Someone in another online forum stated that in a 1994 issue of Trains there was an article on the Southern Pacific Tank Train that ran into Carson, CA. Carson is south of LA. I would like to order the back issue, does anyone know what month this was and if it was not 1994 does anyone know the month and year that this article was in Trains.
Regards,
Rod
That 8 page article is in the August 1994 issue.
http://index.mrmag.com/tm.exe?opt=I&MAG=TRN&MO=8&YR=1994&output=3&sort=D
Hard to believe that they ran that sucker EVERYDAY over Techachpi pass 365 a year.
The train was/is called the “Oil Can Express”. It is a petroleum products unit tank train.
I have heard it called the Oil Cans, but I never heard it called the Oil Can Express. It actually shipped crude oil, not petroleum products.
By the way, UP still operates one between San Ardo and Carson.
Theres also a very good DVD that covers the Oil Can trains when still SP as they climbed over Tehachapi Pass enroute to Carson.
Al - in - Stockton
As I recall from the mid-1980s SP era the SP Symbol for the Tehachapi “Oil Cans” was the “BKDOL” or slightly later “BKDOU”. The SP changed the last letter that was originally an “L” to “U” sometime I think in the latter 1980s. The endpoints for this train were Saco, CA (just north of Bakersfield) to I believe Delores (near Long Beach) as the symbol says. The Saco (Bakersfield) loading facility was easy to see just south of where “7th Standard Road” MEETS the SP Fresno Line. Sadly I remember recently reading news that this Saco oil loading facility was DEMOLISHED (DARN !). That is yet more evidence that we all need to appreciate and photograph important railroad history TODAY before tomorrows arrives and removes it.
This was a very FUN and FASCINATING real “MONSTER” train to watch ROAR uphill over the Tehachapi Loop in the 1980s. It had LOTS and LOTS of units to LIFT it up and over the Tehachapi Mountains.
I always saw the loads run over the loop and never the empties. I think that may have been because the empties ran at night or something.
Thank you so very–very much for bringing back a truly very CLASSIC era of Tehachapi railroading to me !!
— Daniel
I remember the Trains article they gave it something like 32-36000 HP depending on the tonnage that day. The cans always got 2.5 to 3 HP a ton to ensure they got to the depivery point ON TIME.
The ones that ran out of Crockett/Pittsburgh, California, northeast of San Francisco were referred to as “Oil Can Express”. Had the opportunity to ride in the loco with an engineer friend of mine many times, including on these trains.
Was this the Chevron movement from Utah?
Thanks to all who responded!
Regards,
Rod
The eastbound (now southbound) and westbound (now northbound) trains would normally meet daily in Soledad Canyon, south of Palmdale.
Southern Pacific really use to put on a show for everyone.
Here is an EXCELLENT True CLASSIC video of the very GRAND show that the SP put on regularly over Tehachapi for any lucky railfans that witnessed it. This is the ULTIMATE Mountain BATTLE that the SP engaged in Anywhere. Now for your viewing pleasure is what Mountain Railroading is ALL about as posted to youtube. This should be the eastbound LOADED “Oil Cans” on Tehachapi:
At Palmdale Junction for several years the “oil cans” would travel the Saugas Line past Burbank Juntion. This would include cutting their mid train helpers out at the west switch at Sylmar, California. Hard to believe that this train carried so much oil and weighted so much!!
For those interested click on http://sptco.proboards107.com to see more posts about the Southern Pacific.
That Mrmag.com is a great reference site! I never knew something like that existed. The copyright is Kalmbach, I wonder why they don’t publicize it – I think it tends to add value to their stable of magazines.
They still run, just on the UP Coast Line now.
One of my favorite trains.
They also ran a story of the “Oil Cans” in the June, 1992 issue of Railfan and Railroad magazine. I still have this issue, so if you would like a copy of the story I am willing to send you a copy. This was when the train ran between Saco and Carson, California via the Saugas Line. Today the Union Pacific operates the train along the Coast. I believe between San Ardo and El Centro, California.
It actually still is unloaded at the same “refinery” (I am not sure they do any crude distillation there anymore) in Carson. However, now the oil goes to the ExxonMobil refinery in Torrence via pipeline from the unloading point.
S.P. Caboose,
I would like a copy of the story from the June 92 Railfan, would you please email it to me at idahosurge@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Rod