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 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.
We drive past Colton yard when we go visit my mother in law in Palm Desert so I recognize these near Cherry Ave.
February of 1984 would be cool days and colder evenings in the very busy Colton.
They are on a loop so I hope that you can stop them and zoom in for details.
So much variety back then.
Oakland was a busy SP hub with the port there and all. it was no uncommon for Dad with Mom and sometimes their grandson to drive there for amusement and getting out of the house.
By 1984 SP was a bit like a study in weathering techniques for aspiring model makers and there was a variety of units.
I did the Google map thing and for sure the Cold Storage brick building is gone.
If you click that link under the 2011 vs 1984 you can see why I will not be driving down there to replicate the image…. it’s quite a place now – unfortunately.
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.
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
It’s driving me nuts – looks familiar but I cannot place it & Dad never wrote locations on slides.
Also – The RR archives doesn’t come up with this as a U class but there is a SD 40M-2 with that number….
What the heck is happening !
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?
Fred's Slides 