Nostalgia & History > Christmas day 1965 SP102 Crockett

I was in the Army stationed in Petaluma, not much to do on Christmas day 1965, so took a little drive over to Crockett and caught The City of San Francisco, and took a couple shots of some of the cars.  Not the best pictures, but what the heck 55+ years ago

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A couple more shots.  

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Any shots of the City of San Francisco are fine. Pray tell what was the Army doing in Petaluma in 1965? At that exact time I was stationed with the Army in Panama.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/21 13:49 by photobob.

brand new rpo!
all great shots
thank you

Great shot CNW! Thanks for sharing. I've done a fair amount of Christmas Day railfanning myself.

I second Photobob's question about the Army in Petaluma. I'm guessing it might have to do with Nike Missiles installation somewhere?

Thank's for taking the car shots way back then. 

That's quite some superelevation there at Crocket. 

Was it really Petaluma?  Or was it Two Rock Ranch Station.  Inside Army joke, you get it if you were in the Agency.

Yep. It was Two Rock Ranch station. 

What is the history of that UP RPO?

10 RPO's built by Budd a couple years prior shown in as delivered paint, 8 of the 10 are now working for VIA after 1967 they were in UP mow service with green over the yellow areas, that faded then a decade or so  ago went up north.   What is neat it looks like it just grabbed a pouch, is there a person behind it?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/21 21:23 by dan.

A neat sequence, very useful at identifying the consist of this interesting train in its later years. The equipment indicates that SP is still trying to put a good face on its passenger service, even as it moves to terminate it. Also curious that at this time the 'City stopped at Berkeley (3 pm), Richmond (3:12), Crockett (3:33), and Martinez (3:47). Well, must've been worth it. (In 1948 it stopped only at Berkeley before Sact'o.) Thanks for sharing!

I think the rail superelevation was higher back then, vs. today....

Offhand guess: allowed speed for passenger trains
is as high now as it was then.

dan Wrote:
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> 10 RPO's built by Budd a couple years prior shown
> in as delivered paint, 8 of the 10 are now working
> for VIA

And to this day you can still see UNITED STATES MAIL RAILWAY POST OFFICE on the side.

In Baggage service on VIA's Ocean at Truro NS....and no the car is not that dirty. I tinted the photo to bring out the lettering.

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Steeleg8 Wrote:
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> Was it really Petaluma?  Or was it Two Rock Ranch
> Station.  Inside Army joke, you get it if you
> were in the Agency.

Our family ranch is about 10 minutes away from what is now "USCG Two Rock TRACEN". Incidentally, my father was in "The Agency", but never at Two Rock. He trained in New York, & spent his service time doing radio stuff in what at the time was West Germany.

Desmond Praetzel, "4451 Puff"

One of the ex Union Pacific  Budd RPOs can be viewed at the RR museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa.  It is on display and still retains elements of it's configuration as an RPO, or least it did last time I saw it.

Test

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Here is a photo I took of the ex UP 5908 in 2005, Council Bluffs, IA. 

Hu

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Interesting follow up on yet another Bay Area Military base. We had been told the assets had been turned over to the cattle ranch. Looking at Google it looks more like a grow site. But it appears the CG is making use of an active base.

Interesting photos as well.

+ Wow, even more info:
http://www.militarymuseum.org/cgtc.html

> -----
> > Was it really Petaluma?  Or was it Two Rock
> Ranch
> > Station.  Inside Army joke, you get it if you
> > were in the Agency.
>
> Our family ranch is about 10 minutes away from
> what is now "USCG Two Rock TRACEN". Incidentally,
> my father was in "The Agency", but never at Two
> Rock. He trained in New York, & spent his service
> time doing radio stuff in what at the time was
> West Germany.
>
> Desmond Praetzel, "4451 Puff"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/23/21 12:21 by TCnR.