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a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

14 followers 20 following 30 posts

Professional train enthusiast.
Sometimes post memes or my cats but don’t count on it.

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a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

Thanksgiving is ending so you know what that means.

A Southern Pacific train crew on Donner Pass in the winter

November 29, 2024 at 6:11 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

Denver & Rio Grande Western #478’s “tourist bait” stack on display at the Southern California Railroad Museum in Perris California.

The “tourist bait” stacks of the D&RGW were ascetic stacks designed to slide over the straight stacks of the D&RGW’s K-28 class of narrow gauge 2-8-2’s. These stacks were designed to make the 1920’s era locomotives look older to try and attract more tourists to the railroads narrow gauge passenger service. This design earned the nickname “Tourist bait” for the railroads management due to their cosmetic nature.

Photo of D&RGW #478 in service with the “Tourist bait” stack.

April 9, 2024 at 8:11 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

GS-6 #4460 waits in San Francisco’s 3rd & Townsend station. Sometime in the 1950’s.

Photo of SP #4460 at the Southern Pacific’s 3rd & Townsend station with a cut of bi-level Pullman Gallery cars for Commute service.

April 6, 2024 at 7:07 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

A short freight train rolls through Colorado.

A pair of SP diesels lead a short train over Tennessee pass in Colorado.

April 2, 2024 at 7:16 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

A SP cab forward guides the California Zephyr over Donner pass due to rock slides on the Western Pacific Coast 1952.

Photo from one of the many dome cars on the California Zephyr of a SP 4-8-8-2 cab forward leading the Western Pacific F units which typically lead the Zephyr. The California Zephyr in the early 1950’s was routed over the Western Pacific’s line through the feather River canyon. However rock slides in 1952 lead the Zephyr being routed over the Southern Pacific’s Donner Pass. Since the train had motive power for the lighter grades of the Feather River a helper was added to the front when the train reached SP tracks in the form of a cab forward steam locomotive. This locomotive would lead the train to the SP WP junction in Sacramento where the Zephyr would return to home rails.

April 1, 2024 at 7:32 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

Photo of the first locomotive to ever operate in Southern California: Los Angeles & San Pedro #1 “San Gabrial”

Photo of Los Angeles & San Pedro 2-2-0 “San Gabriel” taken presumably in the 1860’s or 1870’s.

March 30, 2024 at 7:24 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

In the shadow of the 101

Southern Pacific SDP45 lead’s a commute south out of San Francisco under State Route 101.

March 28, 2024 at 7:51 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

Guys would look at this and say “Hell yeah”

March 25, 2024 at 6:54 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

March 24, 2024 at 7:03 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

March 22, 2024 at 8:25 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

March 20, 2024 at 6:43 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

We aren’t in the Owen’s valley anymore…

An engineer looks up at Southern Pacific #9 in Plaster City California.

March 19, 2024 at 6:38 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

February 23, 2024 at 7:45 AM

a101a

@a101a.bsky.social

Cool train fact:
Modern double stack trains were pioneered in 1977 by the Southern Pacific Railway in collaboration with shipping company Sealand. While these early double stacks were rudimentary they would pave the way for the intermodal trains we see today in North America.