i’m modeling the last stand of steam on the Rock Island in the southwest, the layout i’m planning will feature the yards in Tucumcari NM that the RI shared with the SP, and i’m looking for some info on the handling of the PFE fruit drags. as i understand it was in Tucumcari the they where handed off to the Rock Island, and where usually run as a solid unit train behind a R67 class 4-8-4. where they re iced in Tucumcari or further on? Dalhart Texas had a large icing platform for this purpose. and what was the most common SP loco type to see them arriving behind? where the cab forwards used that far east or did they just stay in the sierras for mountain service. any info and help is greatly appreciated, can’t seem to find much info on this.
One tiny nitpick, I wouldn’t use the term “drag”, which refers to a large steam engine plodding along with a long freight at 10-15 MPH. Reefer expresses generally were run closer to passenger train speeds, since the contents were perishable.
[C):-)]
Kevin:
As to the motive power bringing the SP reefers into Tucumcari for exchange with the RI, the motive power wouldn’t be a cab-forward. Generally speaking, though the cab-forwards DID operate on the ‘Sunset’ line through Arizona and New Mexico, the furthest east they even might run would have been El Paso (most of them didn’t run east of Tucson, AZ).
What they would have come in to Tucumcari behind, would have been one of the 10 big Lima class AC-9 “Cab backward” 2-8-8-4’s, which were designed specifically for the El-Paso Tucumcari run by the SP. These were originally designed as coal burners–one of the very few class of coal burning locos on the entire SP, to take advantage of the coal deposits on the El Paso-Tucumcari line, which was also once known as the “Golden State” route. Other motive power would probably have been the MT 4-8-2 or GS 4-8-4, or possibly one of the F-class 2-10-2’s. During WWII, SP also bought 10 second-hand Lima 2-8-4’s from the Boston and Maine, which were used between El Paso and Tucumcari, though these locos proved somewhat ‘problematic’ working in the desert, from what I understand.
Actually, the SP “Golden State” line between El Paso and Tucumcari was one of the first of the major SP divisions to be completely dieselized after WWII, due to the lack of decent water on the route, so you’d be safe using SP Black Widow ‘F’ units to bring in your PFE expedited freights. Other than that, you could certainly bring in a PFE freight behind one of the newer Athearn SP ‘MT’ 4-8-2’s and I don’t think that anyone would object.
Remember, the bulk of SP’s east-bound California fruit traffic actually went north over Donner Pass to connect with the UP at Ogden, Utah, so I don’t think that there would be THAT many PFE trains coming into Tucumcari for interchange with the RI per day. Probably mainly citrus, and after WWII, the Southern California citr
If you can find a copy, the book “Rock Island Motive Power, 1933 - 1955” has a brief discussion of freight service during those years.
There appears to have been considerable perishable traffic received from the SP. After 1935, both the RI and SP expedited service and became competitive with other routes. According to the book, before the war 90% of eastward loads received at Tucumcari was perishable.
It also mentions most loaded reefers were re-iced at Dalhart.
Jeff
The SP trains in question would be the Imperial Valley perishable & the Colton fruit block, PFE schedules stipulated SP delivery to the Rock Island every fourth day for the Imperial Valley perishables and every fifth day for the Colton fruit block. Numerous unscheduled extras were required as well to address sensitive products such as roses and Lettuce which were blocked or re-blocked at Tucumcari into their own movements due to their unique handling requirements.
The Rock island was dependent on the R67 class northerns to foward these PFE movements to Kansas City, following the demise of RI steam operations on December 26, 1952, EMD F7’s were chosen for this important task.
Dave