Large Scale Central

Interviewing a relative who briefly worked for the SP circa 1960

General Discussion
#1

One of my brothers-in-law told me that he briefly worked for the SP when he was younger, kind of a summer job. He was an electrician-trainee for the SP and had some stories about changing out relays in diesel engines when they were under load on the Tehachapi Loop. This would have been around 1960 (I’m guessing).

Any interest in, say, some video of a short interview with him?

If so, any questions you want me to ask?

#2

Jim,

I, for one, would appreciate it. The House of Mueller is seldom calm, so, if not inconvenient, 5 minutes segments would make it easier to carve out time. As for questions, thanks for the offer, but I don’t even have sufficient baseline knowledge to ask a technical one! I’d be curious, though, if he collected stories from older workers with memories of or experiences with the Age of Steam and what those guys thought of “modern” railroading.

Eric

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#3

Jim,
Would your brother-in-law know if he had seen EMD E8 or E9 diesel units in the Daylight Livery in a passenger train. The valley route typically had ALCO PA/PBs on that route.
Thank you,
-Ted

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#4

Ted: I have no idea. I’ll need to ask. I haven’t approached him yet about this. He visited here a few weeks ago and when I was showing him my garden railroad he started just telling me various stories. Sadly I was not recording.

This seems like something to get him talking about. I’m not a diesel guy so don’t have any of these details at my fingertips.

Thanks!

#5

Jim,
The SP valley route (as you likely know includes the Tehachapi Loop) mostly used the ALCO PA/PBs on passenger trains, or EMD F units locos, because they had dynamic brakes that EMD E7s did not have, but the E8 and E9 did have dynamic brakes. So I am curious to know if the E8/9s in the Daylight livery were used there, too. In later years when SP repainted there diesel locos in the scarlet & gray livery, I know the E8/9s in that livery did find there way on the valley route.
Thank you,
-Ted

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#6

Jim, I would love to see an interview with him if he is willing. But as Eric mentioned, I don’t know enough about that area, era or diesels in general to have any educated questions. I hope some of the other diesel guys on LSC will chime in with some good questions.

Thanks for asking us about this opportunity and thank your BIL should he choose to sit for the interview.

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