1974

SP SD39 5317
Southern Pacific (SP) SD39 5317 leads SD45 8844 and other big EMDs on an SP westbound at Woodford, CA on Monday, October 21, 1974.
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Monday, October 21, 1974

Steve Sloan's Trains : Trip Notes : 1974 : October 21, 1974

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Various photos taken, or thought to be taken, on this date.

Barstow, CA

AMTK 503, EMD SDP40F

Southwest Chief at Barstow
Amtrak (AMTK) SDP40F 503 is leading the westbound Southwest Chief on the Santa Fe at the depot in Barstow, CA on Monday, October 21, 1974.

Trona, CA

Trona 53, Baldwin AS616

Trona AS616 53 at Trona
Trona 53, former SP 5249, sitting next to GE 80 tonner 49, ex US Navy 6500297, in Trona, CA on Monday, October 21, 1974.

BAK/TF, CA

Tehachapi

SP 5317 EMD SD39, SP Class EF623-1

SP 5317 at Woodford
Southern Pacific SD39 5317 leads SD45 8844 and other big EMDs on an SP westbound at Woodford, CA on October 21, 1974.

SP 7153 GE U28C, SP Class GF628-1

SP 7153 on Tehachapi
Southern Pacific U28C 7153 with SD39 5304 on a Tehachapi work train on October 21, 1974.

SP 8795 GE U33C, SP Class GF633-9

SP 8795 in the Tehachapi Mountains
Southern Pacific U33C 8795 leads two EMD's on the point of a beet train over the Tehachapi Mountains. Photographed first at Walong then while going through the town of Tehachapi. Finally, after dropping off helpers at Tehachapi, the train heads east. It is shown at sunset in Monolith, CA on October 21, 1974. According to WAF, the beets were heading to Spreckles Sugar at Chandler Arizona. The high cost of railing the beets a great distance, compared to other beet moves, and the low water supply in Arizona made the Chandler plant a white elephant. It only operated about 10 years or so. WAF said:
When sugar was king for drinks and canning prior to 1980, there were many beet trains running all over the state of California as the various sugar beet campaigns began. These beets (in the photos here) came from the lower San Joaquin Valley and picked from fall into early winter for Spreckles in Arizona. You have to remember, SP had to distribute the cars to cover all the campaigns. Imperial Valley beets for Union Sugar at Bettervia were picked in May-July. The same time while Holly ran its Santa Ana plant, a second beet train came out of the Imperial Valley for them. Spreckles has a plant in Brawley in the Imperial Valley. When there were excess beets grown, many of those were sent to the San Joaquin Valley in the summer to Mendota, Manteca and Woodland, all Spreckles plants. This is the (beet) train you would see going up the Cutoff and over Tehachapi to Bakersfield.
Its amazing the wooden racks and friction bearing wheels lasted so long with all the use they got, almost non-stop. Feb-Mar were the only months the fleet was idle.
Another person on Altamont Press's discussion group, added the following:
The sugar plant in Brawley was built in the 1950's by Holly Sugar. Holly Sugar was bought by Imperial Sugar in 1988 and all eight of it's beet plants (Tracy, Betterave, Hamilton City, and Brawley in California, Hereford TX, Torrington, WY; Worland WY; and Sidney, MT) were operated as Holly Sugar. During this time Spreckes sugar had three plants located in Woodland, Manteca, and Mendota, CA. In 1996 Imperial Sugar bought Spreckels sugar and the 4 remaining California factories operated as Spreckels Sugar and the 3 remaining factories in Wyoming and Montana operated as Holly Sugar. Imperial Sugar sold all sugarbeet factories after it went bankrupt in 2001. Southern Minnesota beet Sugar Cooperative bought the Brawley factory and still operates it as Spreckels. At one time Imperial Valley sugar beets were sent by train to Santa Ana, CA (Holly); Chandler, AZ (Spreckels), Betterave, CA (Union Sugar) and Spreclels, CA (Spreckels) and well as being processed in Brawley.

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