I never got to ride the SP, growing up in Robstown, Tx. (MP territory), but my grandfather was a railroader on the SSW in the '20's. I liked the SP because is stood for the archetypical western railroad, not being initiated in the east, as was the UP, ATSF, GN, et al. Beautiful, rugged scenery; classic and unusual equipment (cab forwards). I saw a few locomotives here in Florida (parts of the lending fleet) on trains passing through CSX's Baldwin yard, west of Jacksonville. The farthest from home I ever saw an SP locomotive was on an evening in the early '90's, a clean B23-7 pulling a short string of cars in Wildwood, FL. It was headed east toward Groveland on the north side to the Y. I thought I'd seen a ghost. Turns out, I wasn't far off.
I recently visited Foresthill, CA., in April for the passing of my aunt. My cousin's husband Jim and I made several trips to satisfy my SP habit; the California State Museum, over Donner Pass to Truckee and down the Feather River Canyon, and an afternoon at the west end of Roseville Yard. Still a lot of gray and scarlet locos lined up on the storage tracks, idle due to the down turn in the economy. It will be too soon for me that they are all wearing armour yellow and mist grey. Nonetheless, I will keep them alive in my modeling.
John
I recently visited Foresthill, CA., in April for the passing of my aunt. My cousin's husband Jim and I made several trips to satisfy my SP habit; the California State Museum, over Donner Pass to Truckee and down the Feather River Canyon, and an afternoon at the west end of Roseville Yard. Still a lot of gray and scarlet locos lined up on the storage tracks, idle due to the down turn in the economy. It will be too soon for me that they are all wearing armour yellow and mist grey. Nonetheless, I will keep them alive in my modeling.
John
