The first time I saw the 4449 Southern Pacific steam engine was in 1972 sitting in a Portland, Oregon park looking pale in her plain black paint scheme with only rust giving it color. But in a few years she would be operating again much to my surprise. Here she comes in her Daylight colors down where
she operated in California as a regular passenger unit in the war years, still running here in the early eighties.
I've been to Old Sacramento 3 times where the Central Pacific started its journey east to connect with the Union Pacific coming west back in 1869. This photo shows the changing styles of techniques between the GP9 from the 40s to the winged beauty that connected this loco with the passenger cars.
Alco products are pretty much gone from the railroad scene but this shot of the Utah Railway makes
me long for the good old days when they were around. So where's the smoke?
If California has an Icon maybe the Pacific Electric trolleys would fit the bill. It was a huge system that dominated the commuter scene for 50 years only to be taken down by questionable tactics.
When it comes to bridges not many come close to the Feather River Bridge in Northern California with 2 bridges spanning a canyon and coming together as shown. When Alice figured out why it was taking us so long to get to Reno, Nevada on one of our trips, she was upset that this bridge was the reason.
How's this for an elevator to get up a hill? This set up is unique as the 2 cabins work together going up and down. I don't know for sure but I think it is in Los Angeles. Date is 1952.
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