Hi Everybody-- Here is another of KRK's stories that you may find interesting !
Here is a brief look back on some history regarding a young couple's early married life on the Southern Pacific.
The Years span the general time period of 1933-1942.
In the 1930's, when this young railroader was Foreman of SP Welding Gang# 23 (System), he was working the Coast Line as well as the Tehachapi's around Bealville. His favorite oldtime engineer was a guy named SMITH. They called him "Smitty".. He usually had flat-faced AC -5 number 4100..
The young railroader would ride with him and his fireman all the time and get "rides to town" to buy supplies as he and his young wife lived on an Outfit Car (SPMW 465) that the young wife had spruced up and who claimed it was their first "mobile home"...
During the times the young railroader rode with "Smitty"-- he always thought both enginemen "didn't do too much" but just "sit there" and run the engine...
So one day, "Smitty" asked that smart aleck young guy if HE would like to have a go at it.
Oh SURE--Yeah!!!
They started that young dude "firing" that "steaming-beast".. He said he worked his butt off always having to watch water, oil and everything and it wasn't as easy as he thought.. (grin)
Next, "Smitty" put him on the right side of the Cab behind that throttle.
Again, poor sorry-looking dude worked his butt off, worrying about brakes and slack and Johnson Bars and every other thing... That was the end of driving a "Malley" for that smarty-pants young railroader.
After the young couple married in 1932, and the young railroader became foreman on the welding gang, they traveled the rails for the next several years to the absolute "boondocks" of FIVE Western States.
Calif, Nevada, Oregon, Arizona and New Mexico. He was welding Track, Bridges and signal masts.
They lived among the Navajo indians--they met a lot of interesting people--some not so interesting--great metropolitan areas such as (Beowawe, Steins, Cochise, Dragoon, Wilcox, Miami, Globe, Surf, Casmalia, Palmdale, Mojave, Drain, Lordsburg, Winnemucca, and on and on into the night... They were like the Bedouins
of Arabia or gypsies..
Their Outfit Car (SPMW 465) was made of WOOD and built in the late 1800's. It was retired at Sacramento in 1931 and converted to MOW service. After the young couple got married on December 28, 1932, as I may have mentioned before, the young couple were shipped to Arizona and their railroad life began.. The young wife was 19 and the young railroader was 21. They were assigned to SPMW 465 and the rest is history.
The young railroader's sister, Irene, (then 20), went to Arizona with them. The Indian women did all the work !
The men sat around and played Marbles ! Burros were so hungry they would eat paper !
There was also 3.2 beer ...
"Irene" kept a daily diary of the events they experienced in 1933 in Arizona.
I hope that all of you enjoyed an early day look back on a young couple's life on the mighty
Southern Pacific. In my research, I was able to find a photo of that young railroad wife and her daughter. The photo was taken at Palmdale, CA in 1937 ! My, how times have changed !
Cheers.
KRK
