Title: Southern Pacific Business Cars and Relief Outfits scrapbooks

Dates: 1992-1994

Collection Number: MS 834

Creator/Collector: Southern Pacific Company. Mechanical Department

Extent: .67 linear feet

Repository: California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

Abstract: Photographs and specifications prepared by the Southern Pacific Division Mechanical Officer in Oakland of business cars and relief outfits.

Language of Material: English

Open for research

Copyright has not been assigned to the California State Railroad Museum. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the CSRM Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the CSRM as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Southern Pacific Business Cars and Relief Outfits scrapbooks. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives

These scrapbooks contain large color photographs and specifications. They were prepared by Southern Pacific's Division Mechanical Officer in Oakland. Copies of these scrapbooks were likely distributed systemwide. Album 132 has two pages of photographs and specs per car, with exterior and interior photos, floor plan, and specifications such as builder and date, brakes, water capacity, heating system, etc. Business cars include "Airslie," "Oregon," "Stanford," "Oakland," "Sunset," "City of Angels," "Audubon Diner," "French Quarter Lounge," and "Sunset Limited". Album 133 has color photos and specifications for SP Relief (emergency response) equipment staged at various locations across the system. This equipment would be assembled into trains that went to major accidents and derailments, taking all the specialized equipment and manpower needed to put the line back in operation. Each location would have a large wrecking crane (Big Hook), tool car, panel track cars, idler (boom) cars, kitchen and dining cars, and crew sleeping cars. Locations in this album include Roseville, Eugene, Klamath Falls, Denver, Pueblo, Salt Lake City, Grand Junction, Pine Bluff, and Houston.