Nostalgia & History > More Coast Line History from 1978

My apologies to Jim G. and others for not posting this earlier.


11-13-1978

x9095w (WCOAY) 100 cars SP caboose 4095
engines 9095/8781 by Ventura 12:45am

#834 (GUWCP/GUECS) 96 cars UP caboose 25237
engines 9092/9225/8602 by Ventura 3:15am
(no Oxnard p/u; mty beet racks, east cars
from Surf, 2 east perishable from GU)

x8623w (WCOAZ) 94 cars SP caboose 1505
engines 8623/9023/9274 by Ventura 3:45am

1-836 (OALAY) 124 cars SP caboose 4635
engines 8742/7031(!!)/7932/UP3441 by
Ventura 5:12am

2-836 (PTCIY) 88 cars SSW caboose 49
engines 9351/UP3012/UP3350/8942/8444 by
Ventura 8:50am

#13 Coast Starlite 15 cars engines 618/531
by Ventura 11:56am

#830 (OAWCY) 102 cars SP caboose 1743
engines 9035/8747/UP3185/8891/6676/8846
by Ventura 1:10pm (the 9035 is DIC, the
6676 & 8846 are DIT)

#832 (ERWCY) 72 cars SSW caboose 50
engines UP3415/UP3099/7907/7933 by Ventura
3:55pm

#12 Coast Starlite 16 cars engines 619/532
by Ventura 5:20pm

x8658w (LAOAF) 87 cars SP caboose 1655
engines 8658/7805/9062 by Ventura 7:15pm

x9299w (LAOAK) 73 cars SP caboose 4320
engines 9299/5006/8753 by Ventura 8:15pm

1-834 (EUWCY) 99 cars SP caboose 4073
engines 9098/9275/9254 by Ventura 10:05pm
(reroute from Valley line)


11-14-1978

x8748w (LAWJZ) 82 cars SP cabs 1663/4072
engines 8748/8823/8717/4307/4354 by Ventura
1:10am (includes 36 beet loads for GU - hiballed
Oxnard p/u account tonnage)

2-834 (GUWCP) 23 cars SP caboose 4239
engines 9325/6311 by Ventura 1:50am

x8867w (LAOAY) 127 cars SP caboose 4645
engines 8867/8791/UP3383 by Ventura 8:20am
(had a Gemco and Oxnard p/u that was supposed
to be done by LAWJZ. Had a UDE at Ortega)

#836 (PTCIY) 90 cars SP caboose 1948
engines 9165/9321/9079 by Ventura 9:05am
(had a UDE leaving Oxnard - got a drawbar 13
cars from headend. Found large fatigue crack
on drawbar, causing it to break in half. Train
backed into siding at Oxnard, after repair, to
meet #13)

#13 Coast Starlite 13 cars engines 532/619
by Ventura 11:50am

x6910w (WCOAY) 80 cars SP caboose 1902
engines 6910/6641/3341/8733 by Ventura 12:29pm

xUP3012w (LAOAF) 90 cars SSW caboose 62
engines UP3012/UP3052 by Ventura 12:50pm

x9335w (WCOAK/WCERY) 103 cars SP caboose 4602
engines 9335/6643/4302/6667(DIC) by Ventura
4:15pm

#832 (OALAT) 84 cars SP caboose 1699
engines 8748/9106/UP3444/6504 by Ventura 5:00pm

#12 Coast Starlite 16 cars engines 568/617
by Ventura 5:15pm

x9026w (LAOAY) 101 cars SP caboose 4351
engines 9026/4407/4316/6514 by Ventura 11:55pm


11-15-1978

1-834 (GULAZ/GUECS) 90 cars SP caboose 4072
engines 3191/4307/8761 by Ventura 12:40am
(3191 is an SP GP9; I believe its the ex-3001.
8761 is DIC. Picked up the Oxnard switcher
power, 6653, to make Chatsworth. Train run to
"clean up" the yards at GU, Surf, Oxnard and
Gemco and move mty racks east)

2-834 (GUWCP) 42 cars SP cabs 4056/1926
engines 9092/8657 by Ventura 1:20am.
(Set out 8 Oxnard cars, p/u 6 perishable)

#836 (OALAY) 108 cars SP caboose 1874
engines 9376/8828/UP3212 by Ventura 7:17am

x9384w (WCOAZ) 115 cars UP caboose 25642
engines 9384/9015/8744/8765 by Ventura 8:00am
(20 beet loads, misc. freight cars)

#830 (PTCIY) 85 cars SP caboose 4075
engines 9094/9175/9135 by Ventura 9:20am
(had Boeing parts cars on rear of train)

#13 Coast Starlite 13 cars engines 617/568
by Ventura at Noon

#832 (OALAT) 60 cars SP caboose 4646
engines 9374/8439/4141 by Ventura 1:15pm

x9346w (LAOAF) 90 cars SP caboose 1423
engines 9346/9180/8708 by Ventura 4:20pm

#12 Coast Starlite 17 cars engines 615/539
by Ventura 5:20pm

1-834 (OAWCY) 124 cars SP caboose 1663
engines 9009/8844/8823 by Ventura 7:15pm

2-834 (ERWCY) 112 cars SSW caboose 92
engines 8753/5006/9299/9015 by Ventura 8:50pm

x6584w (LAWJZ) 75 cars SP caboose
engines 6584/7030(!!)/9030 by Ventura 9:40pm
(40 beet loads, 10 misc. freight, 25 mty reefers)



Thats all for now...

AM

Not this time around. I was holding a Helper Job, Run 151 from November 1st thru the 22nd.

Nudge

Good stuff again, Bradley! One quick note... Empty beets were "Q", not "S". Also, at this late date (1978), I don't think the empty racks were going back to the IV. There was a loader at Rosemond in the Antelope Valley that ran in the fall along with another loader at Somis on the Coast. I believe these empties were for both sites. Note the cut of beets on the head end of the WCOAY and LAWJY. The Rosemond beets were set out at Burbank Jct for a west train to pickup. I also wonder if that GULAZ was just a WJLAZ out of San Luis cabhop?

Alan- Do you have the one for the day before 11-12 to post? Rode #13 LA-OAK that day and I want to compare notes. I do remember us doing a saw-by with the PTCIY ( shown on 11-13 as the 2/836) at San Lucas about 4:30p. It ready made it fast down the Coast
...
Thanks-WAF

The GULAZ were the mty racks back to LA from Guadalupe. We would go cab hop to GD or the power was there and we would carryall. The WJ racks went back north.

Nudge

x8957w (2-WCOAZ) 115 cars SP caboose 1877
engines 8957/6566/7913 by Ventura 12:45am
(symbol comfirmed by Jerry, from SB op)

x9325w (WCOAY) 134 cars SP caboose 4614
engines 9046/9325/8602/9092 screetched to
a halt at Ventura at 8:20am from UDE. (Crew
found car with a dynamiter. Train moved at
restricted speed and set car out at Seacliff)
ENGINEER: Gaffney CONDUCTOR: Belmonte

#13 Coast Starlite 15 cars engines 615/539
bt Ventura 11:37am

x6311w (LAWJY) 94 cars SP caboose 1120
engines 6311 and two others (other engine #'s
not written down. He put this down as
a "Y" train not a "Z". All misc. freight
and mty reefer cars, NO BEETS) by Ven. 1:30pm

1-830 (PTCIY) 112 cars SSW caboose 60
engines 8901/8895/8689/8625/4111(?) by
Ventura 3:00pm ( "the Yardmaster" was
not sure of the number of the last unit)

#12 Coast Starlite 12 cars engines 642/619
by Ventura 5:42pm

#830 (GULAY) 36 cars SP caboose 4234
engines 4354/4357/8764/8823 by Ventura
6:35pm (no Oxnard set out or p/u and
NO mty beet racks. All long east cars
from GU and Surf per crew via radio.
Likely large move of diatomatious(?)
earth from Lompoc)

#832 (ERWCY/OAWCY) 123 cars SP caboose 1673
engines UP3208/UP3424/7822 by Ventura 9:05pm
(symbol confirmed by Oxnard op via radio)

x7810w (LAOAF) 107 cars SP caboose 1964
engines 7810/UP3212/UP3444/UP3446 by
Ventura 11:10pm (7810 was destroyed, along
with the 7612, in the horrific rear-ender
at Thousand Palms, CA in July 1979)


AM

Bradley,

Man.. this stuff ROCKS!! Please keep posting these old train logs. 1975-84 was the "golden age" of Espee for me!

Cheers,
Harry

Thanks Allen

-WAF

I don't have my notes in front of me ( and won't be with them for another month), but from memory (and it isn't too bad for 53), here's what happened on 13.

Met the 1/830 ( PTCIY) {I thought it was a 2/OAWCY) at Conception, a saw-by.

Passed the WCOAY, 9325W between SB and SLO, it think it was Narlon, but will check. I remember passing one west and east near Casmalia Hill.

Met the 2/830 (GULAY) at Waldrof

Number 12 was in the Depot and waiting for us

2/WCOAZ in the yard, track 2

The ERWCY/OAWCY was at Santa Margarita. I remember it had two SP units and the helpers were behind us out of SLO, all SP with a mix of SD9s and 45s. It also had a problem, mechanical or even engine trouble as we sat at the east switch for about a half hour and then took the siding. The ECP was in the house track. Where these UP units came from ???? I doubt knowwww. It very possible they could have been in the roundhouse area or off another train.

WAF

As mentioned earlier, sawed by the PTCIY at San Lucas.

Allen

Do you November 3, 4 and 11, 1979??? More trips on Amtrak.

Thanks-WAF

Yes I do. I'll try and post them in the morning or tomorrow afternoon.

The SLO roundhouse was always busy shuffling power around. They tried to keep the "LA crap power" from going north, so the "crap power" didn't get too far from the Taylor diesel shop
(possibly at the request from the system power desk in SF).


AM

That was the great "shuttle power theory" from the power desk that included all the GE junk that would die on every trip. Made for some interesting consists though. Lots of UP power on the SP so it must be pay back time to the SP or borrowing time (probably be latter)

Well I've managed to misplace the notebooks with the dates WAF is requesting, so the search begins...


AM

Okay..... BTW, what is the date range on these books??

Sept. 1978 - June 1979

Those are the one's I have. I'm trying to get some from 1980 and 1981 but as of yet no dice. I certainly hope they don't get thrown out - that would be a real shame...

I'm sure his long time friend Jerry has the bulk of the notes from the early 1970's but there have to be other people out there who have more.


AM

Allen,

Do you have any info on a derailment in the spring or summer of 1979 at Santa Susanna with engineer Bob McIntyre? I believe it involved a westbound train and it happened at night around 9PM or 10PM.


steamjocky