Nostalgia & History > never fear help is on the way 1976

On April 22nd 1976 a Westbound Southern Pacific 100 car train stalled on the 0.5% grade coming out of Santa Barbara California.  After discussions with the dispatcher they got lucky as the Ellwood local was in town and was given permission to help the train start moving and leave SB. So these are shots of the train at the end of double track at West Santa Barbara as the SD7 #1424 with the Ellwood local helping to shove the train out of town to be cut off on the fly once the Westbound was up to speed on SP's Coast Route.

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SP SD7 #1424 helps the Westbound get moving by shoving on the caboose as they leave West Santa Barbara on April 22nd, 1976.

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Interesting to see that the SD7 still has apparatus for a steam generator.  Perhaps in an earlier life, this locomotive pulled Northwestern Pacific's Redwood?

Very cool. Sad, hundred car trains that need help to a twice a week local.
JB

Great photos and story of operations on the coast line. 1424 sure looks like it had NWP roots with the spark arrestor. That SD7 became Montana Rail Link 607. So the numbers it had in its life:
MRL 607 (ex SP 1515, 1424, 2724, 5317)
Wow. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/25 10:34 by dmaffei.