Funny how Dad never marked any slides so when I came to these I was almost surprised. But not really, the 4000s were special as far as I can tell and I guess that the fact that we can read the engine number in the image was too obvious. I don’t know where these were taken but I still bet on the San Jose, California area.
If you are old enough, you have experienced the slide show with one slide that always pops up sideways.
Its usually a really good shot too.
Strangely I managed to take the first image to illustrate the point and the iPhone manages to save it sideways – it must be destiny.
Anyway, scroll down and you can see the proper image (sorry about the fuzz and dust its from 1972 after all.
Found a box of SP. When I say a box I mean a copier paper sized box full of Kodak slide boxes – see below. The marking says SP + SP Special three boxes. Looking at the first slide I’d say they are pretty likely to be special
I googled a bit and struck out – but I want to say Oregon yellow plates on the Maverick and the Honda CB may help. Where are we ?
My Dad’s friend David Hardie, seems to have made several duplicates and shared with him over the years. I usually don’t scan those and share since I don’t own the content, but I scanned this one in my assembly line and it’s worth a share.
Sometimes Dad would organize by company when sorting slides for Friday night slide night at Iron Horse Hobbies. This box must be one of those. As usual, the slides are only marked with the Kodak mount date but I recall that year’s trip was in August from home to South Dakota on another meandering route.
I have always liked switchers and these are no exception. The shadows and textures of the first two contrast nicely against the fresh looking paint.
The last two are washed out – I skipped Photoshop this time – but they are a study in weathering and details.
I can smell the creosote and oil on the ties. The smells of my childhood.
As far as I can tell this is in Portland. There is a similar car images here in Como, but the big building & Coke sign tells me Portland.
Usually I can find something on the Google machine that tells the story of named passenger cars. I went on the Railway Preservation News and got this :
P-S, 1950, Lot #6828:
One Car, Plan #4107, 1950, 8RM-4S-4DB “Pass”-Series:
SP&S #700 “Indian Pass”. No disposition information whatsoever.
I think we are in San Jose or Santa Clara but I don’t know. What I do know is that in June of 72 we lived in Burlingame and Dad worked in the San Jose office sometimes so I base my guess on that alone.
The website that I get information from is http://www.rrpicturearchives.net and it’s not looking good today so I cannot state what type of engine this is. I mean I can guess its an Alco product but I am unsure.
Milwaukee EMD SDL39 Number 590 was only a toddler when these were taken – born 11/72.
As far as I can tell this unit eventually spent the crazy 80’s & 90’s on the Wisconsin Central and there is a note about the Soo Line as well.
All three were favorites of Fred’s so it seems fitting somehow.
Personally, I like teh clean lines and proportions and the short range fuel tank too.
This is as light as I can make it without washing it out.
Sometimes you do what you can.
I manages to see the building in teh background was “F.S. Harmon Manufacturing Co.”
A little Google – Fu brought me to this pretty neat link : https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm1C53_FS_Harmon_Manufacturing_Co_Tacoma_Washington
and that led me to the google machine maps and this cool view
Kinda fun to think of Dad taking this photo with his Pentax or Mamaya 35mm in 0ctober of 1971.
Fred's Slides 