This is as light as I can make it without washing it out.
Sometimes you do what you can.
I manages to see the building in teh background was “F.S. Harmon Manufacturing Co.”
A little Google – Fu brought me to this pretty neat link : https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/wm1C53_FS_Harmon_Manufacturing_Co_Tacoma_Washington
and that led me to the google machine maps and this cool view
Kinda fun to think of Dad taking this photo with his Pentax or Mamaya 35mm in 0ctober of 1971.
There is a lot happening – and not happening here – here if you zoom in a bit.
I did what I could to enhance with GIMP. Ecktachrome
What I notice most is the LACK of graffiti on every darn thing and the abundance of weeds too.
In the lower image – great for the model maker – you can see a damaged end of a tank car, a few steam tenders and a steam crane too ( really zoom in basically dead center of the lower ).
“Strange”, I thought when I saw this marking, “wonder who ben was”.
DUH
Bensenville, Illinois.
Interesting study done here : http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2016/05/milwaukees-bensenville-yard.html
We drive past Colton yard when we go visit my mother in law in Palm Desert so I recognize these near Cherry Ave.
February of 1984 would be cool days and colder evenings in the very busy Colton.
They are on a loop so I hope that you can stop them and zoom in for details.
So much variety back then.
Oakland was a busy SP hub with the port there and all. it was no uncommon for Dad with Mom and sometimes their grandson to drive there for amusement and getting out of the house.
By 1984 SP was a bit like a study in weathering techniques for aspiring model makers and there was a variety of units.
I did the Google map thing and for sure the Cold Storage brick building is gone.
If you click that link under the 2011 vs 1984 you can see why I will not be driving down there to replicate the image…. it’s quite a place now – unfortunately.
The Chico station looks pretty good in the slide from may of 1985.
Now is looks pretty haggard, ( Click to see on Google Machine ) You have to zoom in a bit to really snoop around the station.
There are a few 2017 & 2019 images at this link > IMAGES < that show the exterior and interior. Used to look nice, wish we could take better care of things
It’s driving me nuts – looks familiar but I cannot place it & Dad never wrote locations on slides.
Also – The RR archives doesn’t come up with this as a U class but there is a SD 40M-2 with that number….
What the heck is happening !
I zoomed and searched and stood back an thought it over and really, where doesn’t matter. The texture and colors and composition ( yes on the shady side ) say “model me” some day.
The tower behind the power pole in back should be a clue but, for me any way, it’s not.
Any ideas?
A Caboose always humanizes these images for me.
After all a boxcar full of stuff doesn’t have a personality outside that of the logo, for me anyway.
Here we are in the Ozol, Ca area again with SSW Caboose 50
The interesting difference between the posting here at the RR archives is color and condition. Also notice the welded up windows. If I recall, Dad mentioned that the crews were getting shot at and the reduction of openings was for safety.
I wonder if anyone can confirm this ?
I also appreciate the D&H box car “snip” and of course SP 2626 that. according to teh RR Archive was revived by the UP in the 90s .
