SP - The Brass
Image, Southern Pacific Brass come to Watsonville Order No. SPBRASSI Photographer: Jerry McCabe Southern Pacific Transportation Company brass pose for a photograph during a visit to Watsonville Junction to support the local railroad boys and the business comunity leaders. August 21, 1940 Left to right: Fred Jekins, newspaper publisher; Dan Hawkins, newspaper publisher; Jerry NcCabe, President of the S.P. 100 Club (Watsonville); J. J. Jordon, S.P. Coast Division Superintendent; K.C, Ingram, Assistant to the Southern Pacific President; and George Betterton, S.,P. Chief Purchasing Agent. All had come for a dinner and get-together at the Hotel Resetar in Watsonville. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] --------------------SP - Wayward Tankcars
Image, Thw wayward SP tankcar & friends Order No. SPTNKCRI Photo from Mrs. Karl Tyree Collection The coupler pocket dropped, the airhose undone, ties strewn everywhere, a single axle about mid-way under the car, and a man on his hands and knees underneath, all suggest this early Southern Pacific tankcar is wayward! Still, it is a great time for one and all to pose for this early sepia photograph. The oil derrick behind, the surrounding countryside, the tankcars themselves, and the fact that the photograph came from the collection of a long time SP Coastal Division station agent places the view somewhere south of Santa Barbara. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - "The Railroad Boys"
Image, SP Watsonville Jct. "RR Boys" 1945 Order No. SPCREWJI Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Fred Stoes, being a well known photographer and Southern Pacific fireman out of Watsonville Junction, had no problem getting the local railroad boys to pose for a photograph. Seen here, representing well over 100 years of Coast Division service, is that man-power. The caption on the back of the original print, used to make this image, in Stoes handwriting reads: "S.P. Yard, Watsonville jc. Top End Crew, '45." He did not need to label their names because he knew them all! Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - The Consumate Railfan
Image, Railfan Walt Disney, Feb. 24, 1962 Order No. SPWALTDI The Southern Pacific - Santa Maria Valley interchange yard at Guadalupe, California proved to be a very busy February 24th, 1962 day. On hand were many railfans to celebrate 50 years of Santa Maria Valley and the last run of the line's 2-8-2 locomotive #21. Among the railfans was special guest Walt Disney. Thomas W. Aram, station agent for the Southern Pacific at Guadalupe, snapped this picture. Shopping Cart 8.5" by 11", Price - $ 5.00 [Add To Cart] -------------------SP - "Ted Wurm, Historian
Image, Ted Wurm, Montazuma Lbr. #1, CO 1939 For reference omly, not for sale! Personal Note: After considering whether to make this view available to the general public for some time or not, I finally decided in favor of it. In 1978 I received a Christmas Card from one of my mentors, railroad historian Ted Wrum. I have copied the top part of that card and presented it for history sake. A young man here, Ted would go on to write several early railroad histories of the west and especially California. The label below the view is in his hand writing. The caption on the back says it all: "Former D&RG 3-footer, one man operation, T.W. in cab!" --------------------SP - "Neil Vaddin" Senior Engineer
Image, Long time SP Senior Engineer Niel Vaddin For reference omly, not for sale! Neil Vaddin poses for me at Watsonville Junction after just running 120 miles from San Francisco. An Engineer's Engineer: Neil Vaddin was a long time Southern Pacific Engineer and Fireman who ran everything from steam switchers to Daylight 4-8-4's, and later diesels in service. He was a friend to most, a caring man, and a teacher of Railroading. After 47 years of Southern Pacific railroading he retired. He next went to the Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific and worked their CF7 diesels. It was not long before he found himself as the senior engineer on the heavy 4-6-2 #2472 locomotive belonging to the Golden Gate Museum. Once the engine was operational and Southern Pacific approved, Neil was the man at the throttle for several years making several trips to the Sacramento Railroad Fair, a special lashup with ##4449. From San Francisco to Watsonville and outings on the Peninsula. Most times when not on the SCBT&P on Sunday's he was running back and forth on #2472 at the museum track teaching younger folks to be an engineer. Many of us miss him terribly. --------------------
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