I really like those 60 - 70s? type photos as the consists are amazing! That's a candidate for POTW for sure! Notice that the U25B has no center post in the window. Sugar beet train? As far as Espee unusual, I have a calendar with a manifest emerging from a snow shed. The lashup is SD40/F7 Black Widow/SD40/F7 Black Widow. The SD40s are brand new. So, you never know what you will see.
Sugar beet train?>>>>>>>>>. No it's the Kaiser Ore Train, from Eagle Mountain, California. Paul McGuffin
I've been thinking about doing the Palm Springs Depot, so what is interesting to pick up on is the landscape...the texture of the soil and the weeds between the tracks. Below is the pattern for the Ore Cars I believe is part of that consist? This is my Z Version I'm working on now, this weekend when things calm down around here I'm starting my N Version to take to the NTS in LA in July. Thanks for the photo, it helps a lot! Cheers Joe MTL
Nothing but sand at West Palm Springs. It is two main tracks now. Back in the 1960, depot was on the north side, water tank on the south, about a 500' spur off the siding (you can see the photo was taken from top of a car there). I have a black and white of myself on a helper at the west end. These Ore Train shots were at the east end. Oh, the south side was lined with Tammeresk (sp) trees. Buy the Beaumont Hill book by John Signor. Paul McGuffin
Here's a B&W some railfan sent me. I was working the West Colton Helpers, at the west end of West Palm Spring main track, getting ready to go on the point of the first westbound Chicago/LA Train,(CHLAT), early 1980's. Also, as I remember, the depot was on the north side where the tracks curved. Now that UP has DT the area, there is a crossover at West Palm Springs. I don't know if the UP still calls it WPS. They were in the process of totally erasing anything Southern Pacific. Oh yes, The UP did keep the last name in the "merger." I left the LA Division in 2001 and traded to Tucson with another engineer. She took my place on the LA Div. The UP influence was not as bad in Tucson, as it was in Los Angeles. Paul McGuffin
Here is a photo on Ebay of the West Palm Springs depot. PM Southern Pacific RR "Golden State" in Palm Springs CA - eBay (item 380038429646 end time Jun-24-08 13:01:37 PDT)
