Freight Symbols Over Tehachapi - (Part 1) My Story Learning Operations

This week, I thought I'd start the series of blog posts about operations and the use of Freight Symbols Over Tehachapi with an overview of the history of operations at the La Mesa Model Railroad Club.  The operational roots of the club dates back to the late 1960s and the formation of the club.  During those days, the real railroads still moved under Time Table authority and Train Orders were still being written on a daily basis!

Operations at Kern Jct. with a Santa Fe freight heading over to the Santa Fe Yard. While an SP 5000-class ready to leave the SP Bakersfield Yard taking a 'Valley Shorts" to packing sheds short of Fresno. June 7, 2015 Operator D.F. Willoughby

I think one of the most interesting philosophies of the La Mesa Model Railroad Club is the fact that it's been under nearly constant construction for about 38 years now, but has remained operational over that entire time to keep interest up and comply with the requirements for keeping the space open to the public.  During most of this time the prototype recreation sessions have continued with only minimal disruption!  This was made possible by a system of progressive 'phased' expansion with hidden reversing loops and even 'portable staging yards' to keep most or at least some portion of the mainline functional for the operations.

SP's West Coast descends into Caliente, while a westward freight waits to be passed in the siding. - Feb 2001

My involvement started in 1996 and joining the club quickly pushed the limits of my abilities to get research materials in the areas of prototypical operations, outside of a few out-dated books on 'general operation'.  What followed was 4-6 years of intense learning from senior club members about the railroad and historic operations in California.  A study which continues to this day with regular research trips to various museums, talking with various 'old heads' who worked on the railroad in the areas and related areas of interest (which is actually quite large).  As my involvement continued it has been very interesting to see and experience how the layout and operations has also grown to fit the progress of the railroad construction.

My Pre-LMRC Operation Resources

This is one of the things that sometimes is intimidating is prototypical operations.  I know in the early days of my experience reading about "Prototype Operations" in various books such as:

How to Operate Your Model Railroad, by Bruce Chubb, 1977 Kalmback..

Or another classic:

Track Planning for Reakistic Operation, by John H. Armstrong, 1979 Kalmback,

These books were certainly helpful in my early experience with 'prototype operation' and the various levels and aspects of it.  However as I joined the La Meas Model Railroad Club, I felt woefully unprepared for the 'complexities' of what was being recreated.  One of the things that became my favorite aspects in the club's recreations was the movement of freight over the Tehachapi Pass.

A pretty full SP Bakersfield Yard on January 31, 2013, where's all those cars going? - There's a process to learning.

Unfortunately, the books and most magazines being published in the mid-1990s that I owned didn't talk about southwestern US prototype railroading, but instead focused most often on east coast and coal railroading!  Over the years, I learned the flow of traffic in the South and Western US States.  Hopefully, I can likewise shed some light into some of these areas and encourage more of you to take the plunge... or at least to learn about what really happened so you can 'tweak' your railroad to make it 'fit in' to the rest of the larger unmodeled operational world!

LMRC - An Educational Experience

Growth of the SP Roundhouse facilities at Bakersfield - Oct 24, 2006

One of the interesting aspects of the club was also the 'self-motivating' aspect of "If you want to be involved, then you need to ask to be and take the time to learn."  For someone who was rather shy at the time, it did require a bit of work on the interpersonal side to show interest and become involved, but I'm so happy that I did put in that effort 20+ years ago.  I feel I should mention a couple of the people that have helped me over the years become more integrated into the club: Ted Haas, John Cathcart, Tony Andersen, G. Luiz, Dennis Kogan, D.F. Willoughby and many more, too numerous to mention.  Being involved with an organization such as LMRC has led to meeting so many interesting people and learning so much over the years.  I would encourage anyone reading to get more acquainted with prototype operations modeling and historic research.

Phased Growth & Expansion

The Operations Department, which is responsible for the steam era prototype operation sessions' setup, has expanded over the years becoming a tome of researched material for both SP and ATSF freight and passenger operations in the late 1940s and early 1950s in Southern California.  In 1996 when I joined the club, the scale of the operations were rather limited to about 450 freight cars and sessions lasted 6 hours.  This meant about nine 50 car trains was all we could field, which was comfortable for the railroad to handle.  Some of those trains would be worked with pre-written switchlists at the SP Bakersfield yard.  Often these trains were also built as the 'pick of the litter' before the sessions car by car to give 'play value' for the yard crews to feel like they're sending cars out to the locals for industry spotting.

The long-time "Sho-fly" at Edison connecting to Ilmon before Bena and Sandcut were built. - 8-27-2004

I think many people today forget how small the LMRC railroad was at the time.  There was no West Bakersfield, nothing between Edison and Ilmon, and the entire second level of the layout did not exist, even the floor wasn't there! There was no Mojave Yard, other than a six-track "portable staging yard" with a small number of secondary tracks for a few helper engines to layover after being cut out.

"Porta-Mojave Yard" aka Bena-field, aka Mojave-ford, lands after 20 years in its final location as an East Staging Yard "support yard" - 12-25-2004

Originally this "portable yard" was used at the west end of the railroad where Bena is today... and it was called Bena-field.  This was before my time.  When I joined Bena-field was moved to about the floor level of what is now Woodford, and called "Mojave".  The story for that yard continues as it was eventually placed in a 40ft storage container behind the museum for several years as the mezzanine was built, and then used again as a "Temporary Mojave Yard" while the final Mojave Yard was built in 2008-or so.  Eventually it stayed where it was, with the reversing 6-track loop being dismantled and scrapped and became a storage yard.

But back to the story, at that time in 1996-1998, no real effort was made to ensure that the cars switched were recycled into other trains after exiting to staging yards.  Some of the through trains would be recycled and run the opposite direction as another symbol, which had been researched to be similar in consist. - Basically the prototypical 'reciprocal' train that the prototype used to return the cars to the shippers.

SP 4464 leads No.59, the West Coast, through the Caliente Narrows during a session in Feb 2001.

In 1998, we expanded the operations scheme and started regularly 'turning' trains in staging.  This involved working out the scheme of what the returning symbols were.  This eventually became a system of 'core blocks' of cars that stand out when you know what they are.

Texaco's TCX 4593 is regularly assigned to the GCF-BTX cycle.  Find this car between Bakersfield and Mojave, and you've probably found the GCF or BTX depending which way it's going!

A few examples might be the Texaco and other Texas-based petroleum cars, which usually arrived in CA on the Santa Fe's GCF (Gulf Coast Forwarder) and returned on the BTX (Bakersfield-Texas Extra/Expediter) which handled a lot of petroleum traffic along with all the other California-Texas traffic.

Generally cars like the GN 41741, often operates north of Bakersfield on the GWS-SWG or NCX/SCX symbols.

Another would be the Santa Fe's GWS (Great Northern-Western Pacific-Santa Fe) and SWG (Santa Fe-Western Pacific-Great Northern) which you guessed it... ran over those three railroads in that order, these two symbols often had mixes of WP and GN cars in them, with some Santa Fe cars as well.

An AC-10 helps a Valley Extra East (VXE) as it climbs the grade and enters Caliente.

During 1998 the operation days extended to 8 hours for a 'regular session' and we started having 12+12 sessions over a weekend for large events like ProRail.  The 12+12s required guesstimating the time required at Bakersfield to switch symbols that needed work, or just the regular times to get helpers and engine changes done.  We found that this only worked reliably about 6 hours out.  Any farther out that 6-8 hours (which is how far a 'solid' lineup on the prototype was) would be conjecture as "Sometime after 6pm this symbol will be run."

Now think about where ALL of those cars to keep track of.... and remember, each one has a place it's going and a path to get there.

It was during the planning phases and setup for the 1998 ProRail that I seriously started getting into learning the freight train symbols and the 'feel' of the various symbols.  Each of the cars going one way actually had different stories to tell, even though on the modeled section of the railroad they might appear to be going the same place.  Even if they're going to the same place, there is a big difference between; a perishable-loaded PFE reefer, a boxcar load of newsprint, an empty cement service boxcar, and an empty automobile parts car, even though they're all heading from Bakersfield to Mojave, each will probably be routed to a different train symbol.  This is some of the stuff I learned early on, and one of the main topics of future posts in this series.

Expansions Abound!

Bakersfield "City Yard" under construction in 2004 in West Bakersfield.

In the early 2000's the layout began expanding in both the 'Valley Staging Yard' (2003) and up the hill through Cliff and a new east end staging yard (2002).  Around 2003-2004 Edison and Bena extension was put into service.

New construction of the Loop at Tunnel 9 about six months before being put into service.  Nov 3, 2004.

Then in 2005 the new mainline from Tunnel 8 (east of Cliff) to Tunnel 10 (Walong "Loop") entered service.  This addition also put into play the Train Order station at Woodford and four new sidings.

New Operating Schemes

Completed Walong "Loop" with Tunnel 9 and Tunnel 10 to the far left.

The changes to the railroad from doubling the number of single track sidings was evident.  Freights now often took 1-2 hours to negotiate the railroad from Bakersfield to the Mojave Yard.

A nearly plugged Mojave Yard doubling as East Staging Yard on Nov 29, 2009 between operating sessions.  The new East Yard under construction at Right about 18" lower.

By about 2006 we had the final Mojave Yard under final construction and back in operations.  Further east expansion happened in 2009 or so as a new East Staging Yard was built, and Mojave calmed down to the 450-car mid-division railroad yard that it historically was.

The Dispatchers desk during the days before an operating session with dozens of switchlists being prepared. - Nov-2004

In the photo below is a great example of how the La Mesa Club's gradually expanded the operation of the layout and kept it working while major construction continued.  This photo was taken about a year before we opened the new ATSF Bakersfield Yard, which is visible behind Matt Menker (wearing black) with drawings, etc on top of it.  During this short period of time the ATSF trains were operated through the SP Valley and were minimally worked at West Bakersfield (70's yard).   There's a westbound Santa Fe passenger train at the depot.  Also several sets of ATSF 'Red Nose' passenger diesels and ATSF way cars (cabooses) are also seen in the 70's yard, laying over between trips.

Jason Hill, Steve Miller, and Matt Menker busy at West Bakersfield in June 2012. Robert Bowdidge Photo

In addition, a westbound AW-symbol freight with double-headed F and SP-class heavy steam under the watchful eye of Steve Miller (Valley Div. Staging Guru) heading for Tracy, Altamont Pass and Oakland.  It looks like I'm consulting with Steve, probably as Chief Dispatcher with lineups and crew call sheets, about the next trains which will be moving to or from 'The Valley'.  Matt Menker, who often works as one of the Yardmasters (probably 'General YM' during this construction phase), looks on from the Santa Fe aisle with a switchlist next to the 'City Switch' engine.  In the photo we can also see the dark gray 'pavement' of Sacramento St. on each side of the yard and many of the spurs on the painted top of the layout.  No buildings and only vague names written on the top of the layout suggest what industries will eventually be there.

Two ATSF 2-10-2s prepare to leave while Car Clerk Matt Menker works car-card experiment on Dec 14, 2012.

Operations since the 1996 era, when Bakersfield SP Yard was built, had always required that the Santa Fe trains use the yard as well.  By 2012 this era was coming to a close with the construction of the new ATSF Bakersfield Yard across the aisle and west of Kern Jct.

The new Santa Fe Bakersfield Yard, seen on Nov 29, 2009, under construction.

Total freight car count during this period pushed towards 800-1200+ cars, and the numbers of trains expanded as well.  During 2012 we can see that we're about to open the new Bakersfield Santa Fe Yard, which reduced the severely overloaded SP Yard operations.  Which we figure as operating at about 130-150%, with switching crews working both ends of the classification tracks with different symbols.

Combined roundhouse facilities during January 2012.

Towards 2012, we tried for a few sessions moving minimal Santa Fe classification operations to the SP's 70's Yard west of Baker St. - However even then the SP's roundhouse then became the limiting factor.

But Car Cards! -- NO!

Car Forwarding can be taught!  Matt Menker working with Bryn Ekroot at the Bakersfield car-card experimental "Tower"

In late 2012 the system of pre-handwritten switchlists was becoming too much.  So with many operations folks from around the country suggesting, we tried two or three sessions using multi-cycle carcards and two "Car Clerks", one at each end of the RR to make lists for switching and keep track of where 1400 cars were supposed to be going.... It FAILED epically resulting in a forced march of about 8-10 people after a Saturday 12+12 weekend to get 1400 carcards put back with their cars at the right end of the railroad in the right place so we could do the second half of the weekend... (sigh)

The verdict was in.  Back to hand written switchlists we go.  However we decided to keep the two Car Clerk positions.  The East Clerk is usually combined with the East Staging Yardmaster, who both reblocks the freight trains and works out the routings for all the cars on the Eastern end of the railroad and down the Hill as far as Caliente or Bena.  The West Clerk works a 'roving' job out of Bakersfield covering the Arvin and Taft Branches, Bakersfield SP and Santa Fe Yards and the Valley Staging yards.

The new system seems to work well, and we're working to expand the number of people that are trained as Car Clerks for the "Traffic Dept."  These two positions feed information about trains entering the railroad and help the Chief Dispatcher formulate the 'Line Up' for the next 6-8 hours in real-time.  In a way the Chief and the two Clerks end up being the people controlling all of the operations 'down stream' of them.  Their choices and judgments effect everyone else's experience 4-8 hours later in the session.  I'm sure I'll be talking much more about all of the real-time operations and planning that goes on during a session.

Driving the Golden Spike

ATSF 3892 and 21LABC charge through the east end of Summit for the Golden Spike Ceremony at Summit Switch - Aug 29, 2015..

In August 2015 the mainline was completed over its final alignment which created a 38% increase in mainline run over the Division.  Continuing construction on secondary trackage and scenery will still continue for many years to come.

Golden Spike meeting of ATSF 3892 and SP 6461 (iirc) at Summit - Aug 29, 2015.

The new wye at Summit finally allows prototypical operations for the helpers to turn and be sent back west to Bakersfield if ordered to do so by the Chief Dispatcher, and additional planning required for the 'Trick' Dispatcher to work in the light engines to come back down the Hill.  The addition of Tehachapi and Monolith added several more opportunities for freight symbol operation, and messages from the Traffic Dept, Yardmasters, and the Dispatcher to coordinate which trains will stop to make pickup and setouts.

Switchlist for the KI Local departing Mojave on the 22nd of Dec, 1952 with a full day's work ahead.

The physical addition of Monolith now allows much more work for the KI (Tehachapi) Local and Mojave Shorts trains to work the cement plant.  Also the apple sheds at Tehachapi can be served.  During the last few sessions the KI Local crew often spends 10-14 real hours on duty.  No fast clocks are used!

In Closing

Reefers stored at Magunden and a pair loading at the Golden H packing shed.

At the end of the day, the scale of the La Mesa Club is daunting, however each car movement is very simple and straight forward.  We'll be looking next time at the SP's Westward Freight Symbols, what makes each special and what purpose each serves in the grand scheme of the historical operations.  We'll eventually work our way through to SP's Eastward Freight Symbols, the SP's Locals and Switch Jobs and routings.  Then in following posts I'll be turning the Santa Fe's Freight Symbols West and Eastward, and their Local and Switch Job Routings.

For now, I'm hopeful that this post gives some insights into Prototype Operations and will provide a good foundation for my future posts on the Freight Symbols used over Tehachapi Pass.  

Jason Hill

Related Articles:

Busy Times at Bakersfield (Part 1)  - SP Roundhouse Operations

Busy Times at Bakersfield (Part 2) - SP Yard Overview

A Trip Over Tehachapi on the SCX-BI - A rather 'normal' trip over the Tehachapi Pass during a 1950's TT/TO session.

Triple Trouble on Tehachapi - A Weird Day on the Hill - Exceptions to and bending the rules

Busy Times in Bakersfield (Part 2) SP Yard Overview

Last time (Busy Times in Bakersfield - Part 1) we looked at the busy engine movements around the Bakersfield Roundhouse and engine changes on the trains.  This time we'll be looking at the switchers which worked in side the yard sorting cars and spotting them at industries in town.

The SP 6386 set cut away from No.57, the Owl, preparing to move to the engine servicing track as a VXW-4 departs via Track 22, 70, and the Sacramento St. crossover west of town.

Bakersfield Yard track plan below: Mt. Vernon Switcher in blue, Haley St. Switcher in orange, and City Switcher in purple.

City Yard, 70's Yard and main SP yard at Bakersfield during the 1950s as modeled at La Mesa Model Railroad Club.

John "Pappy" Pappasurgia, a retired switchman who hired out to the SP in 1952 at Bakersfield, during an interview in 2005 recounted the regular assignments of the tracks in the main yard as follows:
  Tracks 2-6: arriving and departing trains - yellow on the drawing above
  Track 7: Valley shorts (TMW for Roseville) - also yellow on drawing above
===
  Track 8: East Shorts (VXE for LA)
  Track 9: Cars for Mojave (This is the track for the "Mojave Shorts" cars)
  Track 10: ?
  Track 11: Cleanout track (Bakersfield supplied PFE reefers and boxcars for local loading)
  Track 12: Cleanout track (Bakersfield supplied PFE reefers and boxcars for local loading)
===
  Track 13: Cars for the Santa Fe interchange at Kern Jct.
  Track 14: Bad Orders
  Track 15: Oil City cars
  Track 16: City loads
===
  Track 17: Scale
  Ice Deck 1 & 2: - Icing of PFE and private cars, obviously.

  Track 21 was the designation used for the 'Tail' track for the shops

It's also interesting to note that between Track 7 and 8 there was a line of lockers and work tables for the carmen to make running repairs to cars in the yard, which didn't need full RIP track work in the Car Shops west of the roundhouse.

Mt. Vernon Ave. Switcher

The SP Bakersfield Yard's large 600-car main body tracks are flat switched by a crew working from the East End at Mt. Vernon Avenue.  The Mt. Vernon Switcher draws the heaviest switcher of the three main assignments at Bakersfield.

SP 1486 switching an inbound freight and the SP 6461 making a brake test on a departing 800-series eastward freight.

Mt Vernon yard chart drawing for crews to get familiar with the track arrangements

The East Lead is about 34 cars long and can handle long cuts from Tracks 2-6 which serve as the primary arrival and departure tracks in the yard.  The ATSF trains continue on the West Main to Kern Junction without stopping at Mt. Vernon Ave.

Crossing over from 6 to 7, SP 3701 and 3712 backing down onto the Mojave Shorts East train on Track 9.

Access to Ice Deck 1 & 2 is made east of the ladders to 7-12 and 13-16 off of Track 7, which can double as a separate yard lead.  There is also a crossover from Track 6 to Track 7, allowing Track 6 to work as a switching lead for Track 7-16 if needed.

SP 6461 ready to leave town with a reefer block to Colton on Track 6, the Porterville Local prepares to depart from Track 7

Heavy 4-unit sets of F-units prepare to depart Bakersfield with R-3 symbol freight (3rd Roseville reefer block of the year) around 7PM on Jan 4, 1953.  The cut-off time for reefer traffic collected around Bakersfield was 5:01PM, which was guaranteed to move out of Bakersfield before midnight, seven hours later.  This allowed for any topping off of the ice bunkers, ventilation adjustments to the hatches and fans as well as a quick final checking over by the carmen before the cars headed for Colton and points east.

SP 1486, a heavy FM switcher pulls several cars out on the main east end lead to switch.

Here the Mt. Vernon Ave. Switcher works a short string of boxcars and a tank car which will be heading to Tracy and west over the Altamont Pass to Oakland.  Notice the new "DF" 50ft boxcar in auto-parts service, one of the signature cars heading for the assembly plants around Oakland.

SP 3701 and 3712 prepare to depart with the Mojave Shorts East. The Mt Vernon engine on Trk 7 working the Porterville cars.

Above the Extra ATSF 212 West arrives at Kern Junction with a SWG-symbol freight and diverges off to the Santa Fe yard two miles to the west.

Meanwhile in the SP yard we can see a long string of reefers on Track 7 ready to head west.  This is either a "Valley Shorts" block of empty iced cars to be distributed to the sheds short of Fresno or a Porterville Local with reefers for the sheds and canneries on the branch.  The reefers on Track 6 are the R-3 cars which just arrived from Roseville.  The valley engine has cut away and the SP 6461 hasn't moved over to the train yet.

On Track 9 the Mojave Shorts train is coupled together and is preparing to depart.  Notice the covered hoppers in assigned cement service to be loaded at Monolith, beyond that are boxcars for Monolith and some PFE reefers for the apple sheds at Tehachapi.  At the headend are some GS gondolas heading for Bealville, via Caliente for the Mt. Work Train.  The cars towards the rear are general merchandise cars heading for Mojave, Searles, the high desert around Palmdale and the Owenyo Branch.

Haley St. Switcher

Bakersfield Yard's West End Switcher is called the Haley St Switcher.  The Haley St. job trims the departing eastward trains, switches cabooses, and generally works between Haley St and Baker St.

Busy times in Bakersfield with a PSS freight arriving from Fresno and heading into the yard.

Haley St Switcher yard chart

All arriving freights from Mojave and the Valley head into the SP yard for work, at least having the engines changed and helpers added for the climb to Tehachapi Pass.

SP 2718 preparing to take a TMW block to Fresno and the 5203 behind it with a block for the 20's yard with Oil City cars.

Here we see a couple of locals and a short TMW-symbol train preparing to depart westward from Tracks 10 and 11.  Another time we catch T&NO 910 freshly transferred back from Texas ready to depart westward from Track 2.

T&NO 910, an F-5 class engine, ready to depart westward with a livestock block for Fresno and Roseville.

Cutting In Helpers at Haley St.

One of the main jobs for the Haley St. Switcher is to trim and pull the rear of eastward freights apart so the helpers can be cut into the trains.

Here's a graphical diagram showing the process of cutting in helpers at Bakersfield, Page 1.  (Drawings by Jason Hill)

The process really isn't that complicated, but given that the yard shown in the diagram is over 60 feet long, sometimes it is difficult to wrap one's head around the larger scope of what's going on with the maze of switches between Haley St. and the 20's Yard.

Recombining eastward train with helpers using the 20's Yard, Page 2. (Drawings by Jason Hill)

Let's see a few photos of the 20's Yard while this process is being carried out.  Below we see that the yard crew has doubled over the train into both Tracks 23 and 24, allowing the helpers to more easily couple to each cut respectively.  The cars sitting on Track 25 are not related and were left there by the City Switcher or the Haley St. Switcher for local service.

The rear of this eastward OCM-symbol freight is pulled back into Tracks 23 & 24 ready for helpers to be added.

At 12:51AM on Jan 5th 1953, we see the rear of the OCM pulled back into Track 23 and doubled over for the second helper into Track 24.  By 1:02AM, the two AC-class helpers have pulled out of the Ready Tracks and backed down onto their cuts.  Ready A & B are stuffed with F-units in the photo below.

Helpers cut in and ready to pull forward and couple to the front of the train.

At this point, it's an easy operation to have the helpers pull their cuts forward into the departure track, couple to the headend and get the brake test before leaving town.

Caboose Shuffling?

The cabooses in the years before 'pool caboose' agreements they would lay over between trips.  One other thing the Haley St. Switcher crews need to keep track of are the local cabooses are assigned as shown below.

Cabooses being serviced at Bakersfield, notice the SP 23486 (above the 3rd caboose from the left) on the top of the Wrecker.

Showing nicely in the right side of the photo above is the caboose tracks on the south side of the main in the PI Yard.  The caboose servicing area was located there until about 1954 when the SP shifted to pooled cabooses for road jobs, at which time two new pool caboose tracks were added off the Haley St. lead between the Scale Track and the Ice Deck.

Here's a photo with three rider cars receiving servicing - the single caboose is one of the local service cars.

Often the SP cabooses are shown in photos over the 4th and 5th track south of the Main in the PI Yard.  There was also often photos of passenger coaches laying over at Bakersfield as well.  The SP regularly assigned coaches as express riders and high-speed cabooses.  Bakersfield originated high priority express traffic, so it follows that the coaches would be stationed here as well.

Express Rider Cars:

The 2800-series of coaches were modified for rider and high-speed caboose service on express trains.  The cars downgraded to the 2800-series would usually last no more than two years before being retired to SPMW service.

SP 2810, ex-SP 1806, the solo car in 60-C-1 class, the first all-steel passenger car on the SP built in 1906.

Before the SP started the special 2800-series of cars in the late 1940s, regular coaches would be used in express rider service.  The 2800-series eventually totaled 28 cars, with the last being assigned in 1954.

SP 1190, coach bringing up the rear on No.56 at Caliente.

Local Cabooses:

SP 684 - Taft Local (Sunset Rwy)

SP 789 - Porterville Local

SP 69 - Mountain Local (Based in Mojave)

Yard Service "Cabooses":

Yard service 'cabooses' didn't need to meet the Union Agreements for fittings and equipment since these cars basically were used to give the switchmen and foreman on a job a safe place to ride.  Three or four switchmen and a foreman couldn't all ride in the cab of a steam switcher along with the engineer and fireman!

SP 973 - Oil City Switcher

The SP 973 was converted to 'caboose' service for the Oil City Switcher crew in 1953.  It would appear from photos that the car was used around Bakersfield for a few years before that date in local freight service.

SP 23486 - Edison Switcher (used as needed as a riding car in the yard)

The boxcars converted from retired B-50-6 class boxcars into cabooses did not meet the Union Agreements for caboose fittings, so were not used after WWII by road crews (conductors and brakemen) and were used in yard service by foremen and switchmen for several more years.

Kern Junction - The Santa Fe

Kern Junction during a quiet time in the SP yard.

Per the 1899 Joint Line Agreement between the SP and the ATSF (Santa Fe) allows ATSF trains to operate between Kern Jct and Mojave (East Mojave after 1943).  This creates a hot spot of traffic having an interlocking plant in the middle of the SP's Division Point yard at Bakersfield to the north of the main track.

Here two 'Decks' bring a train into the SP yard past Kern Jct. - Notice the PI Main crossing the ATSF in front of the Tower.

A three track interchange yard is located between the two ATSF main tracks and the SP yard.  The P.I. main track, named for the Pacific Improvement company which built the Sunset Railway to Taft, crosses the ATSF at Kern Juction directly in front of the Tower as well using two diamonds.

ATSF 212 waits for a proceed signal from the Towerman at Kern Jct. with the SWG-4, Jan'53.

Here we see the San Joaquin Daylight, No.52, blasting out of town crossing Haley St. and past Kern Jct. Tower.

3:08PM Jan 4th, 1953, Kern Jct as No.52 departs town, Haley St engine deep on Track 4 with a freight helper on Track 3.

Action is intense east of Kern Juction with Double Track (East and West Main Tracks) allowing ATSF trains to continue west from Mt. Vernon Ave. without stopping to the Santa Fe yards west of Kern Jct., and eastward trains to head straight out of town while SP trains head into the yard.

Plenty of action at Mt. Vernon today as ATSF 170 with a BK-block blasts out of town as SP 6248 brings in the XMUG from Los Angeles.

The SP Yardmaster (foreground) and Kern Operator (sitting in front of the scissor phone) oversee the operations in the SP yard and movements at Kern Junction respectively.

ATSF 225 down a unit with a GP7 cut in behind and ATSF 3737 heading out to Bena to cut in as a rear helper.

The Kern Operator also communicates with the Dispatcher and relays information about approaching trains and information to the Dispatcher about the status of trains preparing to depart.  The phone to the Yardmaster's left is for communicating with the Cheif Dispatcher, who plans 4-6 hours ahead and plans the train tonnages, engine assignments, and crew calls before handing off the authorization of those plans to the 'Trick' Train Order Dispatcher who writes the Train Orders and issues the Clearances.

The "Tide is in" during a busy time in the ATSF Bakersfield Yard! Jan 4, 1953.

I'll cover the operations of the SP-ATSF interchange in the future when I write about the ATSF Bakersfield Yard.

City Switcher

The Bakersfield Yard's City Switcher works the various industries with general freight, company shop and store houses, and also the express and freight houses.  The east end of the yard is worked by the Mt.Vernon Ave Switcher, the west end by the Haley St. Switcher.  The packing sheds at Edison, seven miles east of the yard, and the Oil City Branch to the north of Bakersfield are also worked by the yard switcher crews as needed.  I'll discuss these other jobs in future posts.

Here we see the City Switcher working the 70's yard.  The Kern Land Warehouse has a full double spot in the foreground.

Let's look at the City Switchers territory in detail, marked in purple highlights in the drawing below.

City Yard, 70's Yard and main SP yard at Bakersfield during the 1950s as modeled at La Mesa Model Railroad Club.

The City Switcher works out of the "70's Yard", which is a sub-yard which forms the hub of the local switching operations around Bakersfield.  The main classification flat-switching yard has a track for "City" traffic which is a basic 'sluff' track for all traffic for the Oil City, Sunset Rwy (Taft Branch), P.I. Yard, Company Car Shops, Freight Houses, and local industries.

Passenger & Express Switching

The Switchers within the Bakersfield Switching Limits (Not related to Rule 93, but to Union Agreements) allow any switcher on duty to be directed to work as needed within the yard switching limits.  This can mean that one crew could be directed to do all the work in the yard if no other crews are on-duty.  Usually two crews are on-duty in the main yard during the day with extra crews put on as needed for Oil City Switcher and Edison Switcher if needed.  The regular City engine works overnight between 8:01PM and 8:01AM.

SP 6236 in the City Yard.

Usually the opening move of the City Switcher is pulling any express cars for the VME (Overnight) returning to Los Angeles after 6PM.  If the separate City Switcher isn't on duty yet, the Haley St. Switcher will come over to preform these duties.  Often they 'Go for the Quit' early once No.447, the VMW (Overnight), arrives and they spot the express cars at the Bakersfield freight house.

During the middle of the shift the Owl (Nos. 57 & 58) pick up and set out sealed mail cars from Oakland and the Mail (Nos. 55 & 56) does the same for cars from Los Angeles.  Below we see No.57 receiving its sealed mail pickup car in the evening during the engine change.  The HO scale car models are heavier and require two GS or Mt class engines to take the Owl into the San Joaquin Valley, in real life only one was plenty for the 17 car train.

Earlier in the evening the City Switcher shuffled the pickup car for No57 out to the platform.

The City Switcher's hottest moves in the evening is working the sealed mail cars for the various night passenger trains.  Tonight's rather light, SP baggage car 6011 is coupled into the consist of No.57, the Owl, during the engine change.

Coming down to the joint with the Owl at the platform while passengers and mail are being worked.

Industrial Switching

The City Switcher's work can be divided into five areas:
- City Yard (South of main, between Bakers St. and Kern River)
- SP Freight House (West of Kern River - not in service as of Jan 2018)
- North Side (Industries along the 70's Yard, between Baker St. and Kern River)
- SP Shops (including Carpenters Shop, "Malley Shed" Car Shop, Co Storehouse, and Backshops)
- Kern Wye and PI Yard (South side of main, between Depot and the east leg of the Kern Wye)

11:49PM Jan 4, 1953 we see a string of tank cars and box cars being drilled on the west 70's ladder.

Operations in the City Yard are governed by switchlists marked up by the Yardmaster and car movements are issued on the original wheel report lists as the cars enter the railroad from staging by Clerks from the Traffic Dept.  The Clerks also preform the Freight Agent positions, update routings and assignments of empty cars at the three major yards in Bakersfield, Mojave, and the larger industrial stations at Monolith and Tehachapi.

Hard at work reading switch lists and throwing switches.

The City crew's getting started on another block of cars from the main yard.  They'll sort them by rough destinations into one of the five tracks in the 70's yard.

11:59PM John B. works the City Switcher on the night of the 4-5th of January 1953 session.

By 1:51AM the 70's yard is well in order.  The north side industries have been spotted and the switcher's working on the south side.

Looking east at 1:51AM there's large strings of boxcars in the City Yard being worked and prepared to be spotted.

By 2:02AM the City Switcher's running back up the main track to the main freight yard with the pulls for outbound sorting.

Several times a day the City Switcher returns to the main yard to drop off cars for movement out of Bakersfield, be it to the Santa Fe interchange or to SP freights.

ATSF boxcars at the Kern Land Warehouse - leased for additional ATSF freight house space.

Unfortunately one of the considerations of getting such a massive amount of prototype railroad into a limited space is that some concessions have to be made.  In the ATSF Bakersfield yard, there simply wasn't enough room for the 1400ft long freight house used to unload all the inbound merchandise and freight forwarder shipments at Bakersfield.  At the same time, as far as our records can tell, the Kern Land Warehouse was vacant for many years during the late 1940s and early 1950s.  The Kern Land Warehouse has seven doors on the south side of the SP's City Yard.

So in a slight bending of history, we're saying that the ATSF Freight House is operating at reduced capacity because of earthquake damage from the August quake of 1952 and the ATSF is leasing the Kern Land Warehouse for their freight forwarder operations.  This change also allows more traffic through the Kern Junction interchange between the two RR's as SP's City Switcher does the work at the Kern Land Warehouse.

In the future as the industrial trackage around the SP Bakersfield and Oil Junction areas get finished the SP's Freight House operations will be moved "across the river" to the correct facilities near Oil Junction.

In Closing

SP 5301 & 5304 recouple to the KI Local at Bena for the returning Eastward trip to Mojave.

That will wrap up our Overview of the SP Yard at Bakersfield (Part2).  In future posts I'll be looking at Mojave Yard and more closely at other trains of interest on the Tehachapi Subdivision.

Jason Hill

Related Links:

Overview of 1950s Time Table & Train Order Operations on Tehachapi Pass

Busy Times in Bakersfield - (Part 1)

A Trip Over Tehachapi on SCX-BI

Modeling Mail Trains 55 & 56 - Tehachapi Mail

Modeling an MOW Supply Train (Part 1)