Trackside from Eugene
Through the Cascades
to Donner and Beyond
April, 1969

The same friend of Wx4 who recorded Southern Pacific's Commute Fleet at Third & Townsend and Visitation also took a road trip the same month from Eugene southward, then eastward, snapping photos along the way. This was the last "good" season) for recording SP's dwindling fleet of F-units on Donner, for by late June, their ranks were so decimated that the editor only noted one at Sparks, several D&RGW's on the Minden job and none at all on the Pass (SP retired 139 F-units that year, the result of continued heavy deliveries of six motor units). And 1969 was the last year for Big Baldwins at Eugene. RSD-15's soon replaced them on the hump, and older GM hood units bumped them off branch line jobs.

So, here you have the figurative last spring for an old guard that was melting away with the lingering winter's snow. The captions are the photographer's.

Enjoy the journey. - EO

click on images for larger versions

8460 & 8991 at Eugene roundhouse
Baldwin 5256 at Eugene roundhouse
3207& 6446 at Eugene station on the northbound Cascade
same train, other side
going away view of the engines
Yellow SP coaches on the rear as the train leaves: This was Easter weekend, perhaps a charter group?
Then, 8881 & 6403? pull up: The mixing of new SD's and old F's seems to be widespread at this time.
8861 & materunning light east of Eugene
Getting a wave from 8839, 8901 & 8915? roaring north elephant style at the east end of Lookout Point Lake. Most of my locations here are Google Earth hindsight, I hope I've got them right.
...and passing
8488 & 8907? southbound at Oakridge
closer
8488 a mile north of Chemult
going away
8467 & 713 on a northbound work train at Klamath Falls
approaching Biehn St, a mile and a half north of the station
closer
going away
8851 northbound a mile north of the Mt Shasta station
closer: Noticed the mated F units are pointing forward
rotaries MW205 & MW 210 stored back to back at Sparks

[note: These are electric rotaries powered by converted F-units. SP's last steam rotary, MW 208, ran for the last time before conversion on the McCloud River Railroad the previous month. - E.O.]

catching up with a westbound, west of Verdi with 8810 on the rear
...and on the head end is 8914 with 8870 & 8817 trailing
same train
8914 & 8870 on same train
at the bridge between Floriston & Hinton
I passed a second train then caught up with this third train going into the sheds for the final stretch above Donner Lake to the summit, on the original line.
It then passed on to the next shed. Imagine doing this with a hand fired 4-4-0 in 1869.
After visiting the summit, 8914 catches up to me while coming out of the Norden shed. The covered turntable shows in the background and company houses at left.
going away
helper 8810 coming
...and going

Copyright 2018 by the photographer