Diesel Power on the Southern Pacific

Great material from 19 sources shot in many locations out west. This DVD brings you the 1942 to 1975 era on the Southern Pacific with E units, F units and early GP9 and SD9 power. Don’t miss out on the first U- boats as they ply Southern Pacific rails. 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 FM and ALCo and many rare Southern Pacific units. Fantastic video of fantastic diesels at fantastic locations!.

See the greater San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles environs, Glendale’s old Taylor Yard, Colton Crossing, and many extinct branch lines. 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 savvy railfans. Locations include: Oakland and San Jose, The 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 the reviews are great: 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.” And Model Railroad News says, “Smiley, as usual, pulls from unfathomable depths of footage to locate and select delightful pearls of 8 and 16mm footage.”