Diesel Power on the Southern Pacific, 1942-1985

Great material from 19 sources shot in many locations out west. See FM and ALCO and many rare SP units. 

This brings the 1942 to 1975 era on the SP with E, F units and early GP9 and SD9 power. Don’t miss out on the first U- boats. These GE locomotives had some problems. But GE eventually worked their way to the top of the locomotive business by pecking away at EMD.

See the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles environs, Glendale’s old Taylor Yard, Colton Crossing, and many extinct branchlines. See the opening of the new Colton Yard and the building and early days of the Cajon Pass line for the SP and its bypass of Los Angeles for north-south through-traffic.

Passenger and freight trains abound. Special Shasta, Cascade and even Kaiser ore trains from Iron Mountain near the Salton Sea - plus great and extensive Cajon Pass and Tehachapi action and much more.

This is a wealth of vintage SP material – all shot on vintage movie film by former SP employees and many, very savvy railfans. 

To quote Railfan & Railroad magazine, “….the quality and depth of the information in the narration is so great. A must for SP fans I would think, as well as students of motive power evolution, use and disposition.” 

To quote a review in Model Railroad News, “Smiley, as usual, pulls from unfathomable depths of footage to locate and select delightful pearls of 8 and 16mm footage."

Some Locations:

• Oakland and San Jose 
• San Joaquin Line 
• Cajon Pass 1967 
• Tehachapi 1955-1971 
• Los Angeles area 
• Taylor Yard 1965 
• Colton Crossing 
• Kaiser ore at Ferrum 
• Santa Paula Branch 
• Burbank Branch 
• Cascade and Shasta

And much more...