Nostalgia & History > Boxing Day, 1987, and the NWP wasn't messing around

Saturday, December 26, 1987. Mondays were a good day to photograph the NWP Sprint train out of Petaluma, as it would often run with 5 or 6 SD9s. On Saturdays you'd usually get 2 or 3, but on this Saturday there were 9 of them: 4392, 4351, 4450, 4393, 4379, 4438, ?, 4440, and 4307. Seen here north of Burdell.

Loleta Fernbridge

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Couple days worth of loads

I wonder how many were running. I sure miss the old NWP.

Look at the Cadillacs! Great photo. Thanks for sharing 

Great shot.  In 1987, NWP was down to one extra west out of Willits. Man helpers were not in use and 5 SD-9's were goo for abouit 45 loads or 44oo tonss, which ever was smaller.  This may have been two trains combined.

Very enjoyable shot!

Larry

Excellent.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

Outstanding photo!  Fun to see the SP trains I grew up watching.

Nathan

Real nice.
JB

Posted from Android

Magnificent shot. Thanks a lot for posting. 
 

Here's a look around in Google Earth with a 1974 aerial at this locale. Starts out up at Burdell, zooms into Loleta's vantage point, then looks at the road Loleta may have used to access that knoll which I believe Rob_L also shot from. Then takes a look at the San Antonio area with the duck hunting camps that warranted passenger service from the NWP for a few years at least in the early 20th. Finishes with some train action via the 1974 aerial and a look at the industries in north Novato. Looks like they were just building the 101 bypass of Novato at this point. Or maybe just extending it north a few miles.  

One thing interesting up there in those marshes is how the plumbing changes over the years. Someone appears to have reclaimed a bit of marsh up there and you can see it in the 1974 aerial. Flooded now. I wonder if it was used by the duck hunters to draw in birds. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/05/24 16:52 by phthithu.

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