick and the doors in the roof would be used for lifting pipe into and out of the well.

>   #2, I noticed the #2911 appears to have two
> different box pok style wheels on 3rd and 4th
> drivers. Any idea who made those different wheels

See this old thread for close-ups and descriptions of the drivers on preserved 4-8-4 #2913 at Ft. Madison, IA:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,664577

Evan,  Thanks, and Thanks.   Makes sense on the derrick above the well.  I need to do the same thing over my own well.   Also the posting about the Boxpok wheels was good too.  I'm almost seventy two, but I still like to keep learning.

Craig Hanson
Vay, Idaho. on the SIRy/ UP

All of the ATSF 2900 class was delivered with Boxpok wheels on all of the driver axles. Starting in 1946, I believe it was, the entire class began receiving upgrades which included the stack lifters, the lightweight tandem roller brearing rods and Baldwin Disc wheels on the #4 driver axle. Someone once told me that the wheel swap had something to do with the counter-balance with the new rods but I don't know that to be fact or fiction.