WP Mileposts July 1958

ilepoSls Vol. IX, No. 12 JULY, 1958 ' Milepost No. 108 Department of Public Relations WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD SACRAMENTO NORTHERN RY. TIDEWATER SOUTHERN HY. 526 Mission Street San Francisco 5, California Lee "Flash" Sherwood, Editor A. L. Lloyd, Associate Editor Gondola cars get covers 'Milepost No. 108: A Certain high - grade steel products, End view below better shows upper portion and westbound California top built for gondola cars at Sacramento Shops. Zephyr near Villinger. because of a tendency to rust when Pictures were taken by Marshall W . Brown, wet, require special protection when in assistant mechanical engineer. transit. To provide this protection, two standard open-type gondola cars left Western Pacific's Sacramento shops CONSIST last month equipped with covers. Page For ease in loading, the "roofs" have Gondola Cars Get Covers__ .. ____ ________ .. ____ .. ___________ _ 3 been divided into three sections. These Western Pacific Has No Intention of Giving Up Passenger Business ____ _ 4 sections are so constructed that when Look, Mr. Shipper-No Pallets ____ _________ ____ ____ _ 8 lifted from the gondola they may be How We're Doing __________________________ _.. __ 10 stacked one on top of the other. Desolation! ___ ______ _______ _________ _ 11 To protect the car ends and prevent Dear Editor: _____________ _ 12 bulging should the steel shift to the ends of the car, a heavy six-inch wood Mileposts in Gold __ 14 lining has been added to the inside of Vacation Bound? __ __ 15 the car at each end. Hawaiian Cruise Report __ 15 Inside dimensions of the covered Caboosing _________________ _ 16 cars are: height, 5'0"; width, 9'6"; and In Memoriam _____ ___________ ______ .. ______ _ 23 length, 51'5". Load limits are 139,900 pounds. COVER: At no additional charge, California Zephyr The work of converting the two cars passengers enjoy from five Vista-dome cars unob was done by Company forces at a cost structed views such as this near Belden, midway of $4,672 per car. in California's rugged Feather River Canyon. ~ 7 JULY, 1958 3 2 MILEPOSTS Western Pacific has no intention of giving up its p assenger business the popular California Zephyr, con are divided between these three rail In addition, Western Pacific fre sidered by a great many to be the roads on a mileage basis. For the year quently operates special passenger finest train in the country. The favor 1957, Western Pacific's proportion of trains. These trains carry military per able advertising which this train brings California Zephyr operation showed a sonnel, rail fans, tours by various to our railroad is looked upon as a loss of $18,571, the first incurred by associations, children from various favorable opposition to the train's the train during the' nine years it has nearby cities and towns to attend slight monetary loss last year. been in service. For the first five "Cinerama" shows in San Francisco, During the present busy season, as months of this year, the percentage of and other special groups. ~any of it has consistently done each year train capacity has been running about these "specials" are arranged and con since inauguration in 1949, the Cali four per cent behind the same period ducted by the department of public fornia Zephyr runs at near capacity last year. Revenues for the month of relations, and the majority earn a and makes money for the Company. ~ay, 1958, exceeded those for ~ay , profit. Next August the PR depart This would not be true were it not for 1957, and the train is expected to run ment will run its 10th Annual Shrine the train's many attractions, which are with full, or very near full, capacity Circus Special to bring Nevada chil becoming more widely acclaimed each during the remaining summer months. dren to Reno to see the "big show." year. People will ride trains if they are The only other regular Western The Cariboo Country Special, first run offered good service, comfort, good Pacific passenger service is the two last year, will be repeated again this food and pleasant dining atmosphere, single-unit Zephyrette cars which op year. Leaving Oakland on August 23, pleasure, and reasonable speed. This erate over the railroad in each direc this week-long excursion train will the Califm'nia Zephyr can boast. No tion three times each week. run all the way to Prince Rupert, T o spike any rumors to the contrary, train in the country can offer better Railroad employees far outnumber which may be prevalent among our service, better schedules for viewing, the revenue passengers carried on A unique reservation system avoids waiting in railroaders, Western Pacific wants its from four Vista-dome cars, some of these two cars, which for the year 1957 line for superb food excellently served on employees to know that it has no in this country's finest scenery, room to incurred a $234,772 loss in operation. tables covered with fresh linen, with highly tention of going out of the passenger relax and move around in comfort, polished silver and flowers on each table. business. This mayor may not be the and excellent food superbly served. case with other railroads which have Travelers may be able to "get there suffered considerable losses in passen faster" by another means of transpor ger train operations, and which there tation, and even by some fast runs fore do not seem particularly inter made by other railroads, but this ad ested in offering the public service that vantage your railroad feels is second encourages travel by railroad. Western ary to the benefits offered by the Pacific didn't make any money last California Zephyr. year with its passenger business either, Western Pacific cannot be classed as although in comparison with other a large "passenger" railroad. Its prin railroads, it didn't do too badly. One cipal passenger business is carried by thing is sure, WP's passenger service the transcontinental California Zephyr, is a credit to our employees. which is owned and operated by West One very fine reason why your rail ern Pacific, Rio Grande, and Burling road intends to retain this service is ton railroads. Revenues and expenses 4 MILEPOSTS -------- British Columbia. Last year's Cariboo Rnd many more dollars to their income. "And maybe you think that from Country Special was highly success "Mind you, this is not a brief for 18,000, or 22,000, or 25,000 feet, you've ful, and it was the first time a train train travel, nor yet a beef against air seen the grandeur of your country, from the United States had ever been travel. It's simply the reactions of a but until you've taken the California run on the Pacific Great Eastern. plain guy who's flown more miles than ZephY1'-and seen with awe the tre In addition, these "specials" provide he cares to count-or remember-and mendous upheavals of nature that look extra earnings for train and engine has trained just as many m iles-most like ant hills from the air-man, you men and other railroaders concerned of the train miles, regrettably, in the just plain ain't travelled! with passenger train operation, many Eastern part of this country, where "Maybe you like pre-selected meals of whom have expressed their ap passengers are regarded by the rail plunked in your lap-or slightly north preciation. Many passehgers on these roads as a considerable cut below hogs. thereof-but me, I like to walk into "specials" have, because they were a room with chairs and tables, and impressed with WP service and the tablecloths, and china, and flowers, employees with whom they came in and silver, and folks reminiscent of old contact, been the source of consider ness-and service-of America's rail family retainers-and order what I able freight business for our railroad. roads. But I picked the wrong railroad. want, the way I want it, and when I " There's nothing wrong with the want it. And that last part is one of PEOPLE are still traveling in spite of Burlington that a little press agentry the things other railroads could learn the present business recession, and or just plain truthful advertising won't from the C Z. You reserve your table for dinner, and it's there when you your railroad is making every effort cure. If all the people who fly between show up-provided you haven't lin to share in this business. Most indi Chicago and San Francisco knew what gered over-long in the bar car, or the cations point to greater than ever they're missing, Mr. Patterson's United dome, or your music-filled room. prosperity in the coming years, par Air Lines-and American and TWA ticularly on the West Coast, and West would be canceling flights and orders "Once you're west of D enver, and ern Pacific will be out for all the for new planes right and left. And the in the solicitous hands of the Rio passenger business it can get. Every Burlington-and by osmosis all other Grande Western and the W estern Pa Western Pacific railroader is a poten railroads (Western variety) would be cific, the scenery is guaranteed glori tial source of passenger business for adding more cars, and more people, ous! There may b e prettier scenery our railroad. Make it a point to talk on this shrinking earth of ours, but about your railroad and its service to there's nothing more impressive than your friends and acquaintances, your It's like being in another world when you en .

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