Historic Hood River
Passenger Rail
9-27-2023
Notes
Here’s another gem from the Alta Walter album, this one from her time in Sherman County. This coal powered steam locomotive is pulling two passenger cars (or is the front car a baggage car?). The vantage point is a grain elevator, which gives the perfect angle to see the train at the switch. I think that’s the engineer operating the switch at the left. Hopefully Arlen can tell us why there is no caboose.
L.E.
Neat photo. Can you look at it and know it is a coal engine and not wood?
Arlen L Sheldrake
That bin behind the loco appears, like Arthur says, to be loaded with coal. having a caboose on a train was a freight train issue as the crew needed a place to ride at the end of the train….they could/would ride in the passenger car on a passenger train.
at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center our saturday trains operate in the same mode, during backup moves the conductor is in the rear seat of the rear car watching for issues.
Arlen L Sheldrake
I hope the engineer is in the cab and a brakeman or conductor is doing the switch.
My guess is that the rail car just behind the loco is either a combo baggage/coach or plain baggage car.
And I agree, GREAT picture…..must have been difficult to get.
Alan Winston
The first car looks to me like an RPO (Railway Post Office) + baggage/express car – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_post_office
RPO contracts basically made most passenger services possible, and it was the USPS shift away from rail that pretty much spelled the end for private passenger service.
jnails
Can an engine use coal or wood interchangably?
Arlen L Sheldrake
There are some caboose type rail cars still in use……new ones for spent nuclear cores are being built on Swan Island here in Portland. they are used for guard transport during moves. also former caboose are used for long backup moves and called shoving platforms….again for the brakeman and/or conductor to ride on/in as hanging on to the side of a freight car for a long shove is tiring to say the least.
Pat A
This really looks like Klondike, there is a early concrete elevator there. And flat ground.
But we should be looking at a large wood warehouse for sacked grain looking east? As the track ran north of the elevator.
Arthur Babitz
There is an image of the Klondike grain elevator on the same page, so I bet Pat is correct. The Walter family had a home on Klondike.
Pat A
I would like to see That Arthur.
I have dug pits here in the 1980’s that were in a row such as this long building next to the tracks. I remember lots of bottles.
Arthur Babitz
I sent it along Pat.