January 1954

WESTERN PACIFIC M.!~~p'~Sls PROGRESS e:4[; :lhe Sorel Ptan.t Engineering "news" was made last ties were important features of the cul Department of Public Relalions month when Western Pacific's main vert job, the increased capacity over WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD track on the San Jose branch was cut, existing natural drainage being neces three large diameter culverts installed, sary because of the additional run-off SACRAMENTO NORTHERN RAILWAY TIDEWATER SOUTHERN RAILWAY 526 Mission Street, San Francisco 5 and the line restored to service, all in from pavement and buildings in the an elapsed time of 14 hours. developed areas. The triple Multi Lee "Flash" Sherwood, Editor Arthur Lloyd, Jr., Associate Editor The job was just one of the many Plate Pipe-Arch, mor e than eight feet AIent ber Al1terican Railway Magazine Editors} Association engineering problems being overcome in diameter, is to carry the Berryessa JJe?1~b e)' Northent California Tndustrial Editors} Association daily during construction of the Ford Creek and Arroyo De Los Coches, the Motor Company's assembly plant at principal waterways of the area, under Milpitas and the new 500-car yard to the tracks. Berryessa Creek is, in ad serve it. Latest engineering depart dition, carried under Landess Road CONTENTS ment report on the entire project 1S by a similar system, and other small Page right on schedule! drainage culverts, as well as yard Improvement, realignment and en drainage, will be required. Progress at 'the Ford Plant 3 largement of existing drainage facili- A 14-inch water line from Hetch Arm Chair Railroading. 5 Because of the need for additional drainage facilities to carry off heavy seasonal rains and run-off The Teachers Brought the Apples .. 8 from the surrounding hills, Western Pacific built this big approximately 2%-mile long drainage ditch. They're Talking About It YeL. 10 Law Staff Increased. 12 Dependent Hospital Insurance Highlights 13 Sacramento Northern Reorganization .. 13 Paul Jenner sez: "Don't Be HALF Safe!" . 14 Mileposts in Gold .. .. ... 15 In Memoriam. ..16 WP Will Remember.. 17 Caboosing 20 Sports ...... .... ... 33 Railroad Lines 36 • M ilepost 54: A Western Pacific 1st CPS (Cali/oTnia F?'eight Special) mils thTOUgh Alta mont Pass bound jor Oakland 'Wtt.h n traHlload of general merchandise and ?nanujactured goods rushed jr01n the Chica'clo wnd St. Louis gateways. ~ 7 2 MILEPOSTS ARM CHAIR RAI LROJ\OINC To most people, motor-car patrol) and to housewives and W i I bur C. in particular, HO Hardy (motor-car simply means mush. maintainer) had to But to a certain reconstruct their Taken from just inside the Ford property line, this view shows the huge switching yard under construction group of individu by Western Pacific at the north end of the Ford assembly plant. It's a long, long way to the other end. sleeping quarters als, numbering in into a one above the the many thousands Hetchy will be connected this month, chinery to be installed by Ford is ex other bunk-bed ar and the sewer system will be com pected to arrive in April. and located in most rangement at the Wilbur Hardy parts of the world, pleted by March 1. The Ford building will cover forty opposite end of the Frank Buckholtz H 0 (h a If "0") Grading of the entire yard has been acres, with provisions for large future car in order to pro- means nothing more than a reduced completed with a four-inch layer of expansion. Western Pacific's immedi vide operating room for their minia carbon copy of a full-scale operating sub-ballast, and track laying is 35 per ate construction calls for a yard with ture Western Pacific railroad. railroad. It would be difficult to estimate cent completed in the yard and 100 500-car capacity, plus storage, repair, When viewing the layout, it is diffi the number of miles of railroad track per cent within the Ford plant. Con engine and caboose tracks, as well as cult to conceive how they might ever struction material being used in the interchange with the Southern Pacific. that are laid in living rooms, basements, enlarge the operation, but hardly a new assembly plant is being brought Provision in the design was also made and attics of several continents. Robert week-end or vacation goes by when for future expansion to a 100-car ca Montgomery at one time had so much in on the track leading into the south Frank isn't rearranging the maze of pacity yard when traffic requires. trackage he cut holes in his walls so end of the building. At the present electrical wiring, planning new track At the present rate of progress the trains could run from room to room. time, steel erection of the huge as construction, adding new equipment, plant will be ready for the assembly Individuals have spent small-sized or installing some new gadget for a sembly plant is more than 40 per cent of cars about September 1, in time for fortunes on their railroad layouts, and bigger and better railroad. completed and equipment and ma- the 1955 models. though many owners get their rail Buckholtz, with WP since 1936, does roads into operation only at Christmas From Western Pacific's side of the Ford property line, huge assembly plant under construction looks small. most of the wiring and construction, time, the real "zorch" operators have and he is assisted by Hardy, a WP em permanent installations. ployee since 1935, who might be called One rather unique layout is owned the operating manager. Both enjoy and operated right in our own back nothing more than showing off their yard and, so far as is known, it is the fascinating hobby and when they aren't only operation of its kind on the West out on the line a visit to their bunk car ern Pacific. Built on a small scale between working hours will give you about two years ago in one end of a an hour or more of real enjoyment and WP bunk car set out behind the old you'll probably leave the car shaking Keddie station, the layout has grown your head in a state of bewilderment. to such an extent that it now occu So pull up a chair-there's the two pies nearly one-half of the entire car. long whistles and the signal's clear! In fact, Frank Buckholtz (canyon (Photos on Pages 6 and 7.) JANUARY, 1954 5 Considering the limited space in which they have to work, this little railroad is an operating dream. A little of the detail may be seen in these two close-up pictures, again taken from each end of the layout. These photos, taken from each end of the layout, show the complete operation. Two years ago it con Above, may be seen the waterfall in the rear under which the main line has been tunneled. A de luxe hotel sisted of two trains, a "Casey Jones" engine, a freight, a "goat" and a section house. Now rolling may be seen surrounded by palm trees on the opposite side of the picture, while three ships and a submarine arou.nd the tracks: and switching ~ack and forth are 11 trains, including a Budd "Zephyrette," two Cali (under water) await their turn to pass through the locks. A long freight is passing through the tunnel f~)fnla Zephyr trams, motor car, dIesel switcher, two steam switchers, Mallets, Mikes, articulated locomo and another tra in is backed along the dock. One of the crossovers may be seen just in front of the hotel. tives, all WP models. There are two main lines, three sidings, seven yard tracks, a roundhouse. turntable, Below, the "Zephyrette" is just leaving a passing track to follow one of the California Zephyrs, which, ice house, two crossovers, 27 switches, waterfalls, lake, channel and locks. Electrically operated on DC, in turn, is running behind a freight h;aving the picture at the lower left corner. An array of various 12 volts., aided by a compressor converted from a refrigerator motor, the trains whistle. smoke pours from steam power is shown on the turntable and in front of the roundhouse, which were run out for the pic th.e engme and roundhouse stacks, headlights shine, and the boats pass through electrically operated locks. ture. The white object just below the roundhouse is a snow plow, and a tiny motorcar stands just before EIght rheostats and two panel control boar.ds opera te main line and yard tracks with the flick of a switch. its house alongside the two tanks. An amazing array of electrical wiring runs beneath the entire table. Once each year the tables are turned and the teachers return to school, not to the little red schoolhouse on the hill, but to the plants of the butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker-and to Western Pacific Railroad. They come prepared to look and to listen and they return to their schoolrooms with volumes of knowledge for their students. As part of the 1953 Annual Business Education Day program, WP played host to those who teach our children The electrically operated wheel lift fascinated teachers at Oakland . at Oakland, San Francisco, and Sacra mento during October and November. and they enjoyed a lunch served from Western Pacific's commissary. On October 21, the Oakland teachers E. E. Gleason, chief mechanical officer; William J. rode the California Zephyr to Niles Berkhart, superintendent of schools; C. P. Sheetz, teacher, Sacramento Junior College, panel members. and returned to the Oakland coach yard for luncheon, a visit through the premises and a showing of "Destina tion, America," which followed a panel discussion conducted by WP officials.

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