I signed up for the Union Pacific 4014 and 9000 Night Photo Session at the Rail Giants Museum on the day it was announced, July 30, 2013. I called Chris Parker and he also bought a ticket for it. Jump forward to Thursday, August 15. For some reason I checked the surviving Santa Fe stations website and realized that I had yet to take pictures of the Vista Santa Fe station east of Oceanside. I checked Mapquest for the depot's location and verified it on Google Earth. So my usual Saturday morning train could be slightly changed with a trip on the Sprinter to the Vista Transit Station stop. I arose on Saturday morning, August 17, 2013, and drove down to the Santa Ana station, stopped at the Metrolink machine to get my Saturday Weekend Pass then walked out to the platform to wait for my first train of the day.
Pacific Surfliner 562 arrived and I boarded, taking my usual seat in the Superliner coach for my trip to Oceanside. It was a regular trip with the weekend pier stop included as we travelled south along the beach on a cloudy morning. I arrived at Oceanside and detrained then made my way to the Sprinter ticket machine and got a $5 paper Regional Day Pass. I walked over to set up for a picture of my next train.
The Sprinter carrived in Oceanside for an 8:33 AM departure for Escondido and I started walking to it.
The Sprinter and Coaster in this view. I boarded the Sprinter and picked up a schedule which changed my plan. As we were at this point running on an hourly schedule, I would take this train all the way to Escondido, then go back to the Vista Transit Center. Then when I was finished taking my pictures, the Sprinter would be on the thirty minute schedule, giving me half an hour for pictures. I had an enjoyable trip to Escondido and a good trip back to Vista. As I detrained, I called Let's Talk Trains as I started my walk. I realized that I could have gone a different route which would have saved some time but reached the Vista station.
The 1913 Vista Santa Fe station located on Washington Street one block north of the Vista Transit Station. I returned to the Sprinter station and enjoyed a little Coca-Cola before boarding the Sprinter back to Oceanside.
Once back in Oceanside, my Metrolink train arrived by a parked Coaster train waiting to leave for San Diego.
Metrolink 665 took me home to Santa Ana. I was checked twice for tickets, once by the black-shirted security guard out of Oceanside as he was getting his count and then by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs after we left Irvine. I detrained, went home to listen to Let's Talk Trains and started this story. Later Chris Parker was to arrive at my house but he ran late on a job and would meet me there at the event. I drove to Pomona, having to fight bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 57 Freeway from Katella to Chapman Avenue in Placentia to the Rail Giants Museum at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. Once there I checked in and could walk the grounds, meeting many old friends.
Union Pacific 4014 and 9000 Night Photo Session at the Rail Giants MuseumThe musuem is operated by the Southern California Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. Founded in 1921, is the oldest organization in North America devoted to railroad history. Its object is to promote research and to encourage preservation and documentation of all facets of railroading. We take pleasure in welcoming you to our exhibit at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, California. A small group of devoted railroad historians gathered in a home in the spring of 1953 and set the wheels in motion to organize this local chapter and on June 5, 1953 the deed was done.
This exhibit first opened in 1954 with our first acquisition, the Climax geared type locomotive, #3. It was donated by Sunkist Growers, Inc. Since that time 7 more locomotives, a Heavyweight Pullman Lounge, a Santa Fe wooden Caboose, Refrigerator car, an AT&SF Horse Express car and two track motor cars have been added to the rolling stock exhibit.
The center of Museum activities is the former Santa Fe Depot from Arcadia, California. This was given to the Society in the summer of 1969. Built in 1895, it witnessed the daily passing of the Santa Fe’s finest trains but became obsolete with the coming of the 210 Freeway. It had to be moved or demolished and so it is now preserved as a classic example of a 19th Century Santa Fe Station.
Our exhibit is maintained by a dedicated staff of volunteers who work at the museum to keep our exhibits maintained for public exhibition. Admission to the Museum is always free, we only ask for you generous donations to help maintain our historic railroad equipment.
Santa Fe 4-6-4 3450 built by Baldwin in 1927 and presented to the museum in 1955 by the Santa Fe Railroad.
United States Potash 2-8-0 3 built by Baldwin in 1903 as a 36 inch gauge engine for the Morenci Southern Railroad in Southern Arizona running from Morenci on the San Francisco River to connect with the Arizona & New Mexico Railroad in Guthrie, Arizona. The line was completed in 1901 and its winding route and heavy grades limited passenger trains to only three cars and a caboose. It took two hours to climb 1,400 feet and complete the 18 mile trip. The railroad also shipped copper ore for its owner, the Detroit Mining Company.
The most distinguishing feature of the Morenci Southern was a series of five loops built to negotiate the Morenci Gulch. The first loop was at Morenci, followed by three more loops in the canyon constructed in part from wooden trestles. The final loop incorporated a tunnel by the San Francisco River, briefly earning it the name “the cork screw railroad of America”. In 1914, three of the five loops were replaced with switchbacks, adding about 0.4 miles to the route. When the Morenci Southern was abandoned in 1922, 3 was bought by United States Potash for their ore hauling railroad at Carlsbad, New Mexico, where it operated until 1946.
Southern Pacific 4-10-2 5021 built by American Locomotive Company in 1926. Delivered in 1926, 5021 initially hauled passenger trains over the Sierra Nevadas but was soon moved to fast freight. Its last years were spent working largely in Oregon on the Portland Division, remaining in service until 1955.
Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 4014, the reason we all were here tonight. It was by American Locomotive Company in 1941 and operated until 1962 when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society.
Union Pacific 4-12-2 9000, our other photo target of this evening.
Outer Harbor Terminal Railway 0-6-0 2 by American Locomotive Company in 1887 as Santa Fe 580. In 1893, it was sent to the Southern California Railway where it was renumbered 40. In 1900, it was transferred back to the Santa Fe and re-numbered 2285. In 1906, the Santa Fe took over the Southern California Harbor Dock & Wharf Company and re-numbered the locomotive 2. In 1909, the Union Oil Company bought the railroad and renamed it the Outer Harbor Terminal Railway Company. The locomotive worked the next forty-five years along the docks in San Pedro, California until it was retired in 1955 and donated to the collection. At the time it retired, after sixty-eight years, 2 was reputed to be the oldest operating locomotive in the United States. It is under restoration.
Fruit Growers Supply Company Climax 3 built by Climax in 1909 for Northern California Lumber Company in Hilt, California. It was sold to the Fruit Growres Supply Company, also in Hilt, in 1913 and donated by Sunkist Fruit Growers in 1954; it was the chapter's very first acquisition.
Union Pacific DD40X Centennial 6915 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969. The class was named in honour of the 100th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory, Utah, on 10th May 1869. In fact, 6900 was rushed to completion so that it could participate in the associated ceremonies that took place in May 1969.. Now we would wait for darkness to take over this evening.
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 4014 which Union Pacific has acquired and would be first moved to West Colton in October, then on to Cheyenne to be restored to service. I picked the first spot to start my picture-taking tonight.
Three views of the world's largest steam engine, Union Pacific Big Boy 4014.
The asphalt surface was hosed down to cut down on reflection once it became dark.
Between shots, one thinks about this engine coming toward you down the rails in the future. The smoking effects started.
The first of the flash shots of the night.
One more picture here before I relocated for another angle of this great and mighty steam engine. Now those pictures.
After that, Sam, one of the museum's volunteers, joined the pictures to give the effect of a railroader working with his engine and crew.
First a flash shot of Sam on the foot board of Union Pacific 4014.
Sam on the foot boards of Union Pacific 4014.
Sam inspecting the running gear of the steam engine. After this last shot, it was time to switch the lights over to Union Pacific 9000.
Union Pacific 4-12-2 9000 built by Alco-Brooks in 1926. The 9000's worked freight, mainly between Council Bluffs, Iowa and Green River, Wyoming. We waited for the lighting to be set up, a car to be moved and the asphalt surface to be hosed down. Good conversations were had while we all waited.
The asphalt surface was hosed down.
A few non-flash shots were taken as the smoke effects started on Union Pacific 9000.
Sam was back in my first flash shot of 9000.
Sam checking the running gear of Union Pacific 9000.
Sam swings his lantern in this next picture.
Another flash shot of Union Pacific 9000.
Sam swung his lantern in these pictures.
Another flash shot.
Sam swings his lantern in these pictures.
Three more flash shots of Union Pacific 9000 after which I relocated for my final pictures.
My last two shots of this night. I thanked the members, including Steve Crise, the organizer, and Sam, before driving home, a very happy photographer. The Union Pacific 4014 and 9000 Night Photo Session at the Rail Giants Museum was a great success.
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