Robert D. Firth's SP Tracy, CA 1950's Photos

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All photos © David Firth unless otherwise noted.
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21/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 08:43:49 -0700
Subject: Repairing the brake cylinder on a freight car. Photo by Robert D. Firth.
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SPT-21-110nf.jpg    106752 bytes

22/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 08:43:49 -0700
Subject: Company vehicles were all painted in "Daylight orange". Photo by Robert D. Firth.
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SPT-22-116nf.jpg    88216 bytes

23/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 08:43:49 -0700
Subject: Zoom in on the sign.
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SPT-23-117nf.jpg    115963 bytes

24/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 08:43:49 -0700
Subject: Servicing the locomotive tender with oil and water. Oil went in the front compartment and water in the rear. Photo by Robert D. Firth.
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SPT-24-121nf.jpg    84505 bytes

25/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 09:01:24 -0700
Subject: Car inspector. The poster on the wall is for the Western Division annual employee picnic to be held September 19, 1954, at Micke Grove park in Lodi, CA.
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SPT-25-123nf.jpg    110324 bytes

26/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 09:01:24 -0700
Subject: David Firth sitting on a baggage cart at Lathrop, Ca. 1953. His grandfather, David W. Firth, was a carman who helped join cars from train #54 "Sacramento Daylight" to the LA-bound train #52 "San Joaquin Daylight". David's uncle, Lloyd M. Cole, also worked as a relief baggage handler at Lathrop and Tracy.
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SPT-26-188nf.jpg    107435 bytes

27/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 09:01:24 -0700
Subject: Carman David W. Firth boarding #2490 train #54 "Sacramento Daylight" for the ride back to Tracy. He had ridden to Lathrop from Tracy in the cab of train #52 "San Joaquin Daylight" to make the physical connection of the through-car from Sacramento to Los Angeles. David's grandson remembers holding his hands over his ears when #2490 blew down the cylinders to get rid of the condensation.
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SPT-27-189nf.jpg    69781 bytes

28/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 12:58:09 -0700
Subject: This is a 1953 view of the Tracy yard from the tower looking southwest towards MacArthur Drive and the cemetery. In the foreground is an Alco diesel switcher working while in the background several 1200 class steam switchers wait their turns for water. In the background at the right can be seen the industrial spur curving away to the west which still exists today. Before Prohibition (1919) this spur went out to the local brewery.
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SPT-28-193nf.jpg    72159 bytes

29/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 12:58:09 -0700
Subject: This is another photo of the roundhouse "grease monkey" waiting to grease an arriving steam engine. In the background locomotive #3756 takes on water. Note the overhead pipes. Today these would be buried.
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SPT-29-199nf.jpg    65890 bytes

30/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 12:58:09 -0700
Subject: Baggage handler Lloyd M. Cole positions the baggage carts. Note that most of the baggage appears to be sacks of mail. Passenger trains in the old days (before 1960) were subsidized by the U.S. Post Office. This train could be the Sacramento Daylight. Two days a week Mr. Cole relieved the regular baggage handler at nearby Lathrop, CA.
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SPT-30-202nf.jpg    45949 bytes

31/31


From: David Firth davef224_@_pacbell.net
Date: Sat, 28 Sep 2002 12:58:09 -0700
Subject: Here is the steam powered "big hook" wrecker that was stationed at Tracy in 1953. Whenever there was a derailment in the area a work train was sent to clean up the wreckage and repair the damaged track. The "big hook" was the only equipment in the old days that could pick up cars and locomotives and place them back on the track. This hook saw lots of service on the busy Altamont Pass - Niles Canyon line between Tracy and Fremont, CA. Beginning in the 1970's, railroads began hiring private companies like Hulcher and others to clean up their wrecks. Much cheaper.
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SPT-31-207nf.jpg    63083 bytes


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