|
Mother Lode Shortline A Sierra Railroad Pictorial by Ted Benson Soft Cover
Mother Lode Shortline A Sierra Railroad Pictorial by Ted Benson
Soft Cover
Copyright 1970
48 pages
Foreword
Stretching fifty-seven miles into the heart of California's fabled Mother Lode region is a railroad as colorful andalmostas famous as the area it serves. One of the most glittering of the Golden State's shortlines, the Sierra Railroad has managed to stay in the business of hauling forest products, lime and fuel oil long after younger lines have passed into oblivion. Built in the Steam Age to tap a lode of gold and surviving into the second generation of the DieselAge on a dwindling lode of timber, the Sierra Railroadfinds itself engaged in a do-or-die battle with the truckers to hang onto its remaining freight business. Blessed with a fortitude that has seen the line through previous hard times, the Sierra should see her one-hundredth birthday, despite the follies of man and mother nature.
Distinctive unto itself as a railroad, the Sierra serves an area that helps to place the brand of "unique" on the line. Traveling a diverse land in its fifty-seven miles, the Sierra runs out of the flat San Joaquin Valley into rolling prairies and oak-covered foothills to terminate amidst the rocks and pines of the Mother Lode itself, and in doing so, covers a region so varied and changing in its natural beauty as to make it unequalled in the West.
Renowned across the West in the days of steam, the diesel version of the Sierra Railroad still calls strongly for attention. In an age when the locomotives of General Electric, Alco and E. M.D. dominate the rosters of so many lines, the Sierra remains faithful to the throaty diesel products of Baldwin, and the railroad's three S-12's raise their drumming exhausts above the Mother Lode at a time when other Bakiwins are candidates for scrap.
Through a time honored system of meticulous maintenance, Sierra keeps its locomotives in excellent condition, despite their many years of rugged service. But in spite of the modernity of diesels, Sierra clings to a steam-style system of operation. Train orders and timetable still govern all Sierra movements, though operations have been cut to one train each way, five days a week. In an age of dynamic braking, retainers remain an essential in Sierra operations, and as in the days of steam, Joe Francis still takes an occasional "run for the hill" and handles the airhorn in a manner that harkens to the days when saturated steam not only powered the train but announced its coming. Indeed, the days of steam are still alive in the Mother Lode, for Sierra's fabled Rogers Tenwheeler #3 sees an infrequent outing in movie service, her last form of revenue operation. Truly having as many lives as a cat, the little 4-6-0 may well see her 100th birthday with steam pressure on her gauge.
Without the men of the Sierra Railroad, however, the country would still be unbound by steel, the lumber and lime products would be hauled by other methods, and the locomotives wouldbe cold and lifeless. Without the color of these men, the green and golden hills andthe red and yellow diesels would be drab indeed. For a Sierra without the able direction of General Manager Pat Egan from his office in Sonora, the mechanical competence of Master Mechanic Bud Logan, and the operating abilities of conductor Al Moreno, engineer Joe Francis, and brakemen Louis Antone and Bill Coffer, would be little more than two rails and a line of ties. It is to the men of the Sierra that this pictorial is respectfully dedicated.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
| 
