The front Office

A set of semaphore signals is seen through the windshield of and southern Pacific Diesel on the way across the desert of Arizona.

Cienega Creek, AZ

East of Tucson, the Southern Pacific's mainline incorporates the parallel former El Paso & Southwestern main as well.  Cienega Creek, SP GP60 9728 leading an eastbound.

Lordsburg Division

SP Lordsburg division, The "Stormy"

GP9 / Passenger

SP passenger GP9 No. 3003 shows off its beautiful nose at San Jose Yard in July 1972.

-Steve Schmollinger

Northwestern Pacific Daylight

In October 1996, a railfan chats with the engineer of the Northwestern Pacific Daylight which earlier today made a round trip from Healdsburg to Willits, CA.

-Steve Schmollinger

SP Postcard

Featuring the Daylight streamliner on the coast line.

Shawmut, AZ

In the spring of 1998, a pair of SP Dash 9s lifts an eastbound UP manifest up the 1.0 percent at Shawmut, AZ.

-Steve Schmollinger

Helper Units

Helper units in midtrain, give a boost to this Long consist of mixed freight!
-Steve Schmollinger

The Engineer

The man at the controls, a favorite of many a young boy who just might get a wave of the hand and a blast from the air horn.

Photo by- Benson

Yards of SP

A long drag freight leaves Bakersfield yard.

Cab Forward

A cab forward with a full head of steam takes on passenger duties!

SP in Chicago

The SP finally reaches Chicago with it's aquisition of the ex-GM&O line, here a southbound rattles over the TP&W next to the derelict depot.

Motive power / AC's

Winter of 1997, three ex-SP ACs roar upgrade out of Carlin, NV, along the frozen and brackish Humboldt River with Utah coal for California.

-Steve Schmollinger

What if?

What SP never merged, would their motive power look like this, with Daylight colors? Lets stick some passenger cars on too!

West Colton / Yard Hauler

A J Yard Hauler West Colton. The eight units are a mix of early-nineties SP power in the Los Angeles area ,,SD38-2 2972, SD9's 4403, 4335, and 4339, SD7's 1534 and 1509, SD39 5302, and GP9E 3367.

SP on the mountain

In December 1990, four different models of EMD pull a mixed SP freight through the tight reverse curves between tunnels 3 and 5 on Tehachapi Pass.

-Schmollinger

Woodford

A trio of elephant-style EMDs leads an SP freight toward the tall, triple-target signal at Woodford's east end as an eastbound waits in the siding to continue its climb of Tehachapi.

-Steve Schmollinger

Tehachapi Valley

An SP BKDOU makes its way across the Tehachapi Valley at dusk toward California's Southland.

-Steve Schmollinger

Lodi / The Caboose

An SP Lodi Local heads back toward its namesake town through Stockton, CA, after completing its switching chores. This part of the right of way is now shrouded by the Cross-Town Freeway.

-Steve Schmollinger

Sunset Route "The big Stormy"

In April 1998, an eastbound Evergreen Marine stack train rolls downhill on UP's Sunset Route at Chamizo, AZ, with an ex-SP GP60 on the point.

-Steve Schmollinger

Railroad Art of the Southern Pacific

Famous Cab Forward Painting
 -by Ted Rose

Donner Pass at Loomis, CA.

Early on a spring morning in 1972, three EMD flares lead an SP westbound off Donner Pass at Loomis, CA.

-Steve Schmollinger

Modeling The SP / Cab Forward

A cab forward moves from a tunnel to a bridge on this realistic looking layout in HO scale.
(click on photo for larger view)

SP Commuter / Bayshore, CA

In January 1974. SP GP9 No. 3000 leads train No. 122 south through Bayshore, CA, on its way to San Jose.

-Schmollinger

Palisade Canyon Nevada

A pair of SP ACs rolls coal empties out of Palisade Canyon in Nevada.

-Steve Schmollinger