SP tower

SP GP9E #3193 brings commute train #118 from San Francisco past Santa Clara Tower one afternoon in October 1979 (date approximate). The three car train consists of one 72' Suburban coach (often incorrectly called "Harrimans" by some fans ... they are not, they're "Subs") and two bi-level gallery cars. Despite early testing of push-pull gallery car equipment and operations in the early 1960s, SP never adopted the practice (nor purchased cab-equipped gallery cars) and continued turning locomotives at each end of the run in San Francisco and San Jose. The US&S H-2 style target signals are classic SP, mounted on the same mast and signal boxes that once controlled Style 'B' lower quadrant semaphore signals. Looking at my images from all those years ago only makes me miss the "good 'ol days" and Espee all that much more.

Newhall Yard, the injury free San Jose Terminal

SP's tower at Davis when it was still active to control the wye and junction of the West Valley Line and the Cal-P. Date of photo approximate.

Train #99 passing Newhall Tower, still displaying train numbers. #6452 was destroyed in a wreck

F7 #6235 with GP9s from the commute pool. Second unit is #5623, now at Niles Canyon Railway.

Southern Pacific Tower 121 burned by homeless building fire on the wooden floor.