Nostalgia & History > Portola before the museum

I took this in 1969 according to my files, and I I thought it would be interesting to compare it with a contemporary view from the hillside.  The Portola yard office is just out of view on the right.  The string of WP power is cool but I don't know if that was a ready track or a dead line.  Hopefully one of "WP Lives" folks can help us with details or even a contemporary shot.

I never photographed the yard after the merger.  I visited a couple of times on company business and even was granted a freebie running an Alco switch engine on the museum loop track (thank you very much Norm Holmes)  but I seldom carried a camera on the job.  

JB - Omaha



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/22 13:26 by Copy19.

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Very much the Ready Track. The dead line was down in Sacramento and Oakland.

Were Inside Gateway trains running out of Portola at the time?  If not, why so much power there as they wouldn't need all that for locals even to Reno.   I would have assumed mainline trains would not need to swap out any power there.  

Thanks in advance to outlining the WP needs at that time.

The train is sitting on the main line. The depot is not out of view on the right, it is the building on the right side of the photo. WP restricted trains to 6 powered locomotives so the extra power is most likely moving power east to equal out power balance. If i remember the dates correctly, in 69 WP was running a crew shuttle out of Portola to Keddie to supply crew for highline trains and any traffic from Portola heading North. This power was not the shuttle.
Another fine WP photo from that period, thanks for sharing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/22 18:51 by TomG.

Good catch.  I can see now how that is the main, not the shop lead.

JB - Omaha

JB it is easy for anyone to be confused by Portola Yard. It is sort of an unorthadox layout. You would never guess that the main would make a dog leg in the yard with "normal" switch position on the main leading to a spur. The lead to the engine house is right under the last Bunit in your photo. This older photo shows the odd Main line. The newer Depot will be build on the back edge of the old one and the engine house will be just in front of the Roundhouse in the far distance.

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