For those who follow the Southern Pacific, this post goes into incredible detail regarding the car types and the amounts for each location for each receiver and shipper during my preferred time period of the mid to late 1970s.
Beyond that though there is the comments from the shippers and receivers that make it a very worthwhile reading and research piece for the freelance modeller. Enjoy.
Tarzana team track–©photo B. Smith
The San Fernando Valley Branch in 1973 was an interesting operation with a lot of traffic. There was a wide variety of shippers and a good deal of team track traffic. B. Smith, the author of the below profile he wrote in 1973, talked to owners/managers of each business/industry located along the tracks as well as the Southern Pacific Railroad’s area manager who allowed him access to the railroad’s records. Here is some of what he learned. It gives us all a glimpse into 1970s to probably the late 1980s-early 1990s operations when single car traffic was still common and embraced by larger railroads. The diversity of the team traffic business really caught my eye. (The verb tense is present since this is what B. Smith documented in 1973.)
Bakery still using rail, though no covered hoppers this day.–©photo B. Smith
Orowheat Bakery, receives wheat from Montana and flour…
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