California

March 1976 MAR-IND

How about this scene for a modeler’s inspiration?

That font is so stylish and hand painted I am sure

SP 1335 and 3187

Also the J.B. Sherr Co Wholesale adds a nice reverse space in classic 70s brown.

Struck out on Sherr.

I did Google around and spotted a Feb 15, 1983 Note in the NY Times:

“Amfac Inc., a diversified company based in Honolulu, said its Distribution Group had acquired the assets of three subsidiaries of Supply Corporation International of Houston. The units are the Tyler Dawson Supply Company, T-D Group and Mar-Ind Supply Inc. Terms were not disclosed.”

Also one was in San Diego :

MAR-IND. SUPPLY OF SAN DIEGO, INC.

MAR-IND. SUPPLY OF SAN DIEGO, INC. is company based in NATIONAL CITY, CA 91950, California. This company was established on 2000-08-17 and registered under entity number C2258912. MAR-IND. SUPPLY OF SAN DIEGO, INC. was founded8142 days ago.

The company is classified as FTB Suspended

So I am unsure if this is Oakland California but I suspect it may be.

Thoughts?

JUNE 1976

Looks nice and warm wherever it is

SP 9032
SP 4300
SP 6675
SP 3767
SP 2527

I wish they were location tagged but if you have any ideas please chime in. These will all go to the SP Historical Society and it helps them to have them located,

Thank you

MAY 72 – Keeping it orderly

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.

SP 4004
SP 4005
SP 4006
SP 4007

919 W 5th St Chico, California 1985

Chico Amtrak Station May 1985

The Chico station looks pretty good in the slide from may of 1985.

Now is looks pretty haggard, ( Click to see on Google Machine ) You have to zoom in a bit to really snoop around the station.

Google view 2021
2021 Sad with windows boarded up
Pay phone is gone
AC was upgraded from the window hanger

There are a few 2017 & 2019 images at this link > IMAGES < that show the exterior and interior. Used to look nice, wish we could take better care of things

Run by October 1984

  • My beautiful picture
  • My beautiful picture
  • My beautiful picture
  • My beautiful picture

Desert run by in October of 1984

Not sure where but must be in Southern California – maybe towards Tehachapi, California .

I can almost smell the exhaust

May 85 number 9

Photo of a tired SP standard station
Station

I zoomed and searched and stood back an thought it over and really, where doesn’t matter. The texture and colors and composition ( yes on the shady side ) say “model me” some day.

The tower behind the power pole in back should be a clue but, for me any way, it’s not.

Any ideas?

May 85 Ozol, CA ( I think )

Ozol is a great name.

It’s 13 points in Scrabble. Its basically not there ( GOOGLE LINK ).

Wiki says it is a Defense Fuel Support Depot .

Ozol was a generic term around here for anything west of Martinez and east of C&H at Crockett.

SP 3199, 9289 and 7473
SP 3199, 9289 and 7473
SP 3199

Google machine says :

The EMD, Electro Motive Division, GP40P-2 is a type of four-axle, 3,000hp, diesel locomotive built specially for the Southern Pacific railroad in 1974.

It is a rare version of the GP40, with only three built (SP #3197–3199), but all remain on the Indiana Harbor Belt and Union Pacific railroads.

Although that was in 2013.

I do know that the single shot is very detailed and I quite like it.

Full Circle

Hi again, been a while.

We moved back home in April and I finally have time to post. We have been unpacking and remediating the mess left by the renters and making improvements and setting up the garage and offices and working from home and and and !

Strange how moving back to your childhood home can make you think.

For example, there are some taller trees here about and the road names are the same but they are not as ingrained as they were when they were on my paper route.

Occasionally I am struck by the same difference from 1974 to now. The bad memories are stifled and the good surface more often lately.

Interestingly, “my” office was my late brother’s bedroom and then mine in the early 2000s and Dad’s (Fred III)’s office after he retired.

In this same room these same slides were stored for years.

They were sorted and thinned – but not labeled ( Thanks Dad ! )

And now here I am sharing these same slides. Is it weird? Yeah, it is. But it’s sure nice to be home.

Many of the SP slides are in a foot locker – like an Army one – that I think was my Uncle’s from World War 2. Its stuffed with yellow boxes and therefore it’s a grab – bag to start posting from again.

MAY 1985 in Oakland, Ca. I suspect a "museum" move of some sort. SP 3765 lights ablaze at Jack London Square.
MAY 1985 in Oakland, Ca. I suspect a “museum” move of some sort. SP 3765 lights ablaze at Jack London Square.
MAY 1985 in Oakland, Ca. I suspect a "museum" move of some sort. SP 3765 lights ablaze at Jack London Square.
My beautiful picture

Yes it’s a little blurry – I thought it was me but it is – still kinda neat and it “feels” fast.

Hope all are well