I was wondering how it could be a weed burner, as I could not see any apparatus for doing such a task.
This is a well known photo that many folks have seen before. A model shop even used it in their advertising. Here is the back story. After hauling the El Capitain into Los Angeles, the locomotives were uncoupled and switched to a track between the platforms to be taken to the engine house for servicing. The hostler became confused and accelerated in the wrong direction. The F3 A-B-B-A locomotive set crashed through the end of track bumper, crossed the service road, smashed through the concrete railing and came to rest overhanging the street below. January 25, 1948, Los Angeles Union Station. When I was in LA in June of 2000, I located the spot from the top side, all repaired of course. Just to the right of the lamp post in the center of the photo.
Almost everyone loves warbonnets, but there was so much more to the ATSF. The steam photos in this thread are almost overload. Glorious!
"When it comes to the designs of Diesel power, however, most rail enthusiasts, and especially the photographic-minded among them, are baffled and saddened. There is nothing significant of action in the passing of the Denver Zephyr except an envoi in the form of a cloud of dust and the corpse of an occasional chicken immolated on the altar of speed, and nothing so cheers the traditionalist as the spectacle of the Super Chief being assisted up the hillsides by one of the Santa Fe's Northerns, all guts and exhibitionism and smoke, for all the world like a 1910 Pope-Hartford trailing shamefully home behind a team of plow horses. There is a wonder and a beauty to the City of Los Angeles but there is not motion and there is not the stirring thunder of exhaust."-- Lucius Beebe The second car is Pullman's first streamlined sleeper, Forward. Quick definitions, for those who need them: a team of plow horses noun: 1910's dual purpose farm tractor and tow truck 1910 Pope-Hartford noun:
4-8-4 Northerns, #2914 and #2925 near Wagon Mound, NM in June 1950. #2925 is preserved and is currently stored near the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, CA. Tom Harley photo.
The ten year old 3751 Class underwent an impressive rebuild in 1938, gaining new cast frames and trading their 73" spokes for 80" discs. 1935 1940
The C&S (a Burlington subsidiary) had trackage rights over the D&RGW. The Santa Fe had an operating agreement with the Rio Grande on that same stretch, so the Burlington had de facto rights over portions of the Santa Fe between Denver and Pueblo. It's 1925 and C&S #1, the Colorado Special (the forerunner of the Texas Zephyr), is getting some help from one of the Santa Fe's many Prairies. Which is making the Burlington's Pacific look kind of small...
I posted this image in one of my Railimages albums back in 2012. I had no information on it other than it was an E1. acptulsa commented that it was "The very early days of the San Diegan."
Did I say that? Hope you didn't believe me. 8 and 9 inaugurated the Kansas Cityan and Chicagoan. They did go west soon after, when they got replaced by Amos and Andy, a funny looking pug-nosed pair numbered one and ten. Their next assignment was inaugurating the Golden Gate. That station does resemble San Diego, but other stations do too. Upon further investigation, I think I disproved myself. This is the Santa Fe Fresno station, on the route of the Golden Gate. Another likely suspect on that route. So I might have lied... That said, those engines did get around. 85, seen on the Golden Gate in the fifties, was originally number 7, which inaugurated the San Diegan in the thirties.
Thanks for clearing that up. From the photos you provided it looks to be Stockton. The chimney is right next to the "cupola" on top of the roof as well as other details.
Am I the only one who likes the 3500 Class much better than the 1337 Class, even though pretty much the only difference is where they mounted the headlight?
