1 5 � J:HE TRAINMASTER po.ge 1 NOVEMBER 1970 �
NOVEHDER MEETING:
'fhe November meeting of the Pacific Northvlest Chapter, National Railway Historical Society will be h�ld on November 20 at 8:00pm, Room 208 Union Station, Portland. 'I'�1e program will consist of movies and slides of the McCloud River Railroad's #25 n.nd the Yreka Western Railway's #19 in steam on the McCloud. Members are also requested to bring any two (2) slides that you consider your favorite for a showing and exp":.. anation. Also at the November meeting will take place the election of officers for next year.
LIBRARY NOW OPEN TO MEMBERS:
The library of the Pacific Northwest Chapter is nrn� open to members twice a month. Members can browse and/or check out material on the 1st Friday of each month 7-9 pm and beginning at 7pm meeting nights. If you haven 't visited the libary yet try to make ODe of thes e open nights since it is full of railroadiana.
r.:)taNATIO�J3 FOR N�T YM.R'S OFFICERS-:
';:IJ.e following have been nominated as officers for next year:
PRESI:U ENT: ROGER W. PHILLIFS
V':':C==PRESr:JEj\l'I'� JOHN D, HOLLOWAY
SECRETARY ROBERI' D. WILLIAM:)
TREASURER ReGER 1-1. SAC'"KEIT
DIRECTOR (NATIONAL) - CIJARLES W 0 STORZ Jr.
D:RECTORS AT LARGE� (LOCAL CHAPTER)
KENllli'TH V.DE,'TIIMAN W. KENNETH }·�cPARLING
In acc.ition t o the above nominations from the floor will be accepted at the Nov. meeting.
:FUroRE ARTICLES IN THE TRP.INl1ASTER:
The chapter has been offered free printing of the feature articles in the Trainmaster providing they could be supp1ied one year at a time. The saving in money is too great ·so F.sS up this offer although much hard work is involved in producing one year's articles at one time. The pUblication is in need of the photos for the following articles which rr:,j.st be set up and printed before January 15th, 1971. If you have some photos please bring to the November meeting or mail to room 1, Union Station. All pictures will be returned after we have made the negatives for printing from them. page 2
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TM Articles cont:
January: Union Railroad of Oregon February: Compressed Air Locomotives 11 \1 " lvjarch April vhllamette Valley Electric POvler and Raih;ay Company l'>13.y Klamath Northern June City of Prineville Sept itJillamina and Grande lThonde O:;t Ci ty and vJ es t Portland Park ]\bv Great Southern
Ahy photo on the above a rticles will be considered for use. Not only early photos bljt present day operations 8.re il eeded. IL�D.er,i'.)erthe deadline for photc::� is January 1st 1971.
Effective October 12) 1970 the Burlington Northern removed the sleeper-lounge Mt. Hood anG. the ful:. d�. ne!.· as well as the former SP&S local coac1¥ from # 21&21 between PG:::i::,18.nd alle:. Sp:)k.lllE:'_ At ·cbis.time GN car #1145, a comb:i.nation hilf-diner coach, 1,-13.8 pipced :'.n service j'0 t.s.ndle beverage and food service, The GN car is one that was once USf-.:d on the ":nt"'llla'cicnal b0t\.leen Seattle and V8.ncouver BC, Your edit.or remembers it as hc:.vinC th·:; 1:��C��al 'cutlets of any railroad diner. As present.ly used one side ():f' Gl'E: diner"cu2ch L; for r.1.e3.l service s.nd the other side serves the b everages .
A-:'"': C) reffi':Jvec ·,C.::: +,�}(; fc:c1er �;P&'S dcrm'-oaLgage car (ex M.TY) and the hr.3.V}"'leight s-:'ripped ,c.:'-:-;> ..CJ .:.:�,r l.'�L'f c.:(�Ji.':1 rr.::.i�. f,c�vjce. J.t W2.S rep!aced -"j.th a single RPO,·,oaggage. 'l't. . c.,:" ,\' �. -, n.:-,: :lLc,i;:�r'
'i" p C:'�1f'lr:;t rj;.'}';,2 c'-�� 01: .. .:;:n�:.<.1·1. ;jll �e Sl.:{ c;:lrs i:cJc�l_u(lin:s Horth Coast Limited " 1 .. lat ·<'c·; _ c�2me cC8.cL ��nd c:1C:E'f:)cr "'��ch : � en" ?35CC. _Em)2�E':=_ .B.:.�i�.2.��£ domc coacl R�d-" ,'�_(=Co;"�r c.;:; -Jell :=C3 l.Y',·:::af;e :::a.::: an�� ('c.'dch d� ncr vrLll ccntinu e on to Sp':)':a.ne
On tLe CZlnad-j.a�'l �:i.c�; c.' t�'le g1.8cier· .. scr-evi.1 border bebJeen Alaska and 13ritish Colunbia t:,·aJ.n·':; 17: .. I_J :-lor)n i)c� carr:iing thOl,-:::2,nr�,-ton loads cf cr)pper ore r�t 40 miL:,s per hour throlLerh a ted n.:j.l,·= t·cmn'..:::" ','0 a C011Cent:::2.. �or 30:':j 'J,. c�· St'2vlal:" and 2,500 feet above sea J.F:S::.. l�(')l' Si::'.Qr: ;er:.c:.on thE. si'ee ic called Tide Lake. Ste,,!art i" at t.he head of l'ortlanc� CaD?,::', 2; fjurd '�hich fOE,:s part of the international buunCJary between Calliida anu. j·claska. Ie bJ'''�_:IC year 0:,.0. rna2=> of Br.Ltish Columbia indicates a short railway exten :::1:i.ng nOlth·/lare. [1'C:,1 tne :r!prt,'but Grandl�c Operating Company (1':1, sub::;idia:l:Y of NC"lmont lv:�nj.ng Corp) p:i_8,E:. t:) tnick cuncer,tYdtes from concentrator to ship.1.oading site. ,
Betv7een tne :�Jo', '('_' �_ ,-f' tne ten mile tunnel 'and the concentnl tor building the track is L::;uscc� in a 311,::;";':;.lcj 32) feet 10i1g, including 500 of central angle. 'Llat means pro·03.b=.y a l5° cur'Te vllli.ch is easier to p3.ss than the A lbL:m .leg of the Steel Bridge 8.pprn8.ch,
SvJo.n \'Ioos-cer} a =L':i_.��ill 'filth offices in Portland, as participg.ted in the design and future conf:'t:..�uctior:: of the mining pl8.nt. The T�1 will try to ts.ve photos in a issue 0 THE TRAINMASTER page 3 NOVEMBER 1970
TRACK WATCHER KERfS LONELY VIGIL IN DESERT:
( Mojave Desert, California ) From the air it looks like a bright yellow bug creeping across the vast desert emptiness. It inches over miles of rolling sand dunes , clings to shoulders of barren mountains and spans " tinker toy" trestles. Charley (Roadrunner) Mendez has one of the loneliest jobs in the West . He is a Santa Fe railway track supervisor responsible for patrolling 250 miels of track in the middle of Southern California is big sand pile, the Mojave Desert.
Mendez rides the rail in his two-cylinder motor car ... the bright yellow bug. He sees no roads , no cars, no houses, no towns, no people - just tracks, mountains, sand and sun. All he hears is the steady putt, putt, putt , putt or his motor car or stillness. He ofter sings or whistles to himself . "You got to do something to keep from going crazytf he said. "It is lonely, real lonely out her
He runs a 100 mile-a-day schedule staying overnight in a motel or a house in some remote desert community. In emergencies, particularly during storms, MendeZ -trouble shoots his terri tory at night to make sure it is safe for.. ,trains to go through. The ma in cause of problems in this area are flash floods that come roaring out of the small canyons and off hillsides to wipe out thousands of feet of track.
Mendez' link with the world is a six foot antenna that sticks out of the roof of his rail motor car . He talks to engineers operating trains along his stretch of track and to dispatcherts. 1{lhen he re:pQI'ts that rack is out) trai ns are rerouted around the trouble spots. He summons his two section gangs, at opposite ends of his stretch of track , to make repairs. When high water threatens a remote trestle, Mendez stands by arou�d-the-clock to pass the word on whether it is safe.
During routine patrols, he travels 10 to 20 mph always alert for trouble. Over the noise of his motor car and even his own singing he is mentally tuned to the sounds of the rails. He can tell from the sound whether a rail is loos e . He slams on the brakes hears s ot trouble - when spike needs driving, a broken bolt needs re- when he or p s a t placement or the track is higher or lower than it should be. Minor problems he repairs. for major j obs he summons his section gangs, pinpointing trouble spots by mile posts along the rails.
He is alert for all trains in the area, getting off the track by lifting his 700 lb car out ofthe vlc.y withhmdles that slide out from under neath the car. As his car moves along lizards by the hundred s s unning themselves on the rails jump eff the track, desert hawks soar overhead and coyotes and jackrabbits scurry across the desert terrain. It is not only one of the loneliest jobs there is but one of the hottest. Tho.t is why Mendez carries a 5 gallon jug of vmter and has reserve water stashed all air along the track. Mendez likes his job, the clear and beautiful flowers. He also likes the money - $719 a month plus expenses, plus overtime.
Charles Hillinger, LA Times-Wash Post News Service
RAILPAX:
By next summer a nevI company will be operating the passenger trains in the United States. The National Railroad Pnssenger Corp (RAILPAX) is supposed to save the trains, but it will begin by looking as if it is trying to wipe them out. The corporation will take over the operation of passenger trains from the railroads who will be given �" .�. ! 197""
RAILPAX cont.
0. choice of buying into the new corpor:J. tion or t:J.king ,� t:J.x wri te-off. R�ilro:J.ds th:J.t d on ' t elect to turn over' their P:J. s senger service vlill ho.ve to continue rumiing the preseYlt tr'lins for five ye:J.rs before :J.ny move c:J.n be t:J.ken to eliminc..te the service. vJith this type of option it is expected th:J.t most ) if not :J.ll, the r:J.ilrO:J.ds "lill get out 8f the passenger business.
vlhile some of the more p o pulous corridors (Se:J.ttle··Portl:J.nd mo.ybe?) will get more tro.ins Jeh2re 'dill prob:J.bly be less service on long runs. Much of the first elimino.tion ,,,ill be duplic'J.te opero.tj_ons b etw een m:J.jor citi es such o.s Seo.ttle cmd Chicc�go. The ne,'I service ,!Jill not necessc..!'ily be the retention of one of the pr esent tr.:�ins but would proh:,bly be 0. combj.nation of several routes to provide tb.e best service to the most cities ,-lith the fo.stest running timc;. Thus tr:J.ins could be operating over routes th:J.t h'J.vc nevpr h:J.d service before or where servi ce W:J.S e limina ted y�o.rs ago. Some tro.ins m:J.Y use 0. more scenic route in the summer such o.s the 'ta.lifor�io.· Zephyr" cmd :J. fas ter route during t:1e "Jinter.
The neiJ corpo:;'°c..tion h:J.s :>.t its :J.im to il'lprove service by meti10ds including using better equipmelTt; Qdding sleepers) dining c:J.rs o.nd other feo.tures th:J.t frequently :J.re lo. cking; running tro. ins faster; using shorter routes that meo.n quicker trips ; coordin ,'lting schedules for good connections bctvleen trains and t:'dloring schedules more to the f...o.ttern of IXlssenger demo.nd.
The first outlirle of service will be m:J.de public by November 30th. In the next issue of 'lE'he Trcl.inmastc!: '.'12 will co.rry the proposal o.s it applies to the West. Hopefully sc:;."vice to Sc.. n FraEcisco co.n be reto.ined Cllong witb increClsed schedules to Seattle using RDC type equipmert. Included in tbe funding of RA.ILPAX ia. $200 milliOE for ne,� egu:i pment v7hj.cb rWly sec'l.l.._rbo'" ty})e equipr:Jent on Yllo.Yly of t�12 shorter haul services.
BEN EOLIADf-l.Y Arm TR�N3POI:"{TATION In OREGON:
Ben Holladc..y -vJ:J.S best lmc-;m in th.::: North',yest by his dealings v}i th the Oregon Centro.l R1.ilroo.d ",hieh brought in Hc::nry Villard to t:J.ke over when the railroad got into b ad finQncio.l shc,pc: _ HolL"lday Clnd Vi�la.rc1 "lere chCl!:'::J.cters in not only 0. plo.y o.bout the railroads but also other me :::ms of trcmsportCltion in the NOY'thwe st. Their empir ES in cluded no t o nly ro.illines but D.lso xi ver ships ,J.nd oce:J.n steClmers. Your editor oecClme interestcd in the other v8nturcs of these men and the following is an o.ccount of tllC ocean stcD.E:::;hif operations of HollClc1ay and Villard.
l\fter ho.vin6 dTo.ined the profits from the gold rushes in Co.lifornia c:nd IdClho the Po.cific !vhil Stco.:nship CompClny ,�i thdre,,} from the cO:J.str!.l tro.de and concentr:J.ted on the trcms --Po.cific tnlde. The company sold its vcs3C'ls (CORTEZ) OREGON> SIERRA NEVADA, REPUBLIC) Pfl.I'Jl\Mi\, Fl1EfvIONT) to the Californi::J., Oregon and HeXic o Stecmship Co mp::J.ny for �;250,COO. In p:"lrcnershi:9 with Edward RJ.st Flint) Ben Holl:J.d:J.Y ( mmer of the Overlo.nd StD. tc; Company) pLlccd his brother, Jesse) ClS �1gent··i n-chnrge, Hollo.dny reD.lized thc-,t 0. r::-ctc "nr vJ::lS in ;�ne \wrst interests of the established cOmp8.nies on the route bet ween Portl:md o.nQ S,'111 Fro.neisco Cll1d the; rumor vlClS thn t the CaliforniC1., . Oregon o.nci Mexico Stco.mship Com:p.".l1Y :md the California Stcmn N::wigo.tion md fixed the rates bet wce :1 Po:rtlcmd nnd S:J.Yl Frnnci sco c.t �;25 first class, �p15 steer�"lge o.nd freight at $5 a ton :J.lt hough no cne \']['. s D.ble to domument the c.greeme;nc. THE Tlif"'-INMf\STER IDge 5 NOVEMBER 1970
Ben Holladay cant'
The years beti.ve;e;n 1860 and 1870-'Jere; domina ted by the towering figure of Ben Holladay. Holladay was aware of where the; real profits lay and he equipped his steamers with fine bars and lounges where his passengers might enjoy themselves with the finest food and drink. The ships were reported to have earned between $150 and $200 a day on passengers drinking Holladay's own bourbon which his brother Joe manufactured. The profits r olled in and the money was used to tide over the Ov erland Stage Co mIDny during several years of bad Indian uprisings on the plains. The s eri es of inland gold strikes in Oregon, Idaho and Montana spurred traffic through Portland and on the s hips of Holladay and the California Steam Navigation Company from San Francisco. Ben Holladay had been described in the; following manner:
Noisy and boisterous though he was, his energy and drive made him a man to be reckoned with. In business he Ras as tough as the situati on demanded. He argued, fought, smashed and trampled on any one who stood in his path. He had to have his way. Anything was fair, he believed, in war, love, business and politics. One of his bitterest rivals, Joseph Gaston of Oregon, once described him in print as "energetic, untiring, unconscionable, unscrupUlous and wholly destitute of honesty, morality or commondecency". It was the way a good many of his foes felt .'J.bout him. Holladay knew this, and he drank to their good health in good scotch whisky. Nevertheless, Ben moved mountains in an age when mountains heeded moving. He got things done when pounding fists were more effective th�n a ready tongue. Feared and assailed by his enemies. Holladay was beloved by the people.
The California Steam Navigation Company was not loved by the business community either. The Oregonian once stated in an elftitorial that the California Steam NaVigation Company was:
able to dec lare large dividends on account of the Oregon trade. Thousands were made n o each trip with the old tubs, but no thought was g iven to dropping rates a cent. Prices were put up on the most flimsy pretext. The rate between Portland and San Francisco had been $40 when Congress added an 80 cent tax on each passenger ticket. Whereupon the California Steam Navigation ComIDny raised their fares to $45 and the passenger was given to think the fare was raised $5 in consequence of an Act of Congress. ,
Business continued good for several years with both lines feeding the needs of the gold strikes. The amount of gold shipped out of Portland between 1861 and 1867 was considerable with the Wells, Fargo aDd Company alone accounting for the following amounts: 1865 - $6,200,000 1866- $5,400,000 1867 - $4,000,000
M�ny vessels left with $300,000 aboard in the custody of the Wells, Fargo agent and ocassionally the amount wouldbe as high as $750,000. Along with the gold, in 1883 Holladay's ship SIERRA NEVADA sailed once with $90,000 in sivler bullion in her safe.
Holladay would rest from his financial dealings by taking a cruise on one of his ships, the ORIFhAMME. Built in 1864 has a Navy gunboat she was subsequently con- THE TRll.I NMAS TER -pc.ge 6 NOVEMBER 1970
Ben Holladay cont '
verted to passenger opera tion and s en t to China . L o oking for v es sels) Holladay co.me upon the ORIFLAMME up for sale o.nd put her on the Portlo. nd , San Fro. ncisco run where it operated in general pa ssenger and co.rgo service . but was o.lso us ed o.s Holladay 's private ya cht (o.t 230 feet in length �) �� ny are the to.les of parties th� t were thrown by Ho lla da y "\v hich la s t e d from San - Francisco to Ala.ska and return .
By the middle of the 1860 's Hol18.days v es s el s w ere getting qu:' ;:'e: old and he did not have the money to replace them since hi s capito.l wo.s being spent trying to develop severa.l ra il lines in Or egon . The Oregonian vJo.s s t i l l on the editori0.1 rampage o.go.inst un·- # safe s h ips ) inadequate service, etc .) when the di re c t o rs of the: Oregon Steam Navigation Compa ny decided that wh':l.t was needed to! strengthen their ope rations wo.s 0.. Dev] ) fo.st vessel on the Portland·-San Fro.n c i s c o route . The directors of the Comp'::my) vJ hich o.lready ha d o.. n ext ensive operati on in the inland wo.. ters of the Northw es t) cho..r tered 0. sub - sido.ry) the Ore:gon S t cmns hip Company ) to operate the propos ed coasto.l s e rv i ce . The Oreg on S t co.ms hi p Company th ought that the time was right for the new s hi p but wanted to keep the cons truction a secret to avoid any poss ible counter moves by Hollo. d ay . D�.niel E. Bradford ) 0. director of the c ompc'lny wrote:
I see Ho lladay often but he is a r egula r blower and my opini on is that he "I-l ill run the s hi ps he ho.. s for all t hey are w orht o.nd then he is done . Ti lton ( an oth er di rector) thinks he \-JQ nts money and he ha s not got the meo.ns to build ne,,] ships .
The Oregon Stca'Oship Co mpo. ny ha d the new vessel bui lt in t h e East a nd named it the OREDONIAN before it s et s a il for the Po.cific Coast. Hollado..y immediately set about t o make sure tho.t the ves sel never enter ed service and mo.no.ged to get an Qgreement from the m!J.nagement of the Oregon Steamship C ompany , vlhi ch had become strapped for money to complete the ship, not to operate the vessel in the Northwes t. Subs equ ently> when the OREDONIAN entered San Fro.ncisco h'l. rb or she vJ as ti ed up , aDd o. fter ::cperi od of time entered the South American tro.de . The Oregonian complained tho.t Po rt land capito.l i s t s ha d fa iled to give adequa te support cm d ho. d not e'lcouro.ged the ow ners of the OREGONIAN , whe rec,s , the t ruth i.J as that the venture v;as L1 unched vI i th too little co. pi t.:i l ; o.nd wj_th th e ::: 8.epect of secrecy the Portlanders ,'I ere' not given a cho.nce to ba ck the compa ny bef or e the Clgreement "\.Jo.s signed vI i th Hollo. do.y .
In 1867 the Co. lifornio. SteClm NaVi ga tion Company, \·7hich opero.ted i.J ith Holladay ' s Co.lifornio. , Oregon Clnd Mexi. co Steo.ms hip Company} Cl monopoly on Co.lifornio... ·N'C rth west trade , sold its ships to Hollo.d::ly, from then on confining its field of operations to the inlo.nd vi 0.ters of Co.lifornio. . Hcllo.dCly finally ho.d complete control of the North .. \-J es t tro.ffic .
Hollo.do.y comb ined hi s Co. lifornia , Oregon ::1nd Mexi co Stmmship C ompany the Anchor line of Po. tton , and the Co.lifornio. Steo.m IhvigCltion 's operations i.nt o t he N orth . Po. cific Transportation Company . Hollo. d ay chos e this name since he felt it sounded better tho.n one "I-lith Ca lifornia in it . Co.lifo rnia WJ.S dislH:ed by mo.ny Oregonio.ns since th2y felt trl3.t Ca lifornia Wo.s mi lldng Oregon for their ow n ::;. dvo.ncement "
In 1875 ) there entered upon the scen5 another pers o�o.lity who was to forC8 Holladay out of the trans porto.tion pi cture o.nd e'lcntuo. lly bo.nkrupt him . Henry Vi llo. rd "\-J as o.ppointed o.s wo.tchdog for 0. group of GcrmCln financiers who ha d inves ted heavi ly in the Northwes t, especially in the Oregon Centl'Ql R'J.ilroo.d, which was controlled by Bcn Holl:J.dQy . Vi ll:J. rd felt that if the Ore:g on Centro.l ioJ ere to b8 extended through the Hillo.mette Vo. llcy the expected net c::unings for the first yea r could be: $50,000, for ATT:C:'NTION ATTENTION ATTENTION
If you could not get t i c ke t s for Rockerfeller 's New Ye ar s Eve bash take heart - there is a replaceme nt . This ye ar the Pacific Northwe st :� Chap ter wIll again run its New Ye ars Eve trip to the e nte rt a inme nt c apital of the We st- Wishram, Washington on the shore s of the beautiful Collrnb ia Riyer . Why spend pile s of money trying to keep up with the jet set when for a few dollars vou cro be in with the train set at the ftastime Tavern.
This is the second time tbe ladies can part icipate in one of the Chapt er 's infamou s pr ivate car trips . r:Phe ticket pr ice this ye ar inc lude s not only transportat ion (220 mile s of rail travel ), all the adult refre shment one can dr ink, light snacks and foods , but comp l ime ntary champagne will be -served to we lcome in the New Ye ar .
SCHEDULE : Depart Portland at 9:30pm on Burlington Nor thern Train #24 The Wes tern S t ar , Tbursday , De c ember 31, 1970
Arr ive Wishram, Washington before the e n d o f 1970 t o c atch the fe stiv ities at 1rTishram! S number one night spo'b'� The Pastbhe . This is a place you wi ll long remember.
'VJhile in tH shram the car will remain connected to steam for heat ing. Passengers may rema in on the car or t hey can spend four de light ful hour s seeing the sights of historic 1tJ ishram.
Dep art Wishr am at 4:53am January 1st 1971 on Burlington Northern train #21 lJ}he_ Emp ire Builder . Br eakfast will be available in the dining car ..
EQUIPMENT : The lounge-slee per Nt . St . He lens will be for the privat e use of the traveling party. Tf there is suff'L cie.nt dcema n d to warrant a second car a s uitable piece of equipme nt will be operated In addit ion to tbe Nt . st . He lens.
NOTE : No space will be specifically assigned. We reque st that you be twenty-one (21 ) ye ars of age or older .
FARE : $16 per person or $30 per couple � Fare include s rail trans portat i on, f r e e adult refreshment , snacks and comp lime ntar,r champagne . Not i n clude d will be refreshments at the Pastime or breakfast in the diner . ------
By all me ans include rr..e'-,in thls ye ar s trip 1 Enclosed is my check for $ --- for (# ) tickets at ;:f16 a piece or ��3 0 a coup l e.
NAME ______Ph one number-----
ADDRESS______
CITY STATE ------ZIP------
SEND ORDER TO : Pacific Northwe st Chapter , NRHS PLEA SE ENC LOSE A Room 1, Union Stat ion SELF-ADDRESSED STAlJIPED Portland , Oregon 9 7 209 EN \TELOPE FOR REPLY