Nostalgia & History > Pacific Electric 44 tonner on the NWP? Tiburon!

This image has be a bit stumped as to location. It's clearly Pacific Electric 44 tonner 1651 (classed as a DS105). At this point, it's lost its platform on the roof that at one time supported a trolley pole to trigger PE signals. The curious part is that it's pulling a Northwestern Pacific maintenance of way flat. MoW cars didn't usually leave their home rails, so is this north of the Bay Area on the NWP? Regardless, a snazzy shot of an early GE switcher built in June of 1943. Scrapped in 1965.

Don Hall, Yreka, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/20 14:30 by odub.

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First guess would be Tiberon, the ferry terminal might use the MW flat for an idler car.
 

That looks to be Tiburon CA to me.   It sure has changed since this photo was taken.  

Sure looks like Tiburon to my eye. Will have to go see what reference materials say.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

Yes, that is Tiburon.  I think taken from roughly this location: https://goo.gl/maps/A1DEdbeuCyNo3Kn78  

Some of the houses visible in the background of the street view even seem to match the photo.

Z

Interesting, no PE 44-tonners are included in the list of SP diesels leased to NWP in Stindt’s NWP Volume 2 book. The list contains only three such units, SP 1900 (11/15/51-3/1/53); SP 1902 (4/2/47-1960); and SP 1903 (7/21/56-9/15/56). Also intriguing to note that the list shows the 44-tonners as Class DS-200 or DS-201, DS-105 is shown as the Alco S-2.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

That is indeed Tiburon, and the flat is one of the reacher flats used for the barge slip. Not only did PE 1651 work the NWP but PE 1650 did also. There is a color picture of the PE 1650 in Inman's and Mackinson's Northwestern Pacific Railroad in Color on page 19. Besides the PE 44 tonners, one of the P&SR 44 tonners did a short turn at Tiburon also as shown by the photo on page 23 of the same book.

J.

After I arrived in Sacramento at my first and only assignment in Air Force Communications at McClellen Air Force Base in 1963.
The first thing I did was go down to the SP Shops and there I found the PE 44 Tonners and the P&SR unit in dead line waiting to be hauled off to be scrapped.
I need to dig up my slides from that day sometime.

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

Those PE 44 tonners got around! My grandfather was a switchman for SP at Ogden and his retirement ceremony in 1964 was in the yard with his engine PE 1652 with his retirement gifts on the walkways. Unfortunately I recall the 1652 was scrapped not too much later.

After the Arrowhead Springs line quit running and a couple other lightly railed branches they were surplus. Was interesting that
the Visalia Electric unit outlasted them, hiding out in the Bakersfield roundhouse.

Out 

Hiding in the Bakersfield Round House in April 1973 is the Visilia Electric # 502

Tom Hirsch
Cherry Valley, Ca

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And Visalia Electric 502 has been at the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction, CA since 1975. It was long ago repainted in its original "tiger stripe" paint.

PE 1650-51 were on the NWP from 1950-52, mostly at Tiburon.  The 1651 was tested as far north as Ukiah.  They, along with SP/PSR 44 ton GEs, were used owing to a labor agreement that did not require a fireman due to their light weight.  This info from page 91 of Angelo Figone's The Northwestern Pacific Railroad,  which is an incredible book.  As much oral history as a typical history,  it's 400+ pages of information/photos about the NWP.  If you're a fan of anything SP/NWP  it's a must to add to your library.

When I stopped by Tiburon on August 1964,  P&SR 3 and SP 1000 (the first SW1)   were holding down the yard jobs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/20 14:19 by masterphots.

As of 16 May 2015

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That is definately Tiburon Back in 1960 I watched P.E. 1651 switch the ferry dock.  Also in April, 1960 I found 44-toner SP1905 assigned to Tiburon, as this shot of mine proves. - Tony J.

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Wow has that area changed!

zephyrus Wrote:
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> Yes, that is Tiburon.  I think taken from roughly
> this
> location: https://goo.gl/maps/A1DEdbeuCyNo3Kn78 
>  
>
> Some of the houses visible in the background of
> the street view even seem to match the photo.
>
> Z

That is probably the neatest shot I have ever seen of Tiburon Tard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/20 12:49 by Railbaron.

Great post and photos, worth my subscription here every year - even if only just for the Nostalgia board.

I agree with everyone's comments on that shot of the yard, I had no idea there was that much at Tiburon. 

Out