Back in the early 1980s, after it completed its duty hauling the American Freedom Train in the mid-70s, Southern Pacific GS-4 class 4-8-4 4449 was restored to its colorful Southern Pacific Dayl... (more)

A Southern Pacific freight heads west (which in this case is north, but on the SP anything heading toward San Francisco is westbound), passing the carrier’s Taylor Yard, its main yard in Los Ang... (more)

Cotton Belt 60' flat car 854668, carrying a pair of M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), was built by Greenville Steel Car in April 1969. The Cotton Belt's parent company, Southern Pacifi... (more)

Bringing up the markers – literally – on a westbound Southern Pacific freight is SP C50-7 4626. Built by Pacific Car & Foundry from April to August 1978, this bay-window caboose was only few ... (more)

Forty-Three Years Ago at SP's West Colton Yard Late in the afternoon, a Southern Pacific freight passes local landmark Slover Mountain as arrives at the railroad's West Colton Yar... (more)

In the warm afternoon glow of a January day (therefore, about 4:45 pm), a Southern Pacific Railroad freight prepares to depart westbound from the City of Industry Yard on the Basin District's Los ... (more)

The crew on this westbound transfer, hauling cars from the Southern Pacific's Colton Yard to the then-still-fairly-new West Colton Yard, look pretty relaxed as they wait for a Santa Fe westbound t... (more)

Intermodal, 1970s Style!

A westbound Southern Pacific intermodal train, full of those "long" 40' containers (two per 89' flat!) has just crossed the Santa Fe's Third District. T... (more)

The city of Fowler, located ten miles south of Fresno in California’s San Joaquin Valley, is a fairly typical agricultural area typical of so many in the Valley. This area has a large number of... (more)

As Southern Pacific C415s 2409 and 2405 are bringing a freight out of Anaheim, they meet SP SW8 1123 and its C-40-3 class cupola caboose some five miles into their trip to City of Industry*. (Bue... (more)

All trains originating at Southern Pacific’s West Colton Yard depart eastbound, and westbound trains, such as this LA Basin “Hauler,” depart eastbound and use the balloon track to make a 360... (more)

A Southern Pacific freight heads west at 140-feet below sea level as it passes through southern California’s “Low Desert,” just 3 or 4 miles from the Salton Sea, and about 40 miles fr... (more)

Oh … So the Flashing Red Lights Mean "Stop"?

As Southern Pacific's Huntington Beach Hauler was heading west (compass north) on the Stanton Branch back to Anaheim, at jus... (more)

An Unexpected Delay

As Southern Pacific's Huntington Beach Hauler was heading west (compass north) on the Stanton Branch back to Anaheim, at just 25 miles per hour, a moro... (more)

As a Southern Pacific West Colton to Taylor "Hauler" (led by SP GP38-2 4800) blocks a Los Angeles County Fire Department engine that is rushing to a call in Code 3 (lights and siren), but all the ... (more)