The Official Publicationof the Pacific Northwest Chapter, National Railway Historical Society June 1996 Introducing http://www.easystreetcom/pnwc/ or four computer systems at separate institutions. In order to resolve this problem to permit users of the By Glenn Laubaugh separate systems to send messages to one another, a system was developed for electronic mail "addresses". That was The Pacific Northwest Chapter, National Railway His­ the inclusion of the computer system name into the address torical Society now has a World Wide Web site. This is all of the user. For example, ifsomeone were to want to send a very fine and wonderful, but just what IS a world wide web note to the uSer named ')ohnb" at the computer used by site? Just what is the World Wide Web? This is what I would MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, the complete.address like to make somewhat clearer in this article. would be: In 1969, several large research universities decided to johnb@)mit.edu coIinect theircomputer systems together so that the users of where ')ohnb"is the nameof the user,"mit" isthe name those systems could exchange infonnation. This is some­ of the computer system that receives the electronic mail. what similar to the earliest days when railroads first started andthe ".edu" identifies the computersystem as beingowned to interchange traffic for their mutual benefit. The railroads byan educational institution. had to adopt some sort of standards about certain items, Inthe years since 1969, thiscomp\lter networkthat was otherwise the interchange of traffic could not take place, started by the four universities has since grown to include but each company was still independent about most things. hundreds of thousands of computers all over the world, and That is how things happened here: there was no com­ millions of.users. This computer network is now referred to mon ownership of the computer systems, they simply de­ as the "internet". cided to allow the computer systemsto communicate to each Eventually,a need was found for users of one computer other. systemto obtain public infonnation stored on another com­ One of the first items to be developed was "electronic puter system.For example, some of the universities wanted used mail". On large computer systems, such as those by Users at other universities to be able to find and read lists of these Universities, there may be a hundred or more users on faculty telephone numbers so that it would be possible to single computer. Each user has some sort of identification find the telephone number of a particular office. name or number that allows the computer system to iden­ This is where the World Wide Web comes into play. It tify, who that person is, and what areas of the computer is. the latest version of a way of storing infonnation on a is system that person allowed to operate. computer system so that anyone else who has a computer are Since these systems already separated into various attached to the internet can read it. These documents not users, it was not a big step to establish an area for each user only contain useful infonnation, but also a list of 9ptions. can to use as a mailbox. One user send and receive mes­ Each of those options leads to another document somewhere sages from other users know what identification name the else. For example, the Union Pacific Railroad has a large computer uses to identify that person. number of documents on the World Wide Web. By selecting The sending and receivingof these messagesfrom one one option, the user will be transferred to a document that user to another is called "electronic mail," or shortened to lists recent news about the Union Pacific. By selecting an "e-mail". option on this new document, the user will be transferredto When the universities decided to connect their com­ a map of the Union Pacific Railroad.By selectingan option puter systems together, there was a problem: same user there, a user will be transferred to the Computer system op- names were common to several of the computer systems. For example, the user called "johnb" might exist on three (see PNWC on the INTERNET on page 5) The Trainmaster Jnne 1996 The TRAINMASTER is the official newsletter of the Pa- cific Northwest Chapter of the Na- CHA.PTERTI'IE T�\BLE No. 405 tional Railway Historical Society, published monthly for the benefit of REGULAR RUNS its members. Articles which appear BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Tbunday, .June 13, 7:00 P.M., at Room 208, Union Station. Enter through the main entrance, turn right two times, past the in The Trainmaster do not express . magazine stand, first door on left at hallway to Wllfs. the official National Railway His- torical Society position on any sub- MONTHLY MEMBERSHIPMEETING Friday, June 21, 7:30 P.M., at st. David's jectunless specifically notedas such. Episcopal Church, 2800 S.E. Harrison. The business meeting will start promptly at 7:30, with the newsreel and program following a short break. Refreshments will be Material from TheTrainm aster may available; please bring some. money to feed the "kitty," so it can continue to feed us! be reprinted in other publications provided credit is given as to the WEEKLY NO-HOST LUNCHEON every Saturday, 12:00 Noon, at the Semaphore Restaurant at S.E. 17th& S.E. Holgate Blvd. Ourgroup is in the back. Come on down! source. Pleaseaddress contributions, correspondence, and exchange cop- ROLLING STOCK WORK SESSIONS are planned to prepare can for leases. ies of newsletters to: Contact Richard Gray (657-8250), or Peter Rodabaugh (771-8545) for an update. Attn. TMEd itor LIBRARY/ARCHIVES WORK SESSION: Thunday, June 13, 1:00P.M. to 4:00 PNWC-NRHS P.M. at Room 1 & lA, Union Station. Help is needed to get things organized and Room 1, Union Station catalogued. Contact Bob Weaver (654-4274) for more information. Portland , OR 97209-3715 . CHAPTER LIBRARY OPEN HOURS Every Saturday, 1:00to 4:00 P.M. at Room VOICE: (503) 226-6747 1, Union Station. Call Jim Loomis (253-3926) for appointments, if this is a difficult day and/or time for you. (503) 231-4624 FAX: EXTRA BOARD INTERNET: http:// NRBS NATIONAL CONVENTION: June 18-23,1996, Charlotte, NC. Call (704) www.easystreet.com/pnwc/ 647-0508 for details. Please note activities update on page 6. PNWC-NRBS ANNUAL PICNIC: Saturday, August17, 1996 at Antique Powerland, Editor: Brooks, OR. Contact Darel Mack at (503)654-5017 for more details. James Loomis MOTIVE POWER FESTIVAL: September 7 & 8, 1996. in Willits, CA. Call Jack 12440 S.E. Stephens Wade (707) 459-9036 or Bobble Yokum (707) 459-2736 for sign-up or additional Portland, OR 97233-1336 information Circulation: Chuck Storz, (503) 289-4529 MEMBERSHIP in the PNWC- NRHS is available as follows: Regular•••• S27/yr. Joint•••....•• S35/yr. �21MEETINGPROGRruM For more information, contact the Membership Chairperson at the Programbegins afterbusiness meeting above address. Portland Traction Under Wire To be. presentedby: DEADLINES Richard Parks The deadline for each issue of roLY19MEETINGPROGRAM The Trainmaster is the 20th of the previous month. Submis- Westside Lumber Company sions m be made on fl py To be presented by: disk, in '\Vor �erfect, Mcg Word or AS II formats. Ed Ackerman TheEditor reservesthe rilfht to NOTICE: Programs are needed for future meetings. Anyone who is willingto editor hold materialat hiSlher discretion. present a program (slides, film, etc.) at a Chapter meeting, please contact the President. June 1996 2 The Trainmaster Pacific Western First Subdivision Part2 . Editor's Note: The meetingminutes have IUIt tUrived lit mainsin service todayfor mainte ce persoDDeland IS � . press time. They willtIJIpetIT inthe nextUsue, alongwith the used by crews working local SWItch Jobs out of Fre- minutesfor June. mont. A one-story frameand stucco Mission-style combi­ Reprinted from the March. 1996 issu� of The . Ferroequinolog;st.published by the Central CoastRaIlway Club. nation freight and passenger depot was constructed m SanJose. CA. 1910 to serve the needs of Pleasanton. This depot was retired in 1963. At one time railroads served the cities and towns To serve: Livennore,WP built a one-story frame, they passed through. Today most freight trains streak stucco Mission-style depot in 1910 along with a.freight through these communities with barely a toot of �e house both retired about 1966. whistle to acknowledge their existence. WesternPacific one-storyframe telegraph office was built in 1943 at one time had depots between Oakland and Stockton A at Altamont.With the arrival of CTC in 1952 the struc- to handle the communities' business. These depots pro­ ture was removed. vided a local agent who took care of the freight busi­ A one-storyframe combination freight andpassen­ ness, sold passenger tickets, handled Railway Express ger depot was built at Carbona in 1910. This ctu e Agencyshipments, and sentand received Wes ternUnion � � was replaced in 1934. This second depot was ret1f� m telegrams. 1984. Carbona was originally South Tesla Junction. We sternPacific's Oakland Mole, also called 'West­ On May 2, 1965 Carbona was renamed Tracy. ern Pacific Mole", consisted of a lO7'xl46' frame and . In 1908 WP built a two-story frame interlocking steel tenninal building with 3114 sq. feet wood plat­ towerwhich controlled the crossing of SP's Tracy-Fresno formsand 36,600 sq. ft. umbrella-type trainsheds, ferry West Side Line at Lyoth. This tower had an 18-lever slips and docks. InMay, 1933, theWP arrangedto � e � mechanical interlocker, with additions made in 1914. their trains operate into and out of Southern Pacific s Jointlyowned by WP, 90% andSP 10%, it wasreplaced Oakland Pier. They turned their ferry over to SP, and in 1954 with an automatic interlocker, owned 50% by closed theirpier.