NWP in 1993 Last of the SP Days

I created this video with the KZbin Video Editor ( / editor )

[@FelicianaDelacruz]

The Southern Pacific certainly got more than their moneys worth out of those SD7's and 9's and GP9's

[@patricknoveski6409]

My friend Brad worked on S.P. for years as conductor. He was paid well, and loved his job. Of course, when U.P. came into the picture he was not happy. When still S.P. he got me on a local going up the coast on a lumber drop. It was one of the highlights of my adult life. Great crew. Amazing scenery. Thanks Brad.(ret.)

[@tpwkbs]

As soon as these boys make the joint, the ground man is in-between em. No red zone, no 3 step, none of that. They knew how to railroad, and probably had less injuries than today's guys. Most RR's today you cant even jump on or off moving equipment. Great video and thanks for posting!

[@sakeeler]

amen.

[@markfrench8892]

It became a pain in the arse when the FRA put that no getting on and off moving equipment rule in affect though my outfit was allowed to do it for making drops.

[@hectorguzman8435]

You can get on and off moving equipment again on the UP. Thank goodness

[@IanR1205]

They had way more injuries back then and worse types injuries. Many lives were damaged or ended altogether. And it cost the railroads a lot of money to pay for them all. As much as I enjoy working like these guys are (when no one is looking), the industry is much better off having ended some of these practices. The railroad and the workers both. There's no reason to risk injury to switch cars a few minutes faster. It is fun though, I admit haha

[@TristanMorrow]

It's something to see them working together kicking cars into the bowl -- that's what impressed me most about SP back in the day now I feel old lol

[@michaeldeckert6023]

I was a brakeman out of high school in 1972. Oakland to Roseville, Salinas. Many times I switched on to the Shellville main. My father was an executive officer at the general office on Market in San Francisco. Was the Assistant General Superintendent of communications- system for the whole railroad. He was one of their first management trainees. 1959 he was given a promotion is living in Sacramento CA from foreman climbing poles, to being sent to Texas Western college ( now UTEP) ElPaso TX.. lived there 3 and 1/2 years while he got his college degree. The railroad paid for that and all our living expenses while he got his is degree Our whole life was SP and the railroad.

[@jasonpeachrick2037]

Those dynamics at 15:45 sound damn cool. There’s a lot to see here that will never be seen again here in the North Bay. Thanks for sharing.

[@williamcochell9889]

Since this video is five years old, you probably won’t read these comments however, I can’t resist! Brings back such memories! I was a locomotive engineer on the Oregon division for southern pacific hired out in 1963! Hold another world of Railroading back then! Vintage depots and old railroad hotels! The stunning scenery comes to mind on the Tillamook branch, steepest grade Railroad in the northwestern United States you could look up and see your caboose over your head as you wound down the mountain! Toledo branch also gorgeous covered, bridges mountain territory! Still operating on train orders shortly to change to CTc And automatic block System! train handling was an art form when there were cabooses! Sorry, I get carried away! Also, love, the SD nines

[@ethanjackson8894]

I bet I could listen to your stories about the "way it was" all day... my favorite part of hiring out when I did was a chance to listen to fellow rails of your era tell memories from their time... man I would work all night and tie up just to stay for hours in the shanty laughing my ass off... the old heads truly had some fun! Sure wish I recorded some of those tales.

[@brentmiller3951]

My father worked for Southern Pacific at the cops bay depot he was hired on out of Vietnam to run the teletype .one of his other jobs was to run in front of the train from cops bay to Florence opening 3 trestles .I got to ride in many engines from 84 until 92 such beautiful scenery .I think the Tillamook line has a tourist train on that line now

[@brentmiller3951]

Coos bay not cops bay

[@johnpetrovitz935]

Great shots! Nothing like the old “9’s”. Sure miss ‘em. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@obkb1]

Aside from being about two hours too short, this was most enjoyable. Thank you!

[@NWP4440]

obkb1 I wish I had more, but most of the time I was shooting Kodachrome stills.

[@jamesstuart3346]

Nice to see train cars from the BG Era (Before Graffiti)

[@westernpacificrr]

I love how the door keeps opening and closing in the switching clip

[@davegeisler7802]

SD9s were cool locomotives and the SP had quite a few of them back in the day. 👍

[@2quintly]

Man, those Cadillacs sound good, . . . .

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

Don't they though? I miss SP's Cadillacs, too!

[@RWPeck]

You're right about that sound, it's very distinct and brings back childhood memories like no other train video I've watched.

[@c58rytcx]

This is just awesome, Jamie! Thanks for sharing something that we’ll never see again. And to think I was a sophomore in high school in Missouri when you shot this, just itching to go out West and see the “real” SP!

[@NWP4440]

I was a senior in high school when I filmed this. Got my drivers license just in time to capture this stuff.

[@kenkemzura903]

Nice to know that SMART and Northwest Pacific have rehabbed the track and service has been restored.

[@NWP4440]

Ken Kemzura It will never be like the old days, but it’s certainly better than weeds between the rails, like it was for about a decade.

[@1MTSRider]

I was up by Cloverdale on the 101 going to 128 a year ago, and all I saw was weed covered tracks. Has service and track been restored there now?

[@wondabiz]

@@1MTSRider anything past windsor hasn't been restored yet, I think they're in the process of doing it.

[@XBOXShawn12thman]

I just came across this video .... Subscribed!!!

[@tracksidemike]

Very enjoyable video excellent share very cool 😎 Thanks 👍🏻🚂TSM

[@hermandarr6224]

Great footage. Sure brings back memories, many thanks.

[@joelnordstrom8049]

Back in the days when SP still cared how their engines looked. They cleaned them every day

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

Cadillacs, as late as 1993!! Love those old gals. It didn't seem like the Conductor liked the Camera guy too much though....

[@NWP4440]

LOL!! The conductor was a good guy. All the crews were pretty good to this 17 year old kid.

[@brandedmcgowan6968]

SP employees was always classy and friendly til the UP takeover

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

@@brandedmcgowan6968 That's easy to believe!

[@stripervince1]

I was a signalman in the 1980s and went to signal school in old sac around 1984, i stayed till almost the end but went to metrolink in 1993 in los angeles. SP Was s great rail road.

[@djtdub1]

What a time capsule! I didn't know the NWP was active even as late as 1993.

[@dmorgan28]

I really enjoyed it. It brought back lots of memories. Thanks 👍👍👍❤️

[@kae4466]

i mis the old sp horns. so mournful sounding. sounds like they are saying oooohhh oooohh, wheras most horns today sound like they are saying help help help. been watching some eygiptian train vids and they sound like some poor strangling goose,.

[@spcabforward]

Fantastic Jamie!!!

[@OttoLemke-e4i]

I used to watch the sd9s and sw1500s roll into San Rafael dropping gravel hopper cars off. Nice footage

[@UnionPacificBNSF]

Early days of EOT operations the old cube type EOTs

[@camauedd8042]

Grew up along the NWP...Fernbridge n Fortuna.

[@waltergrundman4363]

soctia bluffs

[@robertmoir5695]

And thank you for making this video In reply You re welcome

[@rhoobarb773]

Really liking a TBT vids. Keep up the good work! I’d like to attend this event if they’re having it this year.

[@scottkew6278]

God rest your soul Jamie. You will be missed!

[@SR_DAN]

most of the gp9 and the gp7 and the gp18 most came to brazil where I live and most are working and well cared for

[@robertlloyd7167]

Man, those 567s sound cool!

[@М62]

4:59 Perfect!

[@jibimbapionaves4020]

Good old days!

[@csrrjefflloyd6496]

Cool seeing the Mars light on the loco 4440.

[@DanielMartinez-el3uz]

Growing up in the west coast I use to live a block from two railroad tracks 🛤 that use to cross each other like a T and I use to watch the SP train pass by my house 🏡 or sometimes take the T section which to lead straight to Santa Clarita & LA

[@jimroberts3504]

such a cool video! Thank you or sharing it!

[@lucapima1974]

Great engine sound

[@melvideo63]

So sad little is left of the NWP, other than the SMART run to Windsor.

[@DuckZone246]

Fantastic footage!

[@alfredbaroni2133]

Gotta miss them ol SP boys ,,, real mans railroad... I remember watching them do flying switches until the dieing day!!!!! A bunch nerds railroading now days!!!!! Thanks for preserving real railroading!!!

[@jerryrudd4723]

my favorite locomotives

[@tonyromano6220]

For new stuff.....🤣😂🤣👍

[@YardGoat2022]

Hiya all! I watch this video over and over cause I love watching switching operations, but always wondered about a particular section of this vid. On 3:41 the conductor turned the switch to make the train go left to “kick” the center beam an boxcar, but then why did he go back to the switch on 4:35? The SD-9’s still went left anyways, and why did the locos recoupled to the same car to kick it back further?

[@TristanMorrow]

That SD-9 SP 4440 though.

[@eva.cassidy]

Sweet footage.

[@tonyromano6220]

I am so damned old!

[@sophornnmun3479]

Nice video 👍

[@DingusMcgee4451]

RIP Jamie.

[@jarrietfair6497]

I really miss Southern pacific. Why did Union pacific had to take them over. They could have stopped the SP from going broke!

[@stripervince1]

Phil Anschutz bought SP to basically ruin it, selling off land and right of ways. Only took him 10 years to completly ruin it.

[@tylerbonser7686]

great video

[@repowers2]

4:58 WHAM!

[@tylerbrobston4265]

No!!!!! NOT THE END!!! ;C

[@davidbarnett9312]

@ 5:20 ish - Oops. If at first you don't succeed......

[@jaggedben]

Any idea why there's an empty intermodal flat in the train? Was there a ramp somewhere on the line? Never seen piggyback on the NWP.

[@NWP4440]

jaggedben There was a company in Redwood Valley, north of Ukiah, that repurposed old TOFC cars into bridges. If you look around, you will see them on a lot of farms, vineyards, and even golf courses.

[@jamessimms415]

@@NWP4440 If I ever win the mega gazillion lottery, I’ll make sure I’ll have some ex-flat cars crossing something & a set of tracks to cross in the driveway

[@markfrench8892]

And to think a month or so later I was working this line for the Cal Northern.

[@JDsHouseofHobbies]

I still have photos of Cali Northern GP15s sitting in Petaluma on a Saturday or Sunday.

[@arifalfarizi1972]

Nice👍

[@DuckZone246]

Besides the "Nowhere in particular" footage, is there any of the north end beyond Willits?

[@NWP4440]

The Mighty Duckman Not In my collection.

[@timpriddy349]

Only a few of those boxcars exist today on UP yards....if they havent been generically painted brick red with sp only on the side

[@jamessimms415]

Saw a bunch of ex-SP boxcars in the CAGY yard in Columbus, MS

[@jasonpeachrick2037]

What is the faint bell I’m hearing when the pair of SD9’s are crossing the East D Street? Sounds like a crossing bell.

[@NWP4440]

Jason Peachrick been so long, I’m not sure. Sounds like the gates on the main activated for a bit.

[@danosf]

4440 was cut up in Schellville a few years after this.

[@CRPULSE300]

If you look up the NWP on google maps there is a picture that shows the cab sitting in the lot

[@richardbooth5230]

Great old SP’s.. really notice the minimal graphiti - shows how society has changed with a new cultural mix of rascals...

[@DanielMartinez-el3uz]

Hasn’t there ally been graffiti on them boxcars then again I did grew up in LA where I’m use to seeing graffiti even in the nice places lol

[@1Hogman1zz]

I miss the bloody noses.

[@joestephan1111]

Where is this please? Thanks.

[@NWP4440]

Northern California, around 50 miles north of San Francisco.

[@joestephan1111]

@@NWP4440 Because of the years I spent involved with the car & motorcycle racing at Sears Point, I am aware of a number of places in the video. Some were new to me. I thank you for adding the location names, something most video makers don't (I guess you are suppose to get them via mental telepathy). The one that led to the question was at the beginning where they were refueling in a dirt field. That location I would be curious to know. Thanks again for a well done video.😎

[@ethanjackson8894]

​@@joestephan1111petaluma yard

[@jre617]

Love seeing this, but where, exactly is it? You say when, you say who, but you don't say where? Anyway, sad to see such poor maintenance, the equipment, the right-of-way.

[@tiptopsound]

Between Petaluma and Suisun in Northern California.

[@2011Maynard]

Man, that crew was a bunch of accidents waiting to happen. Wonder how long after this they went out on disability, and focused on their rock band....

[@NWP4440]

2011Maynard LOL! That’s railroading in days before lawyers and BS. That’s how every crew on every railroad worked back in the day. It was s different and far more productive time.

[@2011Maynard]

@@NWP4440 I get where you're coming from, but no... Safety and fatality record improvements prove otherwise. No job is worth not making it home in one piece, or at all...

[@liamcooper5202]

@@2011Maynard better tell that to defence personnel then.

[@owenjones9659]

4:59 coupling up at mach 1 be like

[@djtdub1]

Cotton Belt boxcar.

[@Edyth_Hedd]

Where was this footage taken?

[@NWP4440]

EdithHead Between Petaluma and Suisun in Northern California.

[@scottrogoway7034]

interesting, almost no graffiti.

[@jeffmurphree2937]

And look. No graffiti!

[@chrispag2015]

More NWP at www.trainmovies.com