REPORT Page 9-2
REPORT
Report is the official publication of the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association. Officers are: Eric Sanders, president; Wally Duthie, vice president; Terry Durkin, secretary; and Charles Gerdes, treasurer. Other Board members are: Al Diamond and Walter Hayward. Send communications to; 7861 Normal, La Mesa, Cal.
ACTIVITIES
Terry Durkin's Fairmont S-2 No. 5 ran November 17 from Escondido Junction to Escondido and return. Roadmaster 0. D. Hoge accompanied the group in his own section car. Aboard the special were Jack Stodelle, Ted Haas, Jeff Millquist, Wally Duthie, Eric Sanders and Durkin.
John D. Barriger hosted the annual Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad Co. luncheon at the El Cortez on November 30. Present were industrialists, civic officials, railroad representatives, railfans, and wives. Most of those present were friends of Mr. Barriger. The host stated that retirement was near and that the 1964 luncheon would be his last official event in the city.
California Southern Railway Library has placed a portion of the Richard V. Dodge collection in the safety deposit section of the San Diego Trust & Savings Bank.
The above items will be expanded and a report from Tom Matson carried in the next Report.
IN THE GLARE OF THE HEADLIGHT
-The Railroad and the Balance of NatureHave you ever thought that the railroad does affect the Balance of Nature? Read on, class:
Humans, of course, will get in front of trains, usually with disastrous results to themselves, but it is our purpose to write about the supposedly lower classes of Fauna, and a little about the AVES.
Wild life seems to be attracted to the railroad tracks, living dangerously as the trains come along, and many not making it across in time. Birds get caught in the "slip stream" of the locomotive and POW! For a while in the late summer many large white owls (probably the spring crop) would dive at the headlight, sometimes not swerving off in time, scratching one owl and leaving a large spot on the front window. The ones who did, escape are much wiser now and content themselves by sitting on the telegraph poles and glaring right back at us.
At Gypsum, on the Third District in the Santa Ana Canyon, when the hills get dry, a lot of deer come down to drink from the river or the zanja which runs along the tracks and so on to Orange County for irrigation. At night they will stand in the middle of the track transfixed by the headlight, but if we get it turned off the spell is broken and they will spring away safe.
One year there were many 'possums, but we eliminated so many of the slow moving critters there have been very few since.
Skunks are fearless, even with locomotives, and the last thing I have seen of a number has been one in the middle of the track assuming "the position." They may go, but are not forgotten, as the fragrant memory lingers on, and on.
This has been a good rabbit year and they seem to love to pour across the tracks in front of the train at night. I like to think of them as spry enough to spring free before we hit them; we will never know, however, as the scavengers of the night clean the track of all but the largest animals we hit before our return trip.
A vignette we caught "in the glare of the headlight" one night when we were making a cool ninety near Las Flores was a cottontail hopping along the track with an owl in pursuit. Just before we would have hit the now closely embraced pair the owl, with rabbit, took off into the wild black yonder. The rabbit was a philosopher, tho, as the fireman and I were sure we heard him say as he was borne aloft, "Oh, well; hare today, gone tomorrow."
George J. Oliver
SANTA FE LOCOMOTIVE IS DERAILED
Santa Fe San Diegan Train No. 77 northbound Thursday, December 5, struck an auto stuck on the tracks near a cross road at Stuart Farms. A few moments later as it ground to a halt one mile north of the accident scene the three locomotive units were derailed and 180 feet of track was torn up. The train's seven passenger coaches and one baggage car remained on the tracks. No one was injured. A repair train came down from Los Angeles. Temporary track was laid and service was resumed. About 24 hours later the locomotive units were rerailed by a crane and main line was repaired.
BACK HOME EXCURSIONS GALLERY FAQ HISTORY STORIES SOUNDS LINKS