Nostalgia & History > SP 3689 leading extra 4334

SP 3689 leading extra 4334. Notice  WW2 era light deflectors. A troop train? No notes on this one. Location unknown, WW2 era? Circa 1943? Photographer likely Bill Darrough, from the Jack Darrough Collection. Used with permission.

SP 3689 is a Baldwin, F-4 2-10-2. Reportedly: SP 3689 was built in 1922 retired and scrapped in 1957. SP 4334 is a 4-8-2 MT-3, built by SP Sac. Shops in 1925, vacated & scrapped in 1956.
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I hope you enjoy this post:

Steve Sloan
San José, CA

My train feed on mastodon: https://sfba.social/@steve_sloan


Questions about my sources and the information presented here? Please check this out:

http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sources

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Well now that I have drooled all over myself, yes .... very much enjoyed this post !!

This scene looks to me like it could be a helper "terminal"......given the steam engine down the near track, and that handy water tank.  
Count me as another who thinks this was likely a troop train, given the "extra" designation.  One other possible explanation.....this is a regular train running more than 12 hours late.  Unlikey, but it did happen once in my life, and we did have to run extra.
Great stuff....hope you have lots more!!

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

The more I study this train, the less I think it's a troop train.
It's difficult for my old eyes to see the image clearly, but I think I see a baggage car, followed by three coaches, a lounge, diner, and, presumably, a string of Pullmans bringing up the rear.
I'm hoping there will be interest in this photo, and, of course, discussion.
AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

'Looks sorta like Santa Margarita looking west (compass northeast).

See discussion below and at https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,5589160

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/08/22 00:26 by E25.

Santa Margarita, east bound. Another helper waits his turn to go around the Y. 

Imagine the red faces around agentatascadero land.....this is a place not 10 miles from where I grew up.
If the train is indeed westbound, then it did not shed it's helper, but is running on double headed....downgrade for 100 miles to Salinas.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Nice! Of course us diesel guys were expecting a GP9 and an SD9E....

Forgot to ask, but would the Hwy 58 crossing be about at the rear of the train?

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Must be during WW2 the way the headlight is shrouded.  Or, after the war and SP just didn't bother to remove it. 

> If the train is indeed westbound [at Santa Margarita] ...

Wouldn't be smoking like that downgrade.

Santa Margarita siding is on the north side of the main,
isn't it? Or were there two sidings before CTC?
Otherwise you wouldn't think the foreground track
would rate a water spout.

As I recall CTC reached Santa Margarita in 1942.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/22 06:31 by timz.

Thank you everybody for the comments and information. I wish I knew more for sure about this picture. You've helped me a lot!

~Steve

ExStarlightHog Wrote:

> Must be during WW2 the way the headlight is shrouded.  Or, after the war and SP just didn't bother to remove it. 

The SP discontinued the use of WW II headlight shrouds in early 1944. It is sort of unlikely any lasted until the war was over.

Posted from iPhone

E25 Wrote:

> 'Looks sorta like Santa Margarita looking east (compass south).

If it's at Santa Margarita, then it's looking compass east (and railroad west).

By the late 1940s or early 1950s, the Santa Margarita water tank was much further from the track compared to the view here, which means the water tank must have been moved at some time if the photo here was taken at Santa Margarita (for photo showing the water tank much further from the track, see top photo on pg. 77 of "Southern Pacific's Coast Line Pictorial").

Posted from iPhone

johnsweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> E25 Wrote:
>
> > 'Looks sorta like Santa Margarita looking east
> (compass south).
>
> If it's at Santa Margarita, then it's looking
> compass east (and railroad west).
>
> By the late 1940s or early 1950s, the Santa
> Margarita water tank was much further from the
> track compared to the view here, which means the
> water tank must have been moved at some time if
> the photo here was taken at Santa Margarita (for
> photo showing the water tank much further from the
> track, see top photo on pg. 77 of "Southern
> Pacific's Coast Line Pictorial").
>
> Posted from iPhone

Based on your remarks, this train must be an eastbound.  Perhaps it had just picked up it's helper....the 2-10-2.   The extra status remains unexplained.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA