YOSEMITE VALLEY RAILROAD COMPANY
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Image, Yosemite Valley 4-4-0 #22, Merced Order No. YV22AI, 11" X 17" YV22ANI Photo, Yosemite Valley 4-4-0 #22, Merced Order No. YV22AP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley 4-4-0, #22 poses in the late afternoon sun in the yards at Merced. Though lifeless, as the railroad has been closed for over a month, the little beauty looks ever ready to take on the train of memories over the scenic California line once known as the "YV!" September 23, 1945 -------------------- YV - 4-4-0 #23
Image, Yosemite Valley #23/2-car pass. 1940 Order No. YV23I Photo, Yosemite Valley #23/2-car pass. 1940 Order No. YV23P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley 4-4-0, #23 is seen with two car passenger train headed east along the Merced River toward El Portal, California, 1940. Judging by the light spotting of snow alomg the right-of-way it must be close to winter. -------------------- YV 4-4-0 #23 "view A"
Image, Yosemite Valley, #23/pass along Merced Order No. YV23AI Photo, Yosemite Valley, #23/pass along Merced Order No. YV23AP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes It is a lazy summer afternoon in 1940. In this beautiful image the 4-4-0, #23, with passemger train is captured in the Merced River Canyon, crossing a short tributary trestle, on its way eastward to El Portal. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #25 Image, Yosemite Valley RR 2-6-0 #25/pass Order No. YV25I Photo, Yosemite Valley RR 2-6-0 #25/pass Order No. YV25P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes In this scene along the Merced River Yosemite Valley Railroad #25, baggage/postal car #107, coach and a Pullman are viewed. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #25 "view B" Image, Yosemite Valley RR 2-6-0 #25 closeup Order No. YV25BI Photo, Yosemite Valley RR 2-6-0 #25 closeup Order No. YV25BP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley 2-6-0 #25 is captured close-up with shorty RPO/Express car between the steep granite rock overhang and the Merced River. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #26 Photo, Yosemite Valley Railroad 4-6-0 #26 Order No. YV26P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes It is early winter in 1940. Yosemite Valley 4-6-0 #26 sits at the ready at El Portal. If you look closely you can see a slight bit of heat bluring the view above the stack. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #27 Image, Yosemite Valley 2-6-0 #27, Merced Order No. YV27I Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley 2-6-0 locomotive #27 basks in the sunlight in the yard in front of the roundhouse at Merced, California, circa 1940. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #28 Image, Yosemite Valley #28 & 4-car mixed Order No. YV28I Photo, Yosemite Valley #28 & 4-car mixed Order No. YV28P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley Railroad 2-6-0 locomotive #28 is seen with a four car mixed train arriving at Merced, California depot, circa 1944. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #28 "view A"
Photo, Yosemite Valley #28 & 9-car mixed Order No. YV28AP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley Railroad 2-6-0 locomotive #28 is seen with a nine car mixed train somewhere in the San Joaquin Valley on the way to Merced, California, circa 1944. -------------------- YV 2-6-0 #28 "view B"
Image, Yosemite Valley #28 & mixed, Merced Order No. YV28BI Photo, Yosemite Valley #28 & mixed, Merced Order No. YV28BP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley Railroad 2-6-0 locomotive #28 leads a mixed train into Merced, California during the early 1940's. -------------------- YV - Last Run & Crew
Photo, Yosemite Valley Crew poses with #28 Order No. YV28CREWP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Fred Stoes, himself a fireman for the Southern Pacific, felt a certain kinship with the crew of the last Yosemite Valley mixed train, August 24, 1945. So it was on this final day when the entire crew posed with engine #28 for one last shot that Fred was on hand. A short time after this picture was taken the Yosemite Valley was no more. On hand besides Fred was Gerald Best, a man who knew California railroads well and wrote much about them in later years. He captured a slightly different view which did not include the young man on the right. His notes indicate left to right: Bob Jirsa, Henry Loggins, Guy Clements and Jack Shoup. -------------------- YV - Caboose #15
Image, Yosemite Valley caboose #15 Order No. YV015I Photo, Yosemite Valley caboose #15 Order No. YV015P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes YV RR caboose #15 sits with an observation car at Merced after coming off a weekend train. -------------------- YV - Caboose #17
Image, Yosemite Valley caboose #17 Order No. YV017I Photo, Yosemite Valley caboose #17 Order No. YV017P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Caboose #17 is at rest this day in the Yosemite Valley railyard at Merced, California. -------------------- YV - RPO\Exp. #107
Image, Yosemite Valley RPO/Express #107 Order No. YV107I Photographer: Fred C. Stoes This well known RPO/Express car #107 was often seen in consist on many a train between Merced and El Portal. -------------------- YV - Flatcar #501
Image, Yosemite Valley flatcar #501 at Merced Order No. YV501I Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley flatcar #501 resides in the Merced yard before the lens in this early 1940 shot. -------------------- YV - Flatcar #507
Image, Yosemite Valley flatcar #507 at Merced Order No. YV507I Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Yosemite Valley flatcar #507 with stakes and steel is captured in the Merced Yard. -------------------- YV - Stockcar #703
Image, Yosemite Valley RR Stock Car #703 Order No. YV703I Photo, Yosemite Valley RR Stock Car #703 Order No. YV703P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Sitting at Merced, California, weather beaten an old, but still functional, Yosemite Valley Railroad 36 ft. stock car #703 is ever ready for service. While everyone thinks of Yosemite as granite grandure and majestic forests, the YV also used to run through cattle country in the San Joaquin Valley. It must have been peaceful this day, note chicken hawk on brake-wheel. -------------------- YV - Bulkhead Flatcar #893
Photo, Yosemite Valley Bulkhead flat #893 Order No. YVCAR893P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes One of the Yosemite Valley flatcars used to bring logs down off the incline and to market is seen at Incline, California. Note the incline going off up the hill to the right, behind bulkhead #893. -------------------- YV - Flatcar #958/Sugar Pine Logs
Photo, Yosemite Valley flatcar #958/Sugarpine Order No. YVCAR958P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Perhaps the real business of the Yosemite Valley was in trees. Shown here in 1940, Yosemite Valley flatcar #958 is loaded with sugar pine and ready for the mill. -------------------- YV - Ore-Hopper #1224
Image, Yosemite Valley Hopper Car #1224 Order No. YV1224I Photo, Yosemite Valley Hopper Car #1224 Order No. YV1224P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Captured at the loader, this Yosemite Valley ore car #1224 was typical of many. -------------------- YV - Train at Bagby
Photo, Yosemite Valley train at Bagby Order No. YVBAGBYAP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes Observation car 330 is seen on the end of the train at Bagby. Note station building along side train. -------------------- YV - Incline Depot
Photo, Yosemite Valley Depot at Incline MP-73 Order No. YVINCLINEP Photographer: Fred C. Stoes The year is 1944. Not much goes on anymore at the old Incline Depot. Still, the buildings stand stalwart, and ready for business, should it ever return! -------------------- YV - Merced Falls
Image, Yosemite Valley Merced Falls Yrd/Depot Order No. YVMFALS1I Photo, Yosemite Valley Merced Falls Yrd/Depot Order No. YVMFALS1P Photographer: Fred C. Stoes The Station and Yard area of Merced Falls is shown in this unique view. Early 1940's. -------------------- YV - Train on Bagby Bridge
Image, Yosemite Valley RR mixed over Merced Order No. YVMIXED2I, 11" x 17" YVMIXED2NI Photo, Yosemite Valley RR mixed over Merced Order No. YVMIXED2P There was only one Yosemite Valley Railroad that brought the early tourist to El Portal, the gateway to Yosemite! Though no less than four were planned, the YV, as it was called, made it happen. Destined to be a Californa short line, the YV catered to tourists. On this particular September 4, 1944 Fred Stoes and others, on a railfan special, got the "Mixed" crew to stop for this stunning remembrance of the past on the Bagby Bridge. -------------------- YV - Train on Barrett Bridge
Image, Yosemite Valley Mixed, Barrett Bridge Order No. YVMIXED4I September 4, 1944; A special group of railfans has joined the train for the day to get a few photographs along the route as the mixed makes its treck from Merced to El Portel and back. At this point, the train has stopped for all to get one or more shots of the #28 and consist on the Barrett Bridge.
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