Nostalgia & History > Stockton Terminal & Eastern

 I'm not a photographer, by any means, but, in the spring of 1993, sensing that much of the first generation diesel power in California was not long for this world, I borrowed my friends big, heavy, 1980's camcorder, with jerky zoom, and headed to California's central valley to film some of the shortlines. My friend thought I was nuts but I was right. Most of the stuff we caught was soon gone. In the first installment of video from that trip, we saw the Central California Traction here: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2420999,2421309#msg-2421309  My camera work is terrible but it's all we have of some of these scenes.

  This job went on duty at 5:00 p.m. I remember the white haired conductor telling me he liked the start time because, as he put it, "I have the city to myself".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/17 01:24 by crackerjackhoghead.

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Great stuff. I miss that classic Alco sound!

Nice Jeff.  Those were the days of real railroading !  Trainmen could get off moving equipment, no need to wear a vest, kick and ride cars !  Thanks Jeff for posting !

Very nice capture of a by gone era. Those guys handled their jobs very skillfully.

If you have anymore like that, please post.

Where was that loose boxcar going in the background about the middle of the clip when the engine was approaching on a complely different track?

Regards, Jim Evans

Thanks for doing that and posting it.

Marty

Boy, oh Boy, great times for us! Thank you. wag216

Brings back great memories.  Love the Alco S sound and the gigantic throttle handle.  Watching a 3-man switch crew is artistic.
Brian Stevens

That's the way I learned it. A different planet today. Today everybody on the crew would be fired within minutes.
Love that turbo sound.

Charlie

cewherry Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's the way I learned it. A different planet
> today. Today everybody on the crew would be fired
> within minutes.
> Love that turbo sound.

That was just railroading. Today, a manager would need a book of FTX forms for this crew. In L.A., we're not allowed to let a car rol free, under any circumstances, anymore. Recently, I heard someone explaining, to one of the new breed of managers, how a drop was done. The manager exclaimed, "That's CRAZY!" I said, "No, that's railroading".

FiveChime Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> Where was that loose boxcar going in the
> background about the middle of the clip when the
> engine was approaching on a complely different
> track?

They had been "footboarding" it while they switched and just kicked it back into the yard on their way out of town.

gonx Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great video!
>
> In about the time a genset begins to move 5 feet
> down the track, an Alco has already moved 3 car
> lengths. They really were trotting around the
> yard!
>

Yeah. Even when we were still allowed to kick cars you couldn't get them going quick enough with a genset to avoid having the saw back over and over.

Posted from Android

I'm laughing about the "can't get off moving equipment" rules as I watch how I remember crews working when I grew up.  They were so fast it was fun to watch.  And at the time of this video, I would get off moving busses in South America the same way these guys were just doing their job and nobody cared.  Ok, if my mom knew she probably would have!

Now, as ole Bob would say, it's all crap

Nathan

Excellent !!   That 539 turbo sound is one I will never forget - grew up on the NYSW's Passaic Branch in the 60's & would see & hear their RS1's daily.

Awesome video, I know you could spend hours watching Stockton Terminal and Eastern doing their thing and just savor in moment!

Crossing Wilson Way in Stockron back in the days.


Chris

---

nothing like a alco switcher  the sound, the speed , the power .worked many a day on the b and m with alco switchers making up trains, can run circles around a emd switcher .