Nostalgia & History > L&NW F-units

Louisiana & North West RR F7 #45 in June 1972. Ralph Jachens photo. - Tony J.

---

Louisiana & North West RR F9A #46 in June 1972. Ralph Jachens photo. - Tony J.

---

#45 was originally SP 6380 It's now at GGRM awaiting restoration.

---

danf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> #45 was originally SP 6380 It's now at GGRM
> awaiting restoration.

And the L&NW 46 (the trailing unit in Ralph's photo) was the SP 6378, and is also now at the GGRM.

During the Seventies and Eighties, the L&NW operated with five ex-SP F7As and one ex-WP FP7 (which, of course, is the one now at Portola).

The L&NW was quite busy back in those days, usually operating two trains per day, with two or three F-units per train. I had the pleasure of visiting them in April 1972. A neat little railroad.

Hey, Tony! How 'bout ya tell the kids who Ralph Jachens is.

I don't know how I missed that, but I did...

Here's both of them:

http://www.trainweb.org/dansrailpix/SP_f's1.htm


topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> And the L&NW 46 (the trailing unit in Ralph's
> photo) was the SP 6378, and is also now at the
> GGRM.

topper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hey, Tony! How 'bout ya tell the kids who Ralph Jachens is.

Topper,
I would if I knew him. I acquired Ralph's photos from Bob Foley. I did get another message from an individual asking me to say hello to Ralph. Here's what he wrote me. - Tony J.


Worked in Houston with Ralph, great guy and one flashy dresser, some of the darndest \"Rail Fan\" shirts I ever saw in my life. Last time I saw him was at Walong, must\'ve been close to fifteen years ago. If you see him, tell him Bill Deskin said hello.

>

For those unaware, Ralph Jachens was the Road Foreman of Engines for SP at Oakland, succeeding Dean Broadbent in that position. I had the good fortune to work under both men, but Ralph was the RFE when I was promoted.
Ralph was quite the character, and was a very good boss. He rarely interfered with us, and if you got called into Ralph's office for some minor misdeed, it usually ended up in a railfan discussion and/or inspection of his office "photo wall".

4merroad4man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> For those unaware, Ralph Jachens was the Road
> Foreman of Engines for SP at Oakland, succeeding
> Dean Broadbent in that position. I had the good
> fortune to work under both men, but Ralph was the
> RFE when I was promoted.
> Ralph was quite the character, and was a very good
> boss. He rarely interfered with us, and if you
> got called into Ralph's office for some minor
> misdeed, it usually ended up in a railfan
> discussion and/or inspection of his office "photo
> wall".
>
>
Nice to now know more about the man who took the photos. - Tony J.

4merroad4man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> For those unaware, Ralph Jachens was the Road
> Foreman of Engines for SP at Oakland, succeeding
> Dean Broadbent in that position.

Ralph was one of the movers-and-shakers involved with the "Western Rail Days" excursion trains in April 1985 that used former SP E9A 6051, two SDP45s, nine gallery cars, a lounge car, and the "Oakland".

After he left the SP, he was hired by Vince de Domenico and became the Napa Valley Railroad / Napa Wine Train's first superintendent.

He was also heavily involved with live steam over the years.

> He rarely interfered with us, and if you
> got called into Ralph's office for some minor
> misdeed, it usually ended up in a railfan
> discussion and/or inspection of his office "photo
> wall".


His often-stated goal was to have a picture of every locomotive.

topper Wrote:
>
> Ralph was one of the movers-and-shakers involved
> with the "Western Rail Days" excursion trains in
> April 1985 that used former SP E9A 6051, two
> SDP45s, nine gallery cars, a lounge car, and the
> "Oakland".
>
> After he left the SP, he was hired by Vince de
> Domenico and became the Napa Valley Railroad /
> Napa Wine Train's first superintendent.
>
> He was also heavily involved with live steam over
> the years.

Now I know why I got some of Ralph's photos from Bob Foley. Bob lives in Napa. - Tony J.