THE LITTLE LOCOMOTIVE AND THE BIG LIFT

Posted on January 18, 2018 by THE OLD MACHINIST

These are photographs taken at RAILFAIR 91 during a demonstration of a SPRR wrecking crane. It does not appear to be a very heavy lift for the very large piece of  machinery. The stack fire did not last very long and did not seem to be of any great concern to the crew. This was one of many such demonstrations that I witnessed during the week long event. I wonder if we will ever see another RAILFAIR?

Hrtr is a link to a real life AT&SF derailment and the ‘San Bernardino’ hook in action near  La Mirada, Cal.

SANTA FE BIG HOOK IN ACTION

 

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES | Leave a comment

UNION PACIFIC PHOTOGRAPHS

Posted on July 15, 2017 by THE OLD MACHINIST

LEAVING FROM EAST LOS ANGELES – EAST BOUND

FAN SPECIAL AT CAJON SUMMIT

LAST UNION PACIFIC PASSENGER TRAIN NEAR ROSE HILLS – WEST BOUND

EAST LOS ANGELES YARD FUEL RACK

EAST OF CAJON SUMMIT

EAST LOS ANGELES

RAINBOW CANYON – WEST BOUND

WEBER CANYON – WEST BOUND

WYOMING – WEST BOUND

BEVERLY, CAL. -WEST BOUND

COLORADO – EAST BOUND

RATTY TRACK IN WYOMING

EAST BOUND NEAR REDLANDS, CAL.

WESTERN WYOMING – EAST BOUND

WYOMING BRANCH LINE

COLORADO NEAR WYOMING BORDER – EAST BOUND

 

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, THEN AND NOW IN PICTURES | Tagged | Leave a comment

UPRR 6900’s

Posted on May 5, 2017 by THE OLD MACHINIST

 

These are photographs I made of 6900’s at East Yard in Los Angeles, Ogden and Sacramento many years ago.

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN, OGDEN, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, THE WAY IT WAS | Leave a comment

MORNING STEAM-UP AT CHAMA

Posted on June 11, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

 

These are images of the preparations of the locomotives used for a snow plowing train at Chama, New Mexico. I do not recall the exact date, but I believe they were taken in the 1980’s. The C&TS RR opened the line with this plow train and we followed in a special passenger train. It was quite a day for those on the passenger train! Enjoy.

The Old Machinist

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, HOW THIS & THAT IS DONE, NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS, NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN, RESTORED RAILROAD EQUIPMENT, STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, THE WAY IT WAS | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

PFE ICE DOCK

Posted on April 11, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

These are images scanned from my 1969 Salt Lake City slides. This is a standard PFE ice dock. It is long gone.

Click to enlarge images.

 

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN, RAILROAD STRUCTURES, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER, UTAH AREA AND THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

THE AT&SF DEPOT AT SANTA FE SPRINGS

Posted on March 18, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

The AT&SF depot building, formerly located at the Santa Fe Springs station, is long gone. However, a replica depot was built for display in a park within the City of Santa Fe Springs, California as part of a railroad exhibit. It is still there and very well kept. These photographs were used to design this replica depot by a friend of mine, who was the railroad consultant for the design and construction of the exhibit,  as very little other data was available to him at that time. I took these photographs around 1962 as I recall. I used a Speed Graphic 35 camera, which I still have. It is very heavy and pain in the neck. The shutter must manually cocked for every photograph taken. The film was advanced by rotating a knob, but it was all I could afford in those days. I was fortunate to have it.

Click any image to enlarge.

 

 

Posted in DEPOT BUILDINGS, DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, HISTORICAL PICTURES, NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN, RAILROAD STRUCTURES, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, THE WAY IT WAS, THIS IS A MODEL WAITING FOR A BUILDER | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A DISTANT MEMORY OF A PARK LOCOMOTIVE

Posted on March 15, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

I took a series of photographs of this “park” locomotive operating near Whittier Narrows, in an amusement park, in 1964. I think it is a relic of the Venice, California canal railroad, ca 1915. I believe someone out there may recognize the locomotive and have knowledge of its present whereabouts. If so, please write about what you know in the comment section of this blog.

The complete story can be read by means of this link:

http://www.westland.net/venicehistory/articles/rail.htm

The Old Machinist

 

IS THIS A VENICE CANAL LOCOMOTIVE?

IS THIS A VENICE CANAL LOCOMOTIVE?

Posted in HISTORICAL PICTURES, PARK LOCOMOTIVES, RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, RESTORED RAILROAD EQUIPMENT, THE WAY IT WAS | Tagged , | Leave a comment

MORE CT&S SNOWPLOW IMAGES

Posted on February 22, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

I have been using these images of a CUMBRES & TOLTEC SCENIC RAILROAD snow clearance train, that I obtained while I was a paying paying rider of the charter train that followed, as my computer screen saver file. They deserve a wider audience, so, here they are.

 

Posted in DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES, HOW THIS & THAT IS DONE, NARROW GAUGE RAILROADS, NEVER AGAIN TO BE SEEN, RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, STEEP GRADES, THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, THE WAY IT WAS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

MAY, 1969 AND THE SURVIVER POSES AT OGDEN

Posted on February 4, 2016 by THE OLD MACHINIST

I found this image as I was browsing my files and I could not resist sharing it with you. The title refers to the amazing fact this locomotive is the only steam locomotive never “set aside” by a Class I railroad in the United States. The UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD has a long record, much to their credit, of maintaining the records and artifacts documenting the railroad since it was authorized in 1862 by the “Pacific Railway Act”. The UPRR of today honors this legacy still by putting money on the table as demonstrated at the UPRR Museum in Council Bluffs and the Heritage Program in Cheyenne.

(I am a stockholder and I approve this message.)

 

THE LAST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE PURCHASED BY THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

THE LAST STEAM LOCOMOTIVE PURCHASED BY THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD

Posted in OGDEN, RAILROAD HISTORY IN PICTURES, STANDARD GAUGE RAILROADS, STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, THE WAY IT WAS, UPRR LOCOMOTIVE 8444, UPRR STEAM PROGRAM PICTURES, UTAH AREA AND THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment