Jeff Asay SN Operations Article Headlight 57

Page last updated:  Mon Jan 22 11:58:15 PST 2024


The southbound Chico Local with SN GP7 No. 712 rumbles through the farmland at Tierra Buena (just north of Colusa Jct.) in Feb. 1984. Note the string of nearly new WP plugdoor boxcars. The Sutter Buttes form the backdrop. -John. Walker photo


SN 44-tonner No. 146 is on the switching lead to the house tracks behind the Chico Main St. depot on June 13, 1961. At that time, the crews may have tied up at the old Chico house track rather than Mulberry Yard. In any event, they are stuck there until nightfall because of the daylight franchise curfew. -Jim Lekas photo.


SN Alco diesels 403 and 404, along with 44-tonner 145, wait for crews at the 18th & D Streets Gilly Room in Sacramento in November 1967. -Jim Lekas photo


SN No. 143 on layover track at the 18th & D Streets Gilly Room in Sacramento on September 11, 1967. -Jim Lekas photo.


On April 14, 1962, SN 143 pulled a fan excursion from 18th & D Streets in Sacramento to Chico and return. At Mulberry Yard in Chico. the old 143 is loaded with railfans as it exits city streets and enters private right of way. -Lynn Whitman Photo.


The clearance card, train orders, and message delivered to the southbound Chico Local (No. 23) by the Chico agent on August. 5, 1971. The key order was number 6 giving the local right over eastward (northbound) trains all the way from Mulberry to Haggin. The order was in two parts because it looks like the local was swapping engines at Yuba City. Order number 251 was a standing order taking the Oroville Jct. Branch out of service (it would be abandoned later in the month). The message likely confirms that the rails and ties from the branch are already being removed. -Larry Sternberg Collection. [Note-this caption is a group caption]


Collection of Larry Sternberg


OROVILLE JCT BRANCH IS OUT OF SERVICE FROM MP 177 TO OROVILLE JCT - Larry Sternberg collection


WATCH FOR POOR FOOTING ON BRIDGE 96.72
NO WALKWAYS OR HAND RAILS ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS STRUCTURE - Larry Sternberg collection


NO 23 ENGINE 407
HAS RIGHT OVER EASTWARD TRAINS MULBERRY TO YUBA CITY

NO 23 ENGINE 401
HAS RIGHT OVER EASTWARD TRAINS YUBA CITY TO HAGGIN - Larry Sternberg collection


In June 1960, SN was nearly finished with replacement of the main line in Park Avenue in Chico in accordance with franchise obligations. This view looks southeast on Park Ave. at 16th Street, where the track to Diamond Match and the SP interchange diverge. -WP Engineering Dept.; Author's Collection


End of SN's former main line at MP 32 in Concord with PG&E corporation yard on Detroit Avenue at left. BART test track and maintenance facility at right. Photo taken Oct. 25, 1973 by Robert Campbell, Sr. Used by permission.


Aerial photo taken in July 1957 showing the 18th & D Streets Gilly Room at center right (a 44-tonner is parked adjacent to the crew building). Haggin Yard is at upper left and the WP main line crosses at upper right. Note new connecting track from the SN to the WP. -Cartwright Aerial Photos, courtesy of Bill Calmes.


Harter Packing was a major customer of the SN for many years. This photo taken on September 30, 1981 shows a line of boxcars waiting to be loaded with canned goods. Harter was located on the former main line between Yuba City and Colusa Jct. Sutter Buttes can be seen in the distance. - Jeff Asay Photo.


SN 143 arrives at Pearson with three boxcars and an old caboose in 1962. This would likely be a yard crew out of Yuba City serving Pearson and Reed in late afternoon. -John Harder photo; Tom Lawler Coll.


After switching Pearson and Reed, SN 143 runs northbound in 1962 on the original SN main line between Reed and the WP connection. The Yuba County airport is at left, and Feather River Blvd. is to right. -John Harder photo; Tom Lawler Collection


Aerial photo taken in October 1967 looking NW above the joint ATSF - SN POSCO Columbia Steel yard at Pittsburg. POSCO's yard is on the right with SN's trackage to the left. -WP Photo; Author's collection.


SN 44-tonners No. 143 and No. 147 laying over at 18th & D Sts. GIlly tracks in Sacramento next to the Blue Diamond almond factory on Sunday, Aug. 20, 1967. This was the rest day for the Chico Local, which would not head north until Monday. -Doug Peterson photo; Jim Lekas Collection.


SN SW1 No. 401 takes a two-car train west on the Tarke Branch in September 1971. The flatcar of lumber is probably for Close Lumber in Sutter. -Jim Shaw photo.


SN GP7 No. 711 switches Close Lumber at Sutter in the early 1980s. The old depot is closed but in due course it will be nicely restored by the lumber company. -John Walker photo


SN No. 712 pulls a long string of boxcars southward on California St. at Elm St. in Live Oak in February 1984. The Chico Branch would last until the end of 1985 before being abandoned. -John Walker photo.


SN crew uses borrowed WP GP7 705 to shove four empties west on C Street at 18th Street into Sacramento's Del Monte cannery on September 14, 1974. -Dave Stanley photo.


SN crew uses borrowed WP GP7 705 to shove four empties west on C Street at 18th Street into Sacramento's Del Monte cannery on September 14, 1974. -Dave Stanley photo.


The SN Detour, behind the venerable WP F7 No. 921-D and one other, pulls out onto the westbound Santa Fe main line at Stockton Tower on February 6, 1973. The train originated at WP's South Sacramento yard, ran south (westbound) on the WP to Stockton, and after the power ran around the train, headed west on the Santa Fe to the POSCO steel plant at Pittsburg. The other connecting track (at right) goes to SP's Stockton yard. Both WP and SP also used this stretch of the Santa Fe to access the Stockton port. -Dave Stanley photo.


The SN Detour behind WP GP20 2005 sticks its nose out onto Union Street in Stockton just before crossing the Santa Fe main line on March 15, 1975. The caboose behind the locomotive will be at the end of the train after the power is swapped at Stockton Yard. This trackage was abandoned and removed by Union Pacific after its merger with SP in 1996. -Dave Stanley photo.


A Sacramento Northern crew using a borrowed WP locomotive moves a boxcar north on Front St. approaching the crossing of SP's R St. line in October 1976. PG&E's huge gas holder (gasometer) can be seen at far left. The photographer noted that this was an empty car going to Haggin Yard. At Haggin, it would be returned to either WP or Central California Traction. CCT had trackage rights on Front St. but SN handled the switching for them. - Dave Stanley photo


After switching the sugar mill at Clarksburg on July 26, 1973, SN's No. 711 will return to Westgate Yard to await another assignment or to tie up, depending on the yardmaster's decision. -Dave Stanley photo.


After switching the sugar mill at Clarksburg, SN runs north on the Holland Branch at Willow Point Rd. returning to Westgate Yard with a couple of molasses loads. It's the afternoon of September 14, 1973, and the SN is using borrowed RS-1 No. 746 from the Tidewater Southern. -Dave Stanley photo.


This Sacramento Northern system map has been updated to show the extent of SN freight operations in March 1971. The author has added notations explaining various trackage rights operations.


Both of SN's GP7's, Nos. 711 and 712 are at Sankey siding on March 20, 1974, in a rare daylight appearance caused by derailment of a grain hopper on the SN near Rio Linda. The 711 came out to assist the 712 and both are about to return to Haggin Yard via the WP main line. -Dave Stanley photo


This is a reduced scan of Sacramento Northern Dispatcher's Record of Movement of Trains for Thursday, March 18, 1971. Note that the Chico Local's first 44-tonner, No. 145, failed at East Arboga, causing the engineer and a brakeman to hitch a ride back to Yuba City for No. 144, which then completed the run to Haggin. Train sheets are usually full of unusual events such as this. - Jeff Asay Collection.


SN Alco S2 No. 406 hauls three empty cars through SP’s Sacramento station from Haggin destined to Vacaville’s Basic Vegetable Products (Onion House) in August 1971. Trackage rights on SP’s Cal-P main line provided the only rout for SN to move traffic to and from the branches reached via Cannon. In recent years, the tracks in the photo have been removed and the main line and platforms are further north (to the left in the photo). – Dave Stanley photo.


SN GP7 No. 711 hauls several cars through SP's Sacramento station from Westgate to Haggin on September 5, 1973. Trackage rights on SP's main line provided the only route for SN to move traffic to and from Haggin, the Port of West Sacramento, and the branches served by Westgate. In recent years, these tracks have been removed and the main line and platforms are further north (to the right of the photo). -Dave Stanley photo.


SN GP7 No. 711 switches cars at Westgate Yard on July 26, 1973 prior to making a run down the Holland Branch to Clarksburg for American Crystal Sugar. -Dave Stanley photo.


SN Alco S2 No. 406 is on spot at the West Sacramento Gilly Room on June 15, 1973. The Visalia Electric 44-tonner is destined to Rio Vista Jct. when the yardmaster has enough traffic to run a train down to Cannon. This area is completely changed due to construction of the baseball park and development at the west end of the M Street (Tower) Bridge. -Dave Stanley photo.


SN's Alco S2 No. 406 and WP caboose 668 are running cab hop over the Fremont Trestle on the Woodland Branch on July 19, 1973. -Dave Stanley photo


Borrowed WP SW9 No. 603 runs westward at sunset on the Woodland Branch on July 20, 1974. The misspelled sign marks the location of the retired Conaway spur track. -Dave Stanley photo.


SN's Woodland turn approaches the crossing of SP's Cal-P main line at Mikon in July 1976. Using GP7 No. 711, the train has just departed Westgate Yard and will make its way to Woodland with all due haste. The tall buildings in the background are in Sacramento. -Dave Stanley photo


SN No. 402 creeps along Bridge St. in the late 1960s waiting for a green traffic light at Plumas St. where it will enter the Yuba City yard. The crew building and the roof of the new depot can be seen above the white car. -Courtesy Tom Lawler Collection.


Western Pacific GP7 No. 805 and SN GP7 No. 712 on spot between assignments at the West Sacramento Gilly facility just off the west end of the M Street Bridge. This facility replaced the 18th & D Sts. Gilly in late 1971 or early 1972. No. 705 was probably on loan to the SN during a power crunch. This location has been extensively redeveloped and there is nothing left of the railroad. -Courtesy Tom Lawler Collection.


After the 18th & D Streets Gilly Room was closed in 1971 or 1972, SN crews went on duty at the West Sacramento Gilly Room just off the west end of the M Street bridge. In February 1975, SN 711 and cabooses are on the lead track at West Sacramento. -Author's Collection


Three types of SN and WP motive power await assignment at Yuba City in the mid-1960s: 44-tonner No. 146; SW1 No. 401; and WP SW1 No. 502. The photo would be dated from mid-1965 when the electric wires came down, to mid-1967 when the old depot was removed. A small piece of the old depot can be seen between the two SW1s. -John Walker photo.


SN's Yuba City yard on Thursday afternoon, March 25, 1965. The day job has parked 44-tonner No. 147 near the fuel tank. Soon, the afternoon job will start the locomotive and go about its business. The last electric locomotive will run on April 10th, and the wires will come down soon after that, leaving the field to the diesel switchers. -Courtesy Tom Lawler Collection.


Fighting weeds and brush, and peeling rust off unused rails, SN GP7 No. 711 approaches Greendale on the Holland Branch with five reefers for onion loading on August 7, 1972. This was the final run for perishable traffic on the branch. -Dave Stanley photo.


On September 14, 1973, SN is using borrowed Tidewater Southern RS-1 No. 746 to switch molasses tankcars at the American Crystal Sugar Co. mill at Clarksburg on the Holland Branch. -Dave Stanley photo.