BULLETIN MARCH, 1954

Published jointly by:

PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY(PRS)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION,

ELECTRIC RAILROADERS’ ASSOCIATION(SC-ERA)

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION,

RAILWAY & LOCOMOTIVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY(SC-R&LHS)

THE EDITOR SAYS...

Since the first two issues of our joint Bulletin have come out there has been, from several quarters, a little criticism in relation to that old controversy of electric railroading versus steam railroading. Several people have indicated that they are quite touchy on the subject and want to make sure that their respective interests are well represented in the Bulletin and the future Pacific Railway Journal.

As a statement of policy we want to say here and now that as far as the publication staff is concerned our first duty is to publish news and information concerning railroading, our definition of the term being “that which involves the operation of transportation vehicles over a road of rails.” Thus our scope will include all forms of that vast transit medium, from narrow gauge industrial railways through electric street and interurban railways, through “short lines” and up to and including the Class I railroads which generally makeup the greater part of the railroad industry today. In addition, we will publish material as it is made available, with little thought as to what the motive power is or what its particular track gauge happens to be. Naturally, we can’t please everyone - but we’re sure going to try our darnd-est to do just that!

The outstanding reason for the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society’s successful trip on March 14 was the complete cooperation shown by all three clubs, Tickets were sold by the offices of the three organizations and brochures were mailed out on all three mailing lists. Neither PRS nor the SC-ERA received any compensation for their work. We hope this is only the beginning of what will eventually be inter-club-cooperation in many railfan activities in Southern California.

-Robert A. Ramsay, Editor

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TIMEPOINTS-

MEETING NOTICE: The next regular meeting of the SC-ERA will be held on April 16, 1954, at the Echo Park Recreation Center. Meetings begin at 7:30pm and include interesting programs of electric Railroadiana.

A CASE FOR SAVING LINE CAR #9351: (By equipment committee Chairman Norman K. Johnson) Recent controversy concerning plans of the equipment committee to purchase for preservation the Los Angeles Transit Lines’ tower line car #9351 has, it seems, stemmed from a lack of the knowledge of #9351's history and specifications. Thus, we would like to tell you a little about the car in the hopes that more SC-ERA members will become interested in this project.

First, the LATL’s price has come down, from $300 to $175, this being, of course, f.o.b. South Park Shops. The car, if obtained, would also be in complete operating condition.

As to its history, #9351 was built by the Los Angeles Railway Corp. in 1907 as its first #9202. In December of 1912 it was back-shopped and rebuilt into a line car #9351. The car’s only claim to glory was when at 11am, June 5, 1908, it (as motor #9092) spread the rails on the First Street bridge and plunged to the street below. The cars which made up the train did not leave the track.

#9351 was rebuilt again in 1925 but retained the number given it in 1912. The car received two GG headlights, four 38B motors, two K28 controllers and all the wiring was placed in conduit. In 1932, Christensen brakes were replaced by Westinghouse and T3 brake rigging replaced old trolley wheels. The car is at present an open tower car with cabs, and it is painted in National City Lines (LATL) colors including a white roof and is stored at the South Park Shops.

As most of LATL’s present cars go, #9351 has not had a spectacular history. It did, however, serve the system well and would serve SC-ERA’s proposed operating museum equally as well. The LARy had only three line cars and of the two which remain one is in constant use. We are aware that many railfans are most interested in passenger cars. But if we are to have an operating museum we will need a line car to maintain overhead trolley wire - probably quite a bit more often than most of us think! Using passenger cars for line work is not only dangerous to those working on the wires but is also quite destructive to the car tops as well. While it would be very nice to have a standard gauge Pacific Electric line car it might be noted that the price for one of them would be quite a bit out of reach of our treasury. #9351's low price tag seems to indicate that if we are to have a line car this is it. It is my opinion that SC-ERA definitely should have a line car for its museum.

Added attractions of the car are the eclipse fenders, one on each end. The car also has a pair of Janney knuckle couplers, a full roof and two trolley poles. The April 11th fan trip over the LATL system is being operated to raise the necessary funds for purchasing this car. We hope that everyone will support us on the trip and that SC-ERA members will provide us with their moral support as well. (Car data courtesy of Ira Sweet’s Los Angeles Railway publications.)

MARCH 19TH MEETING: A resolution was introduced and passed by the SC-ERA membership at the March meeting to support the equipment committee in its efforts to preserve LATL line car #9351. Slides by M. D. Isely and other members provided the evening’s entertainment. The attendance was normal despite the cold wind and rain.

WHEEL CLICKS-

MEETING NOTICE: The next regular meeting of the Pacific Railroad Society will be at the Annual Banquet. PRS members are reminded that the date of this dinner meeting is Saturday, April 10, 1954. There will be no meeting on Friday. Keith Kelsey, program director and chairman of the banquet, asks that all PRS members have their reservations and three dollars per plate in to one of the PRS officers by April 7th as we must guarantee the attendance on April 8th. Your help and cooperation will be very much appreciated by those whose work is making the banquet possible. The dinner will begin promptly at 6:30pm and will be followed by the installation of the new Society officers and a program, “Looking Forward”, will be provided by a tape recording of the last PRS trip to Bakersfield. A “Looking Backward” will be presented by Orville Ward of a fine collection of slides of past excursions. Remember the date and time - and please help us by having your reservations and your money paid by April 7. Let’s support the club!

THE MARCH MEETING: PRS members and their families were treated to a very good movie last March 12, when program director Keith Kelsey presented a feature which told the story of coal and the Norfolk and Western Railway. Railfans particularly enjoyed shots of the N&W’s large steam locomotives which were busy pulling long strings of hopper cars loaded with coal from the mines to the coal markets. Of special interest to electric fans were the scenes which showed the operation of small industrial coal trains in the mines underground. The little electric locomotives sported trolley poles operating on single suspension overhead wires. Such programs have done much to increased the attendance at recent meetings.

NEW PRS MEMBERS: Recent additions to the membership rolls are: Ernest Haase, Harry Altaffer, DDS, Malcolm D. Isely, Don Bufkin, Ray Ballash, Ted Swanson, Ben Hogue, Vernon Weden, James Curry, and Mercedes Glenn. The membership now stands at 178 persons.

NAVAS ON MEMBERSHIP: John Navas has been appointed to the membership department of PRS to replace Keith Kelsey. Mr. Kelsey resigned from the department due to his heavy schedule as program chairman.

BIG PRS MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN READY: The membership department is now putting the finishing touches on its big spring campaign for members. Officially beginning on April 10th, the campaign will run though June 14 when the goal of 100 new members is expected to be met. All PRS members are urged to get application blanks so that they will be prepared to solicit memberships to their railfan friends. The member who brings in the most new members during the campaign period will receive a prize.

MILLERS TAKE THE LEAD: The contest between the Millers and the Thompsons to see who would have the most numbers of the same name has been merrily going on with the enthusiastic blessings of the membership department. The Millers went out in front with five, as against only four for the Thompsons, when two more of them joined. This makes it Claribel, Daisy, Gaylord, Roy and Walter. The Thompsons are Burt, Eva, Jennie, and John. There is just one Smith, one Johnson and one Brown, but no Jones. Membership is gently prodding these others to get into the race too.

THE TRAIN SHEET-

MEETING NOTICE: The next regular meeting of the Southern California Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Inc., will be held at 7:30pm, Tuesday evening, April 20, 1954. Members will note that April 20th falls on the Third Tuesday of the month instead of the usual fourth Tuesday. Beginning with the month of April all regular meetings of the Chapter will be held on the third Tuesday. This was voted on at the last meeting and the change was passed by a majority of those present as being a more desirable time. The meeting place remains unchanged and will be held in the Mechanical Building, Union Pacific East Yard, 4340 E. Washington Blvd. in East Los Angeles. Members are urged to bring their photos, movies, and slides of the March 14th UP fan trip with engine #2709 as time will be made available for individual showings. Also on the program will be a short talk on the history and operations of the Sierra Railroad which will be given by member Norman Clark, head of the Chapter’s equipment committee. All members and their friends are urged to attend.

#2709 TRIP HUGE SUCCESS: March 14th’s excursion over Union Pacific rails to Riverside and San Bernardino was called by Mr. Walter Thrall, Chapter chairman, a very successful trip. Unofficial profit from the 517 paid fares was estimated at about $573 with several bills yet to be paid. Results of the questionnaire cards showed that nearly 100% of the passengers enjoyed the trip. 45% of those aboard the train had never been on a railroad excursion before. San Diego seemed to be the most popular place for a future excursion. The locomotive, last steam road engine on the UP’s California Division, has been placed on a spur in the East Yard and is now all boarded up. The whistle and two side tender emblems have been removed. Be sure to sign the R&LHS petition to save this locomotive from the scrap yard.

DONATIONS TO THE CHAPTER: Recent additions to the Chapter collection of Railroadiana are a locomotive bell, donated by the Santa Fe, and a Union Pacific tender emblem, donated by the UP Stores Department. The bell has been completely polished and includes an inscribed plaque. The UP emblem is the familiar shield with the words “Union Pacific System,” now known as the Union Pacific Railroad. A slash with the words “Overland Route” crosses the emblem diagonally. The Chapter wants to thank both the Santa Fe and Union Pacific Railroads for their thoughtfulness in donating these historic railroad items for preservation.

NARROW GAUGE TRIP IN OFFERING: On the board for discussion is the possibility of operating a fan trip over the former Carson & Colorado Railroad, now a part of the Southern Pacific Lines. Such a trip would probably be limited to 50 persons and it is hoped to be able to limit it to members only. A chartered bus could be used from Los Angeles to Owens Valley where the little narrow gauge line runs.

Members are asked to give their view on this project.

COMING EXCURSIONS-

APRIL 4, 1954: An Espee special train consisting of one small steam engine and three passenger cars will operate over trackage of the very famous former Interurban Electric Railway on Sunday 4, 1954. Sponsored by the Bay Area Electric Railroader Association, the trip will mark many important “firsts” and “lasts” in both steam and electric railroading. For example, it will mark the first time since January 15, 1939, that a Southern Pacific train operates from Oakland Pier to Dwight Way and Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley, to Stonehurst, and to Alameda carrying passenges. The route of the last Espee local steam passenger train - the Stonehurst Local - will be traversed for the first time since 1930. Tickets and information may be had from Addison Laflin, Jr. The special will leave the Oakland Pier at 9:52am but will wait for the 9:30am ferry from San Francisco if it is late.

APRIL 11, 1954: A fan trip over the system of the Los Angeles Transit Lines will be sponsored by the SC-ERA using three types of cars, a type P PCC, a BG and a K4 in that order. The PCC will leave Georgia Street Car House at 9:00am and will return there for the change to the BG, which will also return there for the next car change. The fare is $4 and tickets may be purchased from the secretary, Russell Chappell. Proceeds from this special trip will go towards the preservation of LATL car #9351 and other equipment expenses. Railfans may pay special fares for only small portions of the trip if they do not want to cover it all.

APRIL 23, 24, 25, 1954: Brochures were recently released announcing the PRS’s Union Pacific excursion to Las Vegas and Hoover Dam. Leaving LAUPT at 7:00pm Friday, April 23rd, the train will arrive in Las Vegas at 5:00am and will remain in the yard as a “hotel on wheels” for the convenience of the passengers. Tours to the Dam and a free “night on the town” will be featured as well as an all day return trip to Los Angeles with photo stops scheduled for Kelso, Mile Post 192.7 (a tunnel) and Afton.

MAY 29, 30, 31, 1954: The Central Coast Railroad Club announces their three day trip on the Northwestern Pacific and the Arcata & Mad River Railroad. A NWP train will leave San Rafael for Eureka at a still unannounced time; connections will be made by special bus with both the Owl and the Starlight and other existing trains. The fare is $20. The train on the Arcata & Mad River will mark the first time a passenger train has traversed that road since June 6, 1931, and it will be the first passenger train over standard gauge rails. Included in the trip is a ride on the 12-mile Northern Redwood Lumber Co. Railroad behind one of the two remaining shay locomotives in Humbolt County into an area never before opened to the public. There are no roads in the area.

JUNE 6TH, 1954: SC-ERA will sponsor a special fan trip over the system of the Los Angeles Transit Lines using one of the 2600-class cars. This class of car will be used instead of the #3062 and BG as previously announced because the LATL plans may call for the scrapping of both the #2601 and 2602 before the end of the summer.

JULY 2, 3, 4, 1954: Want an unusual fan trip over a little-known road in British Columbia? Then plan to save up $60 for fare on a special excursion train over the line of the Pacific Great Eastern Railroad, Vancouver to Prince George, B.C. This is the regular 7th annual railfan trip over this road to be sponsored by the Pacific Great Eastern Rail Travel Boosters. We understand this is the most scenic trip in all of North America.

COMING UPDATED TRIPS: Coming soon is promised Bay Area Electric Railroad trip over the remaining portion of the electrified trackage on Sacramento Northern Railway. Details have not as yet been worked out. This may be the very last SN trip; it will probably not include BAERyA’s motor interurban car #1005 which is in storage at the Western Pacific shops in the city of Sacramento....In various stages of planning is the Pacific Railroad Society’s branch line tour of the Southern Pacific Lines in and around Los Angeles. This may be announced soon......A fan trip over Metro? Well, at least SC-ERA is thinking of it, a 5100-class car to Long Beach, San Pedro and Bellflower....The three Southern California clubs are setting up future trip dates and the full schedule should be ready for publication in the April edition.

TRIP REPORTS-

LAST STEAM ON THE UP’S CALIFORNIA DIVISION: Handsome old #2709, last steam road engine in Southern California to operate on the UP, pulled out of LAUPT at 9:00am, March 14, 1954, for the last run and the first excursion to be sponsored by SC-R&LHS. Railfan-wise, everything went well, even though the locomotive’s tender ran low on fuel and caused a near two hour delay in San Bernardino. The special photo stop at the Santa Ana River bridge near Riverside was a boon to railfan cameras. The UP’s “City of St. Lewis” flashed by with her big Alco units and was followed by a speed run across the bridge by #2709 and our railfan special train. After the train had arrived in LAUPT fans gathered about the old engine for a last farewell. Then the engine backed out of the station on track #14, the last steam power on the UP California Division. At present #2709 rests in the yard all boarded up.

OLD #271: (By Keith Kelsey) On Sunday, March 7, 1954, the Bay Area Electric Railroaders Association ran an all day excursion over passenger lines of the Key System in Oakland, Berkeley, Piedmont and Emeryville. PRS was represented by Program Director Keith Kelsey and those excursion hounds and newlyweds, Ralph and Betty Shears. We are glad to note that our contingent remained in good standing by traveling behind steam to and from San Francisco.

That grand old car, Key#271, ex-Oakland Traction #251, ex-Lehigh Valley Traction #191(!) carried some 65 rabid fans over all existing passenger service track (except west of the subway) to their entire satisfaction and to the amazement of unenlightened natives along the right of way.

The Circuit Breaker of BAERRA tells us that #271 was built in 1901 for Lehigh and brought around the Cape Horn in 1904 for Oakland Traction. It saw service on San Pablo Ave. to Richmond; for a short time it sported a pantograph and ran on the Westbrea line. Old #271 made its last run in 1946, after which it was purchased by BAERRA. It is planned to ship the car to a new museum and so the streets of Oakland, Brooklyn, Richmond and the college town will no longer echo to the clamor of its passing.

On March 7, 1954, excursion car #271 not only covered the A, B C, E and F lines but for the first time in its life passed through the Northbrae tunnel. We will not disclose the speed at which old #271 was clocked by auto on Shattuck Ave. for fear of reprisals but our genial motorman said that it accelerated faster and handled better than the present articulated Bridge units.

Although the bulkhead is gone from the interior, the 4-window smoking compartment can be identified by the peeling paint on the ceiling. And beneath the many modern coats can be discerned the original paint job in perfect condition with its fine-lined border and filigreed corners visible in dim but pristine glory like an old master glowing through a modern daub.

The excursion was orderly, on schedule and otherwise attested fine management. In addition, Addison Laflin, Bay Area’s ubiquitous Secretary, took so many 620 pictures they could be strung together to make a movie of the whole trip.

At the end of the day when old #271 rattled its rear Eclipse fender and started down the last mile under a shower of blue sparks from its old trolley wheel it seemed that the crescendo wail of its farewell whistle will echo and re-echo down the valleys long after the old motors are burned to scrap.

SANTA MARIA VALLEY: (By Keith Kelsey) The Santa Maria Valley Railroad Company excursion of March 14, 1954, was operated by the California-Nevada Railroad Historical Society out of San Francisco. Your reporter made the connection at San Luis Obispo. Although a good trip by Cal-Nev cars on #72 behind GS #4440 was missed, an hour snooping around the SLO yards peering into the roundhouse and watching #4441 tanking up more than made up for it. The visit to the yard was enlivened by a nattily attired itinerant who approached from the direction of a string of gondolas, inquired the way to the nearest cafe and suggested that a quarter would help to quiet his hunger pains.

As #4440 rolled in OT it was caught on Kodachrome alongside the station poinsettias which the Scotch gardener said he was about to cut back. At Guadalupe the Cal-Nev cars were set out and before long SMV#21 coupled and was ready to roll. This little 2-8-2, purchased new from Baldwin in 1925, is in fine condition and was all slicked-up for the occasion. That it was an occasion was attested by the fact that no less a person than the president of the railroad, Capt. G. Allen Hancock himself, was at the throttle.

The country side along the right-of-way was at its best with the hills covered with bright green and the fallow fields blanketed with blue lupines and yellow dandelions. The sky was cloudless and the temperature just right - a combination which no doubt seemed strange to our brethren from Baghdad-by-the-Bay, although they concealed their astonishment well.

The group of about 45 was congenial and needed little managing by officers Arthur Lloyd and Eldon Lucy. Judging from snatches of conversation, the members included a prominent concert singer of San Francisco and a relative of a railroad builder. The most distinguished guest was the famous railroad fan, Mr. Whitaker, who came out from New York to make this his 426th different railroad in North America and to bring his total train travel to about 930,000 miles!

After covering the 14.8 miles from Guadalupe to Gates the train returned to Santa Maria a few minutes behind schedule - due to a photo stop as one might expect. The gang de-trained and piled into Greyhound buses and after a rapid ride arrived back at the the SLO depot - one before #75 pulled in and one after - but both in time. Your reporter wished he could have stayed with the party - but his ticket read southbound, not fogbound.

THE CALL BOARD-”of people and things......”

Well, Kiddies, life seems to have developed into one excursion after another. Sure a hot item these days with three Southern California clubs, working overtime to keep a seemingly excursion happy public supplied with trips. Even a couple of Northern clubs seem to like to travel in this end of the state. We are catching them double these days what with one Northern bunch running on the SP narrow gauge the day after the SC-ERA trip and another running a Santa Maria Valley trip the same day that the R&LHS ran their trip to San Bernardino....This SC-ERA streetcar ride began the festivities and was a sellout. A number of the Northern crowd joined this trip....Our old friend Charlie Hays piloted the LATL #1417 and #2501 and give the boys and girls some nice speed runs...Werner Meyer was busy adding to the smog with a foot long cigar...No lunch stop was scheduled and everyone was warned to bring a lunch or else go hungry but it seemed that the director, one Skinny Israel, didn’t have enough lunch aboard so he found time to stop at most of the hamburger joints enroute....One member lost his lunch when the car lurched and he sat on it....Al Wolfe pawed though the wreckage and found a badly flattened piece of pie. He had a good time licking it off the wax paper.....What was the profound question that Editor Bob Ramsay and Keith Kelsey were discussing through most of the trip.....After the SC-ERA trip some of the boys went to Glendale to see that the Northern California boys got off OK and then motored over the mountains to meet them in Mohave and help them off the Owl. Real George service we Southerners gave those fellows....After festivities in Mojave which lasted most of the night (including an AC up from Bakersfield!) The gang piled into a (ugh!) Greyhound bus (couldn’t help it, kids) at the ungodly hour of 6:00am for the trip up to Owenyo to catch the train on the former Carson & Colorado....That narrow gauge train was a real kick with #18 ( a ten wheeler 4-6-0) pulling a string of flat cars, one for cabooses, having probably been a part of Lincoln’s funeral train (Don’t blame me for that crack - Ed.)....The weather was fine and the scenery magnificent....Among the SoCal boys aboard were Jim Spence, Dick Pratt, Dick Burns, Al Wolfe, Gordon Holmes, Don Duke, Russ Chapell, Jack Ferrier, Dick Fleming, Chard Walder, Barney Root, Cal Rodges, Bill Garner, Bill Jurdan and Merrill Blau....Among the San Francisco crowd were Walt Williams, editor of the Southern Pacific News at Bakersfield, Greg “Diggger” Currivan, who lightened the dull moments on the say back with a graphic description of embalming ( his business), “Wild” Willie Scholz, from Sacramento and who entertained the crowd by hanging on by his ears and tossing banana peels under the wheels to watch them squash....No one else tried it because they had no ears to hang on by, Willie having taken them off the night before....Last but not least was Mr. Railfan himself, Elden Lucy...On big moment was when the bus driver climbed aboard the locomotive , #18, and plopped himself down on the engineer’s seat and had his picture taken.....That R&LHS trip with Union Pacific Mikado #2709 making its last run was something for the books....Perfect weather for the picnic at Riverside and nice running all the way even if #2709 did have to leave its train and make a run for water....Mercedes Glenn packed a big lunch for seven of the fellows who were on the trip, including fried chicken, ham sandwiches, potato salad, two kinds of pie and a jam and peanut butter horror for Bob Ramsay, a special request....A huge crowd was aboard and another big crowd followed the train in autos....It was well planned and a well managed trip, one of the best so far, nice going for the R&LHS’s first excursion....Did you see the get-up some of the R&LHS boys had on? Don Duke, Norm Clark and Al Fickelworth looked like they were right out of the Gay Nineties....Comes a letter from Tom Nelson who is at present doing a special job for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in New York and Pennsylvania giving us the scoop on what’s going on back there besides work....Tom said he saw a Southern Pacific MW car (#5159) twice, once in a freight yard and the next day batting along the Reading in a freight consist....That’s the dear old SP for you. Next he’ll be seeing an SD&AE Consolidation doing yard work on the New York Central, or a PE car rolling along under Pennsy catenary from Baltimore to Philadelphia.....Nice run Ron Longworth made for PRS treasurer and then coming in the surprise winner. Ron was as surprised as anyone as he didn’t know anything about the campaign that was put on for him until it was all over. S’funny he didn’t get his own plug or his ballot in the mail until a couple of days before the election....For your information the boys behind Ron’s campaign were Russ Chappell and Gordon Holmes....Be seeing ya on the April 11th SC-ERA trip - and the big Las Vegas trip. Keep off the tracks!

DR. DUNN OPENS OFFICE: SC-ERA member Dr. John Dunn, DDS., announces the opening of his dentistry office at 1100 Glenoakes Blvd, Glendale. Dr. Dunn is active in the equipment preservation activities of the SC-ERA and is only recently come from the San Francisco Bay Area. Besides the SC-ERA, Dr. Dunn is also a member of the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association.

NEWS OF RAILFAN ACTIVITIES-

ERA FEATURED IN NATIONAL MAGAZINE: “There Will Always be a Trolley” is the article featuring the Electric Railroaders’ Association in the April issue of “Holiday Magazine” now at your newsstand. Written by Theodore Pratt, the article outlines the history of the horse, cable and electric street railway from its beginning to the present day.

RAILROAD MAGAZINE TO CHANGE: Freeman H. Hubbard, well known author of books and articles on railroading, announces several changes which are to take place with the May issue of Railroad Magazine. These are in connection with the policy of bringing back the “human” side of railroading and the restoration of locomotive rosters. Under consideration is the possibility of publishing Railroad on good slick paper, which will show details of photos more clearly, and on a large page size. This will also include the elimination of low-grade advertising and the charge of 50 cents per copy. Juice fans will be interested to know that electric railroad material will not be eliminated. Mr. Hubbard, who, incidentally, is the editor, would like to hear your reactions to the May issue as soon as it is out.

WP #26 COMES TO TRAVEL TOWN: Sunday, March 21,1954, marked the official dedication ceremonies when Western Pacific Gilbert Kneiss handed Consolidation type locomotive #26 over to the City of Los Angeles for display at Travel Town in Griffith Park. At that same time Jerry Best, librarian for the Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, officially presented #2, a little steam dummy locomotive which once ran on what later became the famous Market Street Railway in San Francisco. Built in 1909 by Alco, WP #26 led a rather quiet life on the “Feather River Route” and managed to go over a million miles without an accident. It is 70 feet long and weighs in at 358,000 pounds with its tender. The 2-8-0 was in active service on the WP until the first of this year. #2 is a Baldwin product of 1882 and once sported a street car body so as not to frighten the horses while running on the streets. It saw service as a dummy in Los Angeles and on the Pacific Electric’s Riverside-Corona line before electrification. It also saw service as a roundhouse goat on the Espee and was retired to the back of a paint shop in Sacramento in 1927.

HAWAIIIAN EQUPMENT READY FOR TRAVEL TOWN: The Oahu Railway & Land Co. announces that the three cars and one locomotive it has donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society is ready for shipment to Los Angeles. Also, the Oahu Sugar Company’s tank engine #5 is now all painted up and with its little four wheels cane car is ready for exhibit at Travel Town. Last month the Oahu Railway coupled old #12 an Alco-built (1912) 0-6-0 and last steam engine on the Railway, to both the combination car #36 and the observation-parlor #64 and gave some school kids a ride over the old main line down to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard main gate. Several years ago your editor was an OR&L fireman; he spend many nights on old #12. One night in 1951 he got rattled while going over a highway crossing on a slight grade and tried to inject water into the bell while trying to ring the injector. #12, with a 128 ton train of pineapple laden flat cars, ran out of steam in the middle of the crossing and stalled!

GRAHAME HARDY’S NEW LIST OUT: List RF-17, a catalog of Railroadiana for sale by Grahame Hardy, Carson City, Nevada, is now available. Items include books, annual passes, tickets, timetables, maps, locomotive builder’s plates, metal railroad emblems, etc.

THE TRANSFER COLLECTOR NO LONGER PUBLISHED: Due to a complete lack of time, the former publisher of the mimeographed publication, The Transfer Collector, is not now putting out this paper.

THE PACFIC RAILWAY JOURNAL: A meeting will shortly take place when representatives of the three Southern California railroad clubs will decide the fate of this jointly sponsored publication. Also included in the talks will be future railfan trip dates, these to be published next month.

WHAT’S NEW WITH THE RAILROADS-

WORK STARTED ON SAN MANUEL CAMP RAILWAY: Bulldozers are tearing up the earth along the right-of-way of the Magma Arizona Railroad, which is to serve the new copper camp of San Manuel in Arizona. The Utah Construction Company, which has the primary contract, has established its first camp just south of Hayden on the bank of the San Pedro River. The survey extends straight up the valley of the San Pedro, in a direction a little east of south, for 29.5 miles. Construction runs from light to heavy, according to inspectors from Sterns, Roger & Co., the firm which is doing the engineering. Part of the route must be blasted along mountain bases, or through hills. On the other hand, there are fairly long stretches across level flats. Plans call for the railroad to be in operation by December 1st. From its junction at Hayden with the Southern Pacific, it will handle all heavy freight for the town and the mine of San Manuel. Like the San Manuel Cooper Corp., the Magma Arizona Railroad Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Magma Copper Company.

THE LOS ANGELES TRANSIT LINES: April 6th is the announced date for City of Los Angeles hearings on the Transit Lines’ proposed changes on both the “V” and “R” lines. The route of the new “V” loop will be from Melrose and Vermont over Vermont to Monroe, west on Monroe (along the curb by City College), south on New Hampshire, east on Melrose to Vermont and south on Vermont as before. LATL notes that even with a car loading at the curb, auto traffic will still be permitted to go both ways on Monroe, something which is not possible now. Additional route changes will include tripper “R” runs to First and Vermont and the abandonment of “S” trippers to that point. (By Norman K. Johnson)

PE DISELS ON THE AIR LINE: The famous Santa Monica Air Line, which saw its last passenger service in October, has been invaded by diesel locomotives in regular service. The Western District is the last stronghold of the electric locomotive, which may be gone within the year. Line car #00157 has been in the West almost daily.

THE ESPEE AND THE SACRAMENTO LOCAL: The Southern Pacific Company has proposed to the California Public Utilities Commission a reduction of running time between San Francisco and Sacramento to 2 hours and 15 minutes, effective April 15 with the coming of Daylight Savings Time. This would compare with 2 hours and 50 minutes now. It would be made by the new RDC through elimination of all stops between Berkeley and Sacramento except at Martinez and Suisun-Fairfield.

KEY SYSTEM SHOPS CLOSED: The main shops of the Key System Transit Lines at Emeryville have been closed up tight and it doesn’t look as if they’ll open again, at least not very soon. In addition, the Key has cut service on the “A”, “E”, “F” and “C” lines. Want to buy the Key System? Anyone with the purchase price may do so.

BAY AREA RAPID TRANSIT? During the first week of March, Sacramento Northern Railway’s MW302, the first interurban car on the SN, made a number of runs over the remaining electrified portions of the SN from Oakland through Walnut Creek and over what may become a rapid transit route if all goes well. These runs were made for the benefit of the Bay Area Transit Authority which is at present loosely organized to study various means of mass transportation in the Bay Area. Since National City Lines is trying very hard to sell its Key System to the municipalities of the East Bay there is a very slight possibility of the new Transit Authority taking over the operation of the articulated units over the SN at least as far as Walnut Creek. Present indications are that East Bay citizens are not eager to see the Key fall into municipal ownership, though they might accept a State Authority. The future of both the SN electrification and the Key System transbay rail lines are in considerable doubt. (Information from Addison Laflin)

METROPOLITAN COACH LINES: Daylighting of the Hill Street tunnels may give the subway lines a new lease on life, for a few months, anyway. The City of Los Angeles has stated that it doesn’t want anymore motor vehicles than necessary going through the tunnels while workers hack away at the hill in order to make an open cut. The City has also said its decision on the proposed abandonment of the two rail lines will be forthcoming in a few weeks. Test runs made by special Metro buses so far have shown them to be miserable failures compared to even the present rail schedules. No action has been taken on the Bellflower and Watts local lines so far. Citizens in the Watts area are very definitely not in favor of the proposed substitutions. And so far, the City of Glendale has done nothing about appointing a committee to make an engineering survey of the Glendale-Burbank rail line. Both the people of Glendale and interested railfans are disappointed by this.

SANTA FE EMPLOYEES HIT BY RECESSION: The AT&SF has just begun a program of tightening up their traffic departments in a new economy move which has cost low seniority persons their jobs. During the last week in March there were many slashes and it certainly doesn’t look bright for the prospective applicants. On the other hand, both the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific seem to be doing better and predict an average summer with passenger travel, continuing as before. Sante Fe operating men, though, are going back to work as the seasonal freight rush begins.

TWIN CITIES CONVERSION: Twin Cities Rapid Transit Co. directors have

ordered another 100 buses to complete conversion from street cars in Minneapolis. The vehicles, purchased from General Motors Corp., will cost $2,225,000. Final deliveries will be made in April which will probably mean the end of street cars this spring. It is interesting to note that the Twin Cities Lines maintained the finest street railway system in the United States, really the best transit system in North America. When the old management was replaced by what Collier’s Magazine called “gangsters” the system dropped until today it is one of the poorest in the North American continent.

ODD BITS OF RAILROADIANA-

KAUAI’S FIRST RAILROAD: What is today the sugar plantation at Kilauea, Kauai, Hawaii’s northern-most inhabited island, began in 1863 as a cattle ranch. In 1877, or 14 years later, it became a sugar plantation when captain John Ross and E.P. Adams purchased it after giving up their struggles with sugar farming at Princeville. In 1881 the owners of the Kilauea plantation decided to build a railroad and immediately ordered track material from England. The railroad’s first spike was driven by the then Princess Regent Liliuokalani at a long-remembered great occasion. The line was of 24" gauge and ran from the old mill down to the landing at Kahili, a distance of about three miles. Its first rolling stock consisted of a 17-ton tank locomotive and 24 cane cars. In 1899 the present Kilauea Sugar Plantation Company was organized and for the next 30 years prospered. Kilauea was hard hit by the depression of the 1930's and has been a heavy loser ever since. One of the effected economies was the abandonment of rail operations shortly after World War II. In September, 1951, your editor spend a short time pushing a little four wheel cane car up and down the remaining stretch of track and over one rusty switch.