Nostalgia & History > Remember when on the NWP

Northwestern Pacific - early 1970's (don't have exact year right off hand).

Four SD-9's lead Train 81 "westbound" (southward to those directionally challenged on the SP directions) through Petaluma, California. This was WAY before direct track authority via radio was ever thought of as here the engineer is grabbing his orders on the fly.

BTW, for those of you too young to remember, the lower set of orders were for the caboose. This was back in the day when "Fred" was the name of your head brakeman, not some electronic gizmo.

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Update: Photo(s) deleted because there are thieves on Trainorders who download and then use other peoples' photos in books, or simply print and sell the prints, for their own enrichment!!! I don't mind downloading them for your personal enjoyment but I draw the line at selling them or publishing them and claiming they are yours. Sorry I have to do this but the actions of a few screw it up for all.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/20 13:04 by Railbaron.

Excellent! Outstanding!

With the 3800 and 3900 series on SD9s, I would say this is post 1965 and the Train is 75. ( the hotshot, sometimes called the "NWP-PSSE", which conected with Eugene- East St Louis sections) It was the only freight on the timecard at that time, 77 and 81 were prior to 1965.

And here is a little wider shot showing the depot and T.O. board that showed the engineer that the orders in the delivery post were for his train. March 1966

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WAF Wrote:
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> With the 3800 and 3900 series on SD9s, I would say
> this is post 1965 and the Train is 75. ( the
> hotshot, sometimes called the "NWP-PSSE", which
> conected with Eugene- East St Louis sections) It
> was the only freight on the timecard at that time,
> 77 and 81 were prior to 1965.

Unfortunately this is a scan off an 8x10 print that I have and it doesn't have a date. The original slide I have would have it but since I don't have a slide scanner (yet) I was guessing at the date.

It couldn't be "prior" to 1965 because even I wasn't shooting stuff then. My guess would be early 1970 for this photo upon furher review (I could simply get the slide out but it's too buried right now).

NWP Timtable #51 dated January 1, 1969 still lists trains 81 and 85 as the timecarded trains on the Southern Division with trains 3, 4 (The Redwood), and train 75 on the Northern Division.

On May 31, 1970 the NWP issued their timetable #1 and that dropped 81 and 85 and made 75 a through scheduled train replacing 81 in the timetable. BTW, this timetable also eliminated the two divisions on the NWP.

DB...Remember when they put up the funky TO light and took down the order board...Was a bummer...

When DB and I were kids with a dream.....:o)

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Damn, GM, you're making me feel old now. <G>

That is a very old TO board. Surprised to any wooden ones last that long. I see a wigwag in that photo too! The wigwag is set pretty far from the track. Was there another track there? You'll notice in the more recent photo that the crossing gate is closer to the track.

danf Wrote:
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> That is a very old TO board. Surprised to any
> wooden ones last that long.

Here's a close-up of the board at Petaluma. Kind of different arrangement to move the paddles. Normally bell-cranks are used for this but here it seems that a cable and pulley (or is that sheave?)system was used. Looking at my other photo you can see the wire cable coming out of the south side of the structure. Apparently the operators desk was located on that side of the building also.

Charlie

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Saxby and Farmer stuff, designs for which pre-date 1890. In use on the NSWGRy (Autralia) until well into the mid 1970s.

The SP first started using train order semaphores at depots on July 1, 1892. The June 23, 1892 Valley Record of Ashland, Oregon had this:

"The Southern Pacific Company has adopted the Pennsylvania system of railroad signals, which is now recognized as the standard system of the United States. The new system will go into effect on July 1. Instead of flagging trains as heretofore, operators will raise signals on high poles, which will be located at every telegraph station. The poles will be thirty-five feet in height above the ground and laid in concrete."

(previously, operators used hand-held flags to signal train crews that orders awaited them)