Railroaders' Nostalgia > I worked the Del Monte!!

Left 3rd and Townsend at 4:50pm. Two geeps and the first 3 cars were comfortable heavyweights. We had gallery cars behind
the regular consist. We made limited stops to San Jose where the gallery cars were cut off. It was a fairly fast schedule.
After checking the Train Register at the Jct, we took off down the branch toward Monterey. At Fort Ord ( a flag stop) there
was a shelter with instructions and flags on the wall if you wanted to stop the train. The shelter was named "Ord".
Once at Monterey, the head man took the power and ran around the train for the next mornings departure. But that was not
all-he had to couple up the Steam Conduit Pipes. That could be done fairly easily sometimes but not always. The steam lines
had a mind of their own and you had a real fight to get the proper alignment before hammering the dog-ears!
What a damn shame there is no service today and what a damn shame the line didn't continue to Pacific Grove (heaven on earth)
like it had earlier.

What era are you talking about? The 60s to 1971 it had a lightweight coach or two, PS lounge car and then galleries. Heavyweights were used in the summer when the Daylight was running long with summer traffic



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/29/16 06:33 by WAF.

When it ran south as #126, there were two or three lightweight cars on the headend that ran to Monterey, followed by six Harriman cars that were cut off in San Jose.  Northbound, it ran as #139 until the late 60s, then as #141.  I believe the change was ordered by the PUC to provide a later start out of Monterey and help increase ridership.  It didn't work.  The commute cars were tied onto the rear at San Jose for the trip up the Peninsula, which included a couple of gallery cars after the switch to #141.  

Did the crew overnight in the Monterey area?



ValvePilot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Left 3rd and Townsend at 4:50pm. Two geeps and the
> first 3 cars were comfortable heavyweights. We had
> gallery cars behind
> the regular consist. We made limited stops to San
> Jose where the gallery cars were cut off. It was a
> fairly fast schedule.
> After checking the Train Register at the Jct, we
> took off down the branch toward Monterey. At Fort
> Ord ( a flag stop) there
> was a shelter with instructions and flags on the
> wall if you wanted to stop the train. The shelter
> was named "Ord".
> Once at Monterey, the head man took the power and
> ran around the train for the next mornings
> departure. But that was not
> all-he had to couple up the Steam Conduit Pipes.
> That could be done fairly easily sometimes but not
> always. The steam lines
> had a mind of their own and you had a real fight
> to get the proper alignment before hammering the
> dog-ears!
> What a damn shame there is no service today and
> what a damn shame the line didn't continue to
> Pacific Grove (heaven on earth)
> like it had earlier.

Yes, the crew spent the night in Monterey.

Posted from iPhone

I boarded it @ Ord around Oct. 1970. No shed, just a ballast platform bordered by crossties. Two heavyweights to San Fran. Return was a hw & streamline coach.

RailNet802, out

CPCoyote Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, the crew spent the night in Monterey.
>
> Posted from iPhone

Tommy the Rocket De LaRosa said it was the best job on the coast.  :-)
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

It was the best job on the Coast and always went to the No. 1 hoghead & fireman.

The reason was back then, a days pay was 100 miles at 12 1/2 mph. Overtime was paid at 18 3/4 mph. When you went to work in the City on No. 126, you made 100 miles to Wat.Jct.  and then another 100 miles Wat.Jct to Monterey and back to Wat. Jct. on N0,141, continuous time for pay purposes, and another 100 miles from Wat. Jct. back to the City. That 3 plus days of pay in less than 24 hours.

On January 1970, I couldn't work in SLO so went to the City to work to keep the bills paid.  They called me at  4:20 PM on duty with Bloomers with the 3004. Took the train to San Jose, cut off the commute coaches, left a motor with the hostlers and we were off to Monterey. We went on our 2nd 100 miles at 7:07 PM to 8:36 AM when we arrived back at Wat. Jct. We started our 3rd 100 miles and tied up at 12:05 PM. Back then it paid me $42.30, $28.24 & $29.12. About $99 compared to $40 bucks one way to Wat. Jct in the gang or a day in the yard at  $28 all in 24 hours.

What is funny was on my first trip down, I called my wife and she took a bus up from SLO to Monterey. We had a ball and she rode the coaches back to the City with me on the head end. I was going to lay off and take her home but they were out of fireman so I was called when I tied up and doubled right back. on No. 126. (16 Hour law)

I was called with Engr. Gorman and the 3004.  My wife rode the cushions down and back and we had a great time in Monterey. On that trip there was a a "OLD" private car right behind the engine and we were running long hood forward for the trip down.  Talk about an eye full. Party city and I thought I could see the Big O and the head man but...... When we got back to the City the wife stayed with me at some friends and I sent her home on No. 98 in the morning.  Aubry Fluitte was the Conductor. Very nice guy.

As far as the hotel went, when you took the call and showed up at 7th St, you had to give the crew dispatcher $5. I found out later the regular crew (E&F) had their own rooms with personal stuff in them. They paid by the year to get the deal and you kicked in to the kitty because you were staying in their room.

As far as duel controls,  I think all the GPs had them (passenger with a steam generator). I think I wrote something about that a few months ago ?? The old "F" from I think the SSW, was a pain in the butt. It did have a long throttle handle welded on but no MU plugs on the "F" end. No power and no DB. It had to be in the lead all the time.


Nudge

 

6462 could trail as long as the nose was pointing to the cars

You are correct. It was a pain for the RH to figure out how they wanted it and what train. Never left San Jose as far as I know.

Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are correct. It was a pain for the RH to
> figure out how they wanted it and what train.
> Never left San Jose as far as I know.
>
> Nudge
Used on 98/99 in the later years as a point or trailing unit with the SDPs. Worked freight too at night on the Bayshore Hauler between BS and SJ

ValvePilot Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Left 3rd and Townsend at 4:50pm. Two geeps and the
> first 3 cars were comfortable heavyweights. We had
> gallery cars behind
> the regular consist. We made limited stops to San
> Jose where the gallery cars were cut off. It was a
> fairly fast schedule.
> After checking the Train Register at the Jct, we
> took off down the branch toward Monterey. At Fort
> Ord ( a flag stop) there
> was a shelter with instructions and flags on the
> wall if you wanted to stop the train. The shelter
> was named "Ord".
> Once at Monterey, the head man took the power and
> ran around the train for the next mornings
> departure. But that was not
> all-he had to couple up the Steam Conduit Pipes.
> That could be done fairly easily sometimes but not
> always. The steam lines
> had a mind of their own and you had a real fight
> to get the proper alignment before hammering the
> dog-ears!
> What a damn shame there is no service today and
> what a damn shame the line didn't continue to
> Pacific Grove (heaven on earth)
> like it had earlier.

Brings back a non-rail-related memory.

When I came back from Vietnam in July 1970, and processed out of the Army at Oakland Army Depot, I went out to San Francisco airport to get a plane to Chicago.  The luggage tags said "ORD."  My reaction, never having flown into Chicago before, was, "No!  I don't want to go to Fort Ord!  I'm a civilian now!"  The symbol for Chicago-O'Hare is "ORD," the symbol for Orchard Airfield, which it was before it became O'Hare.

ddkid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ValvePilot Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Left 3rd and Townsend at 4:50pm. Two geeps and
> the
> > first 3 cars were comfortable heavyweights. We
> had
> > gallery cars behind
> > the regular consist. We made limited stops to
> San
> > Jose where the gallery cars were cut off. It was
> a
> > fairly fast schedule.
> > After checking the Train Register at the Jct,
> we
> > took off down the branch toward Monterey. At
> Fort
> > Ord ( a flag stop) there
> > was a shelter with instructions and flags on
> the
> > wall if you wanted to stop the train. The
> shelter
> > was named "Ord".
> > Once at Monterey, the head man took the power
> and
> > ran around the train for the next mornings
> > departure. But that was not
> > all-he had to couple up the Steam Conduit
> Pipes.
> > That could be done fairly easily sometimes but
> not
> > always. The steam lines
> > had a mind of their own and you had a real
> fight
> > to get the proper alignment before hammering
> the
> > dog-ears!
> > What a damn shame there is no service today and
> > what a damn shame the line didn't continue to
> > Pacific Grove (heaven on earth)
> > like it had earlier.
>
> Brings back a non-rail-related memory.
>
> When I came back from Vietnam in July 1970, and
> processed out of the Army at Oakland Army Depot, I
> went out to San Francisco airport to get a plane
> to Chicago.  The luggage tags said "ORD."  My
> reaction, never having flown into Chicago before,
> was, "No!  I don't want to go to Fort Ord!  I'm
> a civilian now!"  The symbol for Chicago-O'Hare
> is "ORD," the symbol for Orchard Airfield, which
> it was before it became O'Hare.

Thanks for that bit of information.  I always wondered why the symbol for Chicago O'Hare was ORD.  I can understand your panic.

The basic day for passenger was 150 miles!
Freight was 100 miles.
I forget the actual miles 3rd & Townsend to Monterey but it must have been close to the basic day?
So a day up with FTD and a day back with some FTD?
No one marked off until the head man did his thing!

Wat. Jct. was MP 100 and Monterey was MP 125.7. (Castroville was MP 110.4 where the main line was) . On most passenger that I worked, you went on overtime after the scheduled running time was over, before you tied up.

I will see if I can find a few old time books from  that period and post what was what.


Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Wat. Jct. was MP 100 and Monterey was MP 125.7.
> (Castroville was MP 110.4 where the main line was)
> . On most passenger that I worked, you went on
> overtime after the scheduled running time was
> over, before you tied up.
>
> I will see if I can find a few old time books from
>  that period and post what was what.
>
>
> Nudge 
 I well remember listening on the scanner when the Rocket  told the Ds he didnt care what UP said, Watsonville would always be mp 100!!
C

Carol Voss
Bakersfield, CA

WAF Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> spnudge Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You are correct. It was a pain for the RH to
> > figure out how they wanted it and what train.
> > Never left San Jose as far as I know.
> >
> > Nudge
> Used on 98/99 in the later years as a point or
> trailing unit with the SDPs. Worked freight too at
> night on the Bayshore Hauler between BS and SJ

I always assumed that the 6462 never was used as a leading unit on the Daylight due to lack of DB's, but Drew Jacksich proved me wrong:
SP 6462, San Jose, Feb. 1971

EO

You learn something everyday