Alturas, circa 1929-1930

Alturas was a relatively thriving place when Fred took these photos shortly after SP created its Modoc Cut-off utilizing Nevada-California-Oregon's narrow gauge right-of-way in 1929. With the inauguration of standard gauge service came a daily train featuring through Pullman cars from Portland to Chicago. Consolidation #2745 (sixth photo, below) may have been regular or standby power for this train, as its tender is equipped with a buffer intended to mate with passenger car diaphragms. Two different locos sport snow plows, even though this part of the railroad runs through very arid country. The ever-present wind could be depended upon to distribute what little snow there was into deep drifts in cuts, necessitating such appliances. Loco #2917, a twelve-wheeler, was likely the Lakeview Branch power. Fred's photos well-depict the desolate scenery of the Alturas locale. SP's older AC's, like 4030 (second below), were known as "Womps" or "Wamps", the pronunciation being the same. The vowel's pronunciation was midway between "ah" and "ohm". The sobriquet was awarded to these locos for the sound that they made when working hard: womp, womp, womp, womp... They were the primary freight power on the Cut-off from its inception until the late 1940's. The labels above some of the photographs are Fred's.

"A Study at Twilight"