Chard Walker was a Santa Fe operator who worked the summit of Cajon Pass in California. He was an avid photographer and documented many trains in the pass. Here he photographed someone hooping up orders to a UP special. One E unit pulling a short train. Not sure what the occasion was but there are sure a lot of flags flying. Steven Priest collection.
Probably the Fourth of July, Union Pacific flew flags on all passenger trains on that day. But it's a short consist though, not a City train. Maybe an employee special?
From 11/17/1990. reefer UPFE 454503 (BLT 3-66) at Montgomery, AL and at Momence, IL on 04/17/1987, caboose UP 25708 (stencil hard to read, but the build date looks like 2-73). at Montgomery, AL
From 08/25/1990 at Chattanooga, TN, SD-50 5002 (former MP) and from 09/16/1988 at Birmingham, AL, dome 7003.
I sure hope the guys in the caboose have ear protection. Nothing like have a turbine couple on to help you over Cajon Pass. Chard Walker photo. Steven Priest collection.
UP passenger train behind LA&SL MT-2 class, 4-8-2 #7850. The Los Angeles & Salt Lake was a subsidiary line owned by the UP. This engine had the nickname ''Killer'' because three employees were killed while running her at various times. 1943 March, Jack Delano Photo, Library of Congress Collection
Hard to follow up that act, but here's an eastbound coal load on the Dotsero Cutoff in 2007, eastbound at MP 150.
After the UP retired Tower 17 in 2004 and donated the structure to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, we got busy getting it ready to move to the museum grounds a few thousand feet down the tracks. However we were constantly distracted by activity right outside the window. Hard to get much work done.
Some UP Erie Builts head up a passenger train at Cajon Summit. The Santa Fe Mikado in the foreground was scrapped in September of 1952 so photo had to be before that date. Chard Walker photo. Stephen Priest collection.
If I recall, steel hopper trains of that era had C&EI with the buzzsaw, D&RGW, UP, C&NW, ex-BN CTRN, pretty much all the UP predecessors.
We are all blessed by employee fans such as Chard Walker who were skilled at photography and shared their images for us to enjoy. In the east, the late John Treen comes to mind, a freight Conductor with the NYS&W who captured hundreds of excellent and very rare pictures during his long career.
Some epic shot's right there for sure! Yes, so glad these railroad employees took to photographing they're jobs and subjects so future generations could look back!