Here are two shots to share from about four years back…
First is of the US Gypsum narrow-gauge train in Plaster City on Feb 3, 2006. I was just shooting digital for a couple months at this point and was so happy to be able to get this after sundown shot that I never could have pulled off on slide film (especially after the four hour drive to Plaster City).
Second is the PSRM special to Garcia on Feb 4, 2006 as it pulls into Campo. I was about to spend something close to eight hours on this train (maybe more) as the round trip to Garcia resulted in only one chance to get off the train in Mexico to stretch our legs. Still, it was a great ride and I’m glad I did it. Note the Lackawanna MUs in the consist. I used to ride those back in NJ.
Great shots from some old stomping grounds to which I do not get much any more. I can remember watching a similar engine lead a small train out of Campo about 40 years ago when I happened along with a camera. That was back when SP was still running regular freight traffic between El Centro and San Diego.
The Plaster City operation has always been interesting to me as I grew up (as much as I did, anyway) about eight miles from the plant, as the crow flies. The Trains narrow gauge issue had a nice piece on the railroad as it is now. I wonder, though, about the tank car on the end of the string, as I don’t remember seeing that before. I would guess water, but only if the wells at the mine had petered out.
The Campo shot reminds me of when I rode pretty much the same train to Jacumba and back in 1999. One of the highlights for me was crossing the high bridge over Miller’s creek and SR 94 as I took a picture of the bridge from SR94 during the summer of 1976 (about two months before Kathleen washed out parts o the line).
About a month and a half from now, I’ll be camping with my boys just east of Hipass (Tierra del Sol).
Rail Classics did a write-up of the Plaster city narrow gauge line in spring of 1976.
Hmmmmm… There is a back story there, because they didn’t used to have to do that, at least I don’t recall having ever seen a tank of anything going out to the mine, at least a few decades ago.
As I recall, Plaster City got its water from several wells sunk a little SE from Ocotillo and piped from there, and I would suppose that the mine did the same. I did read an unrelated story in the local paper that the water table in the aquifer which the mine would tap has been falling steadily for quite a while. Maybe that has something to do with them having to bring water up from the plant.
I liked the Trains article last year on the railroad operation and was pleased to find out that one of the fellows keeping it running was the younger brother of one of my high school classmates. That was not surprising news.
I had a couple (maybe even a few) hours of waiting before that train arrived, and was basically standing out there in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do that whole time. It really gave me a good chance to figure out what the shot I wanted was.
The plant is right behind where I was standing and the unloader for the train is in a dirt parking lot just out of frame to the right. The train comes in on that hook shaped curve to get to the unloader.
Again, if my fading memory serves me, you were probably standing very near to where the store was when Plaster City was a “company town” that had housing for a number of the workers. That was a good place to pick up a 50/50 bar or a cold Coke in the afternoon.
The family housing units, Post Office and community hall were just to the west, as was a baseball field. There was also a bachelor dormitory in addition to the family housing. I don’t remember how many families lived at Plaster City but it was enough to put maybe 30 kids into the little grammar school I went to (8 grades).
I can’t confirm any of that… but the information is very cool for me to learn.
I really do need to get out there again. The thing is that I can easily get myself up for a two hour drive for railfanning. I’ll even do a three hour on occasion if there’s a special reason. The four hours to Plaster City (for a chance at one train, if it comes on time) is hard to justify as that means eight hours of driving in one day (or paying for a hotel). Still, I have promised myself to go out there again sometime. Maybe if I can get my son to go with me for the company.