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Biographical &
Subject Index
E: Engineer; F: Fireman; T&E: Train & Engine; RH: Roundhouse

Biographical Index
Subject Index Follows

Last update: June 8, 2015

Unknown / unconfirmed mmidentities 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 007, 008, 009, 010, 012, 013, 015, 016, 017, 019, 022, 024, 025,
T&E Crews w / equipt. 001, 003, 007, 008, 011, 015, 016, 018, 018, 022, 025,
Group 002, 004, 005, 011, 012, 013, 024,
"Last Run" & Retirement 009, 018?,

Names
Bowser, Joe
  • E: ?
011,
Clark, C.
  • Switchman
008,
Cook, Ben
  • Switchman
008,
Duchessi, D.I.
  • E: 5-11-55
  • F: 10-21-46
004,
Fleck
  • E: ?
009,
Frazer
  • E: ?
023,
Foster, Bill
  • F?
011,
Hiniker
  • E:
  • F:
004,
Honnert
  • E: ?
023,
Hill, Dean C.
  • E: ?
  • F: 7-17-53
(001?),
Hoolendyks (sp.?)
  • E: ?

009,
Isham, Earl
  • Switchman
008,
Jones, Gary B.
  • Claims Agent
From Gary:
I ... worked for the SP as a claims agent at Oakland. Was transferred to San Jose where I worked from 1978 to 1981 and then back to Oakland where I was promoted to District Claims Agent in 1984. SP's General Claims Department was the investigate arm of the Law Dept, which ruled over us. When the UP took over I was demoted (they had no such title and we were down to just 2 desperately busy guys at Oakland) but given a raise- something we had not received in over 8 years! So I was pretty happy with a raise as well as a new company car, and did not care about the title.

new: 6-8-15

Jones, William "Billy"
  • E: 1-17-07
005,
William, "Billy" Jones worked as a fireman / engineer on the South Pacific Coast narrow gauge and transferred to the Coast Division engineer seniority roster on 1-17-1907. According to Los Gatos Historian William Wulf, who knew Billy: Billy did not immediately transfer his seniority from South Pacific Coast to the Coast Division until well-after most men more senior to him had done so. Thus he went from near the bottom to near the top of the SPC seniorty roster before he was forced to transfer. Subsequently, he worked all over the Coast while climbing the SP seniority roster.

Much biographical info is available in books. His "Wildcat Railroad" was located at his home in Los Gatos, CA, and is now the basis of the Billy Jones Wildcat Railroad at nearby Vasona / Oak Meadow Parks.

updated: 6-8-2015

Larson, (Chester?) "Chet" "Lemmon Head"
  • E:
012?
Engineer Chet Larson received the name "Lemmon Head" after shaving his head.

new: 6-8-15

Lindley, Walter W.
  • E: 5-11-55
  • F: 8-21-46
012?
Son of W.E. Lindley? - E: 8-13-41, F: 8-26-25

new 6-8-15

Lynn
  • E: ?
009,
May, W.P "Bill"
  • E: 12-25-46
The following comes from Gary Jones, SP claims agent (listed above):
Bill May was certainly ready to retire when I met him in 1979. He was the engineer on the afternoon passenger yard job, switching the commutes at the depot in San Francisco. He was a very pleasant guy and handled a switch engine with grace and familiarity. If you wanted to bring a smile to his face you only had to asked him about switching with steam. He said he always much preferred steam and would always miss those days. He probably had some stories to tell, but my contact with him was always brief.  

new: 6-8-15

Mink
  • E:
  • F:
004,
Nesbit, W.G. "Butch"
  • E: 5-7-51
  • F: 5-2-41
008,

W.G. Nesbit spent much of his career in San Jose Yard, and in the late 1970's, early 1980's was the engineer of the self-described "Blue Angels" who worked the midnight shift at Cahill. When I was a new hire switchman, I frequently worked as an extra board helper on this crew, and Butch took it upon himself to take me under his wing - this by yelling at me from the cab every time that I made a mistake. Early on, he gave me as good of a compliment that a guy could get from one of the old school: You'd make a good switchman if you'd just learn to shut up. Sadly, I never learned to shut up. - E.O. Gibson, 5-18-15
Reynolds, Fred E.
  • E: 5-4-01
  • F: (3-20-95?)
Last run photo: 009;
Retired on 12-29-44 as #1 man in seniority, with 49 years, (9?) months, 9 days service
Robinson, Bill
  • Electrician
012?

San Jose and San Francisco(?) roundhouse electrician

new 6-8-15

Scarborough, Earl
  • E: ?
  • F: circa 1970
Tenney
  • E: ?
009,
Tillman, John H.
  • E: ?
  • F: circa 1970
Welt
  • Manager
009,
Welter, E.C.
  • E: 10-17-27
  • F: 12-1-18?
(Retirement photo?), 7-14-55: 018,
Subject Index
Locomotives SP Diesel: #1019-001, early switcher cab interior-016, 153x (F-M)-017,
SP Steam: #1204-007, #1243-022, #2014-014, #2368-015, #2920-020, #4358-
025, #4446-009,
Non-SP: Billy Jones Wildcat RR-005; Hobart Southern #4 postcard views-006, 006a; South Pacific Coast Ry #9-003;
Hobart Southern, Hobart Mills 006, 006a
Mission Bay Roundhouse 010?, 010a, 025,
Mission Bay RH Garden 010?, 024,
Mission Bay Yard 022?,
Seventh St. Diesel Shop Showing photo wall - 012, 022,
South Pacific Coast RY. Newark - 003,
San Jose Area Picnics 002, (Blackberry Farm, Cupertino?): 013,
San Jose Depots 008,
Santa Cruz Train #157: 021,
Watsonville Jct. 004?,
Wildcat Railroad, Billy Jones 005;
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