Southern Pacific Lines
Coast Line Division
“The Route of the Octopus”
Southern Pacific Lines
Coast Line Division
“The Route of the Octopus”
General Information
This goes back to the basic S.P. adage, when modeling a specific railroad item, it is always safer to model from a photograph. Even into the diesel age, the S.P. had this wonderful habit of switching details and paint jobs around. It's generally safer to pick a fairly narrow time band and then start finding photos from that period for reference.
Pat LaTorres
Railroad Research
References
The "Interurban Special" series authored by Ira L. Swett and published back in the 1950-1970's, contain a wealth of information including track plans. These are available from time to time on eBay, etc. - well worth purchasing for both PE and SN history, photos and track plans.
Specific S.P. Photo Collections
Autry Museum Photo Collection
Do a search of "Southern Pacific" and find many images, mostly San Francisco and Los Angeles.
http://theautry.org/research/overview
David Coscia
John W. Barringer III Collection
John W. Barriger III (1899-1976) created one of the most far-reaching photographic surveys of the nation’s trains and railroads ever undertaken. Barriger ranks among the 20th century's most significant railroad figures, having achieved high acclaim for his leadership of federal transportation agencies and of railroads themselves. As a top executive, Barriger used his own photos of railroad infrastructure in order to make specific decisions about what would help railroad lines succeed.
Barriger was most active as a photographer in the 1930s, --- cars, black and white painted semaphores, Harriman boxcars, etc. The photos are all mixed up in sequence as well as reversed. I had a lot of fun picking out the ones from my old stomping grounds (Rio Grande Division) --- SP upper quadrant semaphores no less!
Charlie
Based upon the graphite smoke box front on steam locos and a 1952 or 1953 Ford in one of the photos, the dates range from pre-1947 to the early '50s. Some photos were posted reversed or upside down, so to view them you need to download the image into a photo viewer then change its orientation.
Rod Miller
There are 372 photos of the SP posted at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/barrigerlibrary/sets/
California State University/Northridge’s Oviatt Library Collection
Below are links to historical images from California State University/Northridge’s Oviatt Library collection.
If you notice errors in the captions or wish to add comments, this can be done by entering comments at the bottom of each page.
Any grievous caption errors can be reported on this link:
http://library.csun.edu/ResearchAssistance/AskUs http://library.csun.edu/ResearchAssistance/AskUs
Be sure to provide the reference URL (upper left corner above the title) when reporting such errors.
Bob Chaparro
City of Vancouver Collection
Over 1,000 hi-res portraits.
http://searcharchives.vancouver.ca/railroads-cars;term/browseTerm
DeGrolyer Collection
The Southern Pacific archives at the DeGrolyer and at Stanford are two good examples for all of us SP fans. The staff were as helpful as the prices were reasonable.
The Denver Otto Perry Collection
There are over 1,000 Southern Pacific photos. The Otto Perry collection alone is over 20,000 images. The catalog keywords include wheel arrangements for steam locomotives, so for example, you can search for Southern Pacific 2-8-2's, or 4-8-2's etc etc.
Search the Denver Library collections: http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm4/search.php
and search on the "The exact phrase" -- Southern Pacific -- and then "Any of the words" -- Lark -- and set "Select specific collections:" -- Western History. You'll see a page of thumbnails including the Lark photo, just click on it to see the catalog information along with the location -- Glendale.
To see the pictures in high resolution, use the links as a "template" -- just replace the CISOPTR value in the URL -- this is the catalog's internal numbering system for each photo. Just paste the URL into your browser, and change the CISOPTR as desired.
Tim O'Connor
Ken Harstine Collection
All 500+ of my images are on the web site www.boxcars.us as well as several that were donated, some that are public domain and over 1500 are paid for originals. These are all available for anyone to use as long as they credit the photographer.
Huntington Digital Library Collection
Do a little sleuthing on the recommended Huntington Library digital photos archive using "railroad" and "Pacific Electric" as search terms. http://hdl.huntington.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p16003coll2/id/12062/rec/27
Kevin Bunker
R.J. Jones Collection
http://www.pnrarchive.org/sites/CRF/Lists/Photographs/AllItems.aspx
Los Angeles Water & Power Photo Collection
A collection of SP, PE, and related photos. Links to additional collections at the bottom of the pages.
http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_City_Views%20(1925%20+)_Page_1.html
http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_San_Pedro_and_Wilmington.html
Robert Simpson
Fred Matthews Collection Photos
For those that do not know about this, some of Fred Matthews' wonderful B&W images of late steam GS action may be viewed at the Pentrex site below. Note how well maintained the roadbed and ROW are. There are also some haunting portraits of deadline GS locos at the Luria Brothers facility. Amazing stuff for those who like the late steam era.
http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/pentrex/fmwelcome.html
Arnold Menke Collection
For those who want archival quality photographs, made with enlarger, photosensitive paper and wet chemistry, of mostly steam, mostly SP, but all North American railroad subjects, they can be had from Arnold Menke. He has over 30,000 negatives, and only charges $5.00 for an 8x10 photographic print made the old fashioned way. Arnold can be reached at asm@theriver.com.
Marty Quaas' Inland Empire Collection
Marty Quaas photos cover the railroads of the Inland Empire of Southern California - ATSF, SP, UP and PE - as well as packing houses. The last groups of photos were posted and all are now accessible through this link:
http://www.geocities.com/jim_lancaster.geo/mq/marty_quaas.html
Jim Lancaster
Stanford’s CESTA Interdisciplinary History Group
They are currently running a project called “Living with the Railroads”. The full Living with the Railroads site is here:
http://www.historypin.com/project/42-railroads
Steve Sloan Collection
http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sp/
Harold Stewart Collection
Mr. Stewart was a widely acclaimed photographer of locomotives and trains on the SP. His images, taken with a medium format camera, feature excellent composition, high resolution, sharp focus, great detail, saturated blacks and a complete gray scale.
You can purchase high-quality images of Southern Pacific steam and diesel power in action, from the SPH&TS Archives' Harold Stewart collection. The 8" x 10" digitally scanned original photographs are printed on top quality photographic paper and protected by heavy cardboard.
Images are $10 each, including free shipping.
For more information. visit http://www.sphtsstore.org/servlet/StoreFront
David Coscia
SPH&TS Archive Director
Fred Stindt SP Diesel Photo Collection
The Pacific Coast Chapter of R&LHS holds an extensive black & white collection attributed to the late Fred Stindt. 5x8 and 8x10 high quality inkjet prints are available. The diesel collection covers 50 years, 1939 to 1991.
The complete catalog of the Fred A. Stindt Collection of SOUTHERN PACIFIC and TEXAS & NEW ORLEANS diesel locomotive photos from the archives of the PACIFIC COAST CHAPTER / RAILWAY & LOCOMOTIVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY is now available in “pdf” format on a compact disk. It is 129 pages in length. Over 95% are in black & white, a few in color. Quality of the images is quite high. Each listing shows the locomotive road number, SP class, builder type, right or left side view, location and date and a file number from which to order prints.
The cost is $5.00. To order your copy, send Check or Money Order made payable to:
PACIFIC COAST CHAPTER
Stan Kistler
P O Box 977
Grass Valley CA 95945-0977
Parties wishing to obtain prints should email me at >mratsf@att.net< for further information.
Stan Kistler
UC Davis Eastman Collection
UCLA Collection
Cornfield/Links Yard Images
The UCLA Library has placed some of its image collection on line at:
So far the railroad images are limited, but here is one that is clear, crisp and has a lot of boxcar variety:
This is a shot of an SP freight yard with Los Angeles skyline in background, taken some time before July 23, 1956, the publication date of the image. Upon review, Paul Koehler indicated the shot was taken from the pedestrian bridge that went over the Cornfield/Links Yard just north of downtown. You can see Southern Pacific's A shed just behind the freight cars and beyond you also see Los Angeles City Hall and the Terminal Annex Post Office next door to LAUPT.
Another neat, if sad, image can be found at:
http://unitproj1.library.ucla.edu/dlib/lat/display.cfm?ms=uclalat_1429_b268_97903
"Pacific Electric Railway cars piled atop one another at junkyard on Terminal Island, Calif., 1956"
Univ. of Nevada, Reno Special Collections Dept.
The University of Nevada, Reno Special Collections Department is now open to researchers on Saturday afternoons on the second Saturday of each month during the spring semester. Saturdays include Feb. 8, March 8, April 12 and May 10. Parking is free on weekends on floors 2-5 in the Brian J. Whalen Parking Complex.
Examples of the photos that might be of interest to RR historians:
http://innopac.library.unr.edu/search/X?SEARCH=railway&SORT=D&m=t&m=p&b=us
http://innopac.library.unr.edu/search/X?SEARCH=railroad*&SORT=D&m=t&m=p&b=us
http://knowledgecenter.unr.edu/materials/specoll/photo-descriptions.aspx?p_search=railway
http://knowledgecenter.unr.edu/materials/specoll/photo-descriptions.aspx?p_search=railroad
For more information, contact Donnie Curtis at 775-682-5668.
Univ. of Southern California Digital Library
For pictures, go here. http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/search/controller/index.htm
Photos Web Sites
Sloan SP photos
I just thought folks may want to see, or at least know about, my SP photo Website:
http://www.ssloan.net/trains/sp/index.html
Cajon Yahoo Group SP Photo Gallery
On the Cajon Yahoo Group, there's a link posted to a site with loads of excellent 1950's colour & BW photos of locomotives in California, circa 1954/55/56.
Brian Moore
Flickr Album: Passenger and Freight terminals in Los Angeles
A new (to my eyes) collection of circa-1920 SoCal photos and maps.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/tags/bookidrailroadgradecro00cali
from a copy of:
Report on railroad grade crossing elimination and passenger and freight terminals in Los Angeles.
California Railroad Commission, Engineering Department, Richard Sachse, chief engineer. Published 1920
Richard Brennan
Houston Railroading Website
See the updated my Houston Railroading Website with some more SP/T&NO images, plus an area for comments.
MFCL Yahoo Group
There are two huge collections -- Jim Kinkaid posted 3,000+ freight car builder's photographs from the 1930's to the 1970's. And someone else recently posted hundreds of color photographs of freight cars from the Jim Parker collection. Yahoo now allows bulk downloads of photos.
Photos For Sale
Archival Quality SP Steam Photos
For those who want archival quality photographs, made with enlarger, photosensitive paper and wet chemistry, of mostly steam, mostly SP, but all North American railroad subjects, they can be had from Arnold Menke. He has over 30,000 negatives, and only charges $5.00 for an 8x10 photographic print made the old fashioned way. Arnold can be reached at asm@theriver.com.
Bob Morris Photography
Bob has many railroad subjects including locomotives, operations and depots. Many of the depot photos he sells include views of all four sides of buildings. http://www.snowcrest.net/photobob/index.html
Railroad Photography Collection
My collection, which has seven photographers and growing as time permits,is also on my eBay site with many SP subjects. I also have a CD catalog with over 3,000 low res jpg images covering some SP, SSW subjects including freight cars for $5 PP. You can e-mail me for more info at rrphotog@yahoo.com
SP Caboose photo CD Vols. 1 & 2
Pete Arnold has released several photo CDs for Southern Pacific fans and modelers. Recently issued are two full-color volumes covering cabooses of the SP and its subsidiary roads. Many of the photos are Pete's, however, quite a few are from other photographers who've given him permission to share their images. Each CD is filled with great photos, most of them very useful for modelers! Scanned at approximately 400 dpi, the photos can be printed to 8x10 paper for handy reference. Keep in mind the images are for your own personal use; they cannot be sold or used without permission of the copyright holder, in this case, the original photographer.
Most images on these two photo CDs were taken from the typical track-level view. However, you'll find several overhead shots taken from above, the type of angle modelers crave when looking at specific roof-top details. Most cars are shown in roster-type fashion, but a few show cabooses bringing up the back of a train. The jpeg files are identified using the car's number, e.g. "SP4709", thus making it easy to find the specific car you want when viewing thumbnails.
Photo reproduction in general is quite good with good overall tonal range. Two or three photos appeared to have been little more challenging to process but are still quite acceptable. Lighting is very good, with most cars in full sunlight with very little hidden by strong shadows.
Southern Pacific Caboose Photo CD Volume 1
SP 11 to SP 1980, including NWP, PE and SD&AE
Volume 1 contains 165 full-color JPEG images. Starting out the CD (when sorted by alpha order) are five images of Northwestern Pacific cabooses, beginning with wood cupola NWP 30. Next up are seven photos of Pacific Electric cabs of several different styles, followed by San Diego & Arizona Eastern hack #402, after which comes the remainder of the photos starting with SP 11 and finishing with SP 1972. A good variety of cupola cabooses appear on this disk, with the rest being steel bay window cars.
Additionally, there are several of the specially converted flatcars for transfer/local caboose service, along with a few of the converted shorty Baggage-RPOs also used in this type of service -- for specifics, refer to the book "Southern Pacific Freight Cars, Volume 2: Cabooses", by Tony Thompson.
Included in volume 1 are some rare paint schemes, including SP 1741 in overall Vermillion colors, captured on film by Bruce Boles at San Luis Obispo in July 1973. There are five images of SP 1776, one in standard box car red with orange ends and bays, while the other four depict the car in its special bicentennial paint. You'll also find ex-D&RGW steel cupola caboose #01482 repainted in white for SP Railroad Police service. There's a great shot of steel cupola caboose #1069 in aluminum colors with "Trailer Flat-Car Service" markings, taken by Harold Elmore at Oakland in March 1956. An image I found most interesting was SP cupola caboose #1104 with white or
cream colored ends and cupola ends, captured by Pete at Colton in October 1980.
Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt Caboose Photo CD Volume 2
SP 1, SP 4000 to SP 4774, SSW 1 to 93
Volume 2 contains 124 full-color JPEG images. The CD begins with eight images of experimental caboose SP 1 in the Daylight-inspired paint scheme. Next are quite a few images of different classes of SP bay window cabooses, a few in special Railroad Police Service colors, and five pics of SP 4726 in the ill-fated SPSF "merger" colors. Modelers are blessed on this CD with very useful images, not only overheads, but also views showing close-ups of details such as running boards, roof-top marker lights, including one shot from a steel cupola car! There are a handful of close-up views of FREDs, the Flashing Rear End Devices that ultimately replaced cabooses beginning in the 1984-85 time period.
Cotton Belt's cars are also featured on this CD. Photos include the SSW wide vision cupola cars, along with the more standard style bay window hacks. The wide vision cars are depicted in both the overall red Cotton Belt scheme, as well as traditional box car red with orange ends.
Priced at $20.00 per CD, California residents add $1.50 for state tax.
Shipping is $3.00, but additional CDs ship for only a $1.00 more when
ordered at the same time! Pete's photo CDs can be purchased direct from:
Peter F. Arnold
PO Box 6087
Los Osos CA 93412-6087
Southern Pacfic M of W Equipment Photo CD's
PROTOTYPE RAILROAD IMAGES
1.) Southern Pacific M of W Equipment Vol 1
169 images from 1950's – present
Including PE, NWP and SD&AE
2.) Southern Pacific M of W Equipment Vol 2
170 images from 1950's – present
3.) Southern Pacific Cabooses Vol 1 (SP 11 to SP 1980)
165 Images Including PE, NWP and SD&AE
4.) Southern Pacific (SP 1, SP 4000 to SP 4774) &
Cotton Belt (SSW 1 to 93) Cabooses Vol 2
124 Images
There are some pieces of track laying equipment; but most of the images are of cranes, derricks and outfit cars, rotary plows, spreaders, flangers, fire tank cars, MofW boxcars, flatcars, and tankcars, etc.
High Quality (approx 400dpi) Images (approx 4000 x 2500)
Large files will make excellent 8 x 10 prints
$20.00 per CD plus California tax of $1.50
Shipping $3.00, each additional CD shipped with same order $1.00
additional. Checks are fine or e-mail me and I will send you a
PayPal invoice. p.arnold1576 at sbcglobal.net
PETER F. ARNOLD
PO BOX 6087
LOS OSOS, CA 93412-6087
Coming soon: MULTIPLE volumes of SP Freight Cars and SP Diesels!
Images of SPMW equipment aren't really that plentiful in books or even online when compared to the number of pics taken of locos or revenue generating cars. I highly recommend these two SP MofW photo CDs to all Espee fans and modelers as an excellent reference!
Rob Sarberenyi
Southern Pacfic Rail Negative List #80
Now available is 27-page Rail Negative List #80 with black & white negatives from rail operations S-T. There are a number of freshly-cataloged subjects since the previous S-T list. These have been shot from the 1970's until the present.
Subjects include locos (with roster data, including dispositions), passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses, work equipment, depots & stations (with architectural details). Locations and dates are listed for all shots.
The SSW is on pages 3-5 with locos 750 to 9400, models GP30, GP35, GP20, GP9, SW1200, SD45T-2, GP40-2, "GP40M-2", B39-8, Dash 8-40B, & SD45; freight car and depots, all ex-RI, all in KS & NM.
SDAE is on page 5 with SP SW8 & SSW GP20, the Jacumba depot & the San Diego freight house.
The SP is listed on pages 11-23, pages 23-24 have NWP #1 and TNO. SP locos are 9 to 9823 with a Baldwin 2-6-0, AC4400CW, GP38-2, NW2 slug; S6, TR6, SW8, SD7, S4, SW1200, SW1500, MP15DC, MP15AC, GP9, SD9, RS32, SD35, SD39, GP35, SD45T-2, "GP40M-2", GP20, "SD40R", SD45, "SD45R", GP40-2, B30-7, Dash 9-44CW, SD40T-2, SD40, U33C, "SD45T-2R", GP60 & SD70M, business car Stanford, cabooses 1 to 4023, rotary MW 210, scale test car MW 2025 & Jordan spreader MW 3511; depots & stations in Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona & New Mexico; Northwestern Pacific #1 tank car & depots; TNO GP9's and a Sunset Railway depot.
The negatives are 2.3 by 3.5 inches. They are shot with my Fujica G690BL press camera with coupled rangefinder for precision focus. They are shipped in individual archival-plastic envelopes.
The list is free via e-mail. Please respond directly to me at metcalf@attglobal.net rather than on-list.
If you prefer I'll print and mail you a copy in the United States or Canada for $2.00 US to Norm Metcalf, P.O. Box 1368, Boulder Colorado 80306-1368 USA.
Lists are also available for rail operations beginning with A, B, C, D-F, G-M, N-R and U-Z.
Southern Pacfic Rail Negative List #97
Now available is 31-page Rail Negative List #97 with original black & white negatives for sale below cost of rail operations S-T. These have been shot from the 1970's until the present. Some subjects sell out the first time listed. Other subjects dribble on for decades.
Subjects include locos (with roster data, including dispositions), passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses, work equipment, depots and stations (with architectural details). Locations and dates are listed for each shot.
Of SP and related companies this time are included the Louis Southwestern aka Cotton Belt (pages 4-5); San Diego & Arizona Eastern (page 6); San Diego & Imperial Valley (#1, SDIV) (page 6); San Diego & Imperial Valley (#2, SDIY) {page 6}; San Joaquin Valley Railroad (page 6); Southern California Railroad Authority aka Metrolink (page 13); Southern Pacific (pages 13-26); (Holton Inter-Urban is sold out){page 26}; Northwestern Pacific #1 {page 26} (NWPR is available on the N-R list); Texas & New Orleans (page 26); Southern Pacific Construction Co. (page 27) and the Sunset Railway Co. (page 28).
The negatives are 2.3 by 3.5 inches. They are shot with my Fujica G690BL press camera with coupled rangefinder for precision focus. They are shipped in individual archival-plastic envelopes. The lists are free via e-mail. Please respond directly to me at
n.metcalf@worldnet.att.net rather than on-list.
Lists are also available for rail operations beginning with A, B, C, D-F, G-H, I-M, N-R and U-Z.
Norm Metcalf
Southern Pacfic Rail Negative List #106
Now available is 35-page Rail Negative List #106 with original black & white negatives for sale below cost of rail operations S-T. These have been shot from the 1970's until the present. Some subjects sell out the first time listed. Other subjects dribble on for decades.
Subjects include locos (with roster data, including dispositions), passenger cars, freight cars, cabooses, work equipment, depots and stations (with architectural details). Locations and dates are listed for each shot. The Saint Louis Southwestern is on pages 4-6 with locos 750 to 9639 (GP30, GP35, GP20, GP9, SW1200, SD45T-2, GP40-2, "GP40M-2", GP40, B39-8, Dash 8-40B, SD45 and GP60); LO 800139; scale test car 99203 and ex-RI depots in KS, TX & NM.
The San Diego & Arizona Eastern is on page 6 with locos from 101 to 4620 (GP9, SW8, GP20 trn shot at Campo, and depots at Jacumba and San Diego (the rest are sold out).
The Southern Pacific is on pages 14-29 with locos from 9 to 9823 (2-6-0, AC4400CW, GP38-2, SW1, NW2 slug, S6, TR6, SW8, NW2, SD7, S12, S4, SW1200, SW1500, MP15DC, MP15AC, GP9, SD9, RS32, GP20, SD35, SD39, GP35, SD45T-2, "GP40M-2", "SD40R", SD45, "SD45R", GP40-2, Dash 9-44CW, "9-44CW", SD40T-2; SD40, U33C, "SD40M-2", SD45-2, GP60 and SD70M.
Business cars 140 Stanford & 151 Pine Bluff. Cabooses are from 1 to 4023. Work equipment are from MW 210 to MW 5868 (rotary, scale test car, and Jordan). Depots and stations are from Oregon, California, Nevada, (Utah is sold out), Arizona, New Mexico and Texas Northwestern Pacific #1 is on page 30 with a tank car and depots Texas & New Orleans is on page 30 with locos 81 to 439 (NW2 and GP9's) & the Sierra Blanca depot.
Southern Pacific Construction Co. is on page 30 with locos 501 to 4474 (all GP7's).
The Sunset Railway Co. is on page 32 with the Taft depot. The negatives are 2.3 by 3.5 inches. They are shot with my Fujica G690BL press camera with coupled rangefinder for precision focus. They are shipped in individual archival-plastic envelopes. The lists are free via e-mail. Please respond directly to me at n.metcalf@worldnet.att.net rather than on-list.
Lists are also available for rail operations beginning with A, B, C, D-F, G-H, I-M, N-R and U-Z.