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Paul Noble's Southern Pacific Photos
San Francisco Bay Area & Environs in the '70's and '80's
NEW 9-5-25
In forwarding his photos to Wx4, Paul apologized for the low quality of some his photos, explaining that he took them while still learning photography. In the case of his color photos, he took them with a Kodak Instamatic, which explains the bluriness.

This certainly does not negate their worth, as they give us many insights into operations 4-5 decades ago. For myself, I was absent from the Bay Area in the latter 1980's, so Paul's photos - especially of the locals - help fill a gap in my knowledege.

Otherwise, the photos' nostalgia value is undiminished, given that most of what Paul photographed vanished long ago. The captions are Paul's, for the most part. - EO
The Commutes
Train 126 roars past San Antonio Road in Mnt View. 1977
On a cool March day while commanding Train 173, GP-9 3186 suffered a ground relay fault and would not load. To the rescue was MP15DC #2694 which took the train on to SF. March 1975.
Passenger disembarking at Mountain View, circa 1973. Groovy pants!
Train 151 at San Antonio Road, 1975.
'Torpedo Boat' 3005 heads up train 149 coming out of the curve at San Antonio Road, Mnt. View. The trailing point turnout in the foreground served the Freeman/Sondgroth ready mix plant. The plant is long gone and at the time of this photo the spur was nothing more than a weedy stub. 1975.
"Compromise joint" on the Freeman/Sondgroth batch plant spur, 1974. (this angle bar appears to join 132 lb. to 85 or 90 lb. rail - EO)
"Puff" pulling a Commute at Sunnyvale, 1976.
Bay Area Locals
Broadway Local in San Carlos on a Sunday afternoon in 1988. (The Broadway Local took over the combined work of the Sunnyvale, Redwood and Millbrae locals in 1980 or 1981 - EO)
Taken at San Antonio Road in Mountain View. I'm not sure of this train's designation, but it may be the Mission Bay Hauler. 1988
Mission Bay Hauler at Trevarno in Livermore. 1986.
The Hayward Turn leans into the curve at Hearst on the former Western Pacific Niles Canyon Line in Pleasanton. 1986.
A string of cement hoppers and boxcar rest in the small yard at the Permanente Cement Plant. 1975 (The kiln shut down in 2020. The limestone quarry shut down in 2023. - EO)
The BSWJY coming into Newhall (a.k.a. Santa Clara Yard) on Track #1 in 1977 (The train and its westbound counterpart WJBSY were called the Bayshore-Watsonville Turn by crews, even though they stayed overnight in Watsonville in between the runs.- EO)
MP15DC 2692 heads up the BSWJY coming in on track 2 at the west end of Newhall. A railhead told me the switchers were shopped at Bayshore and put on the train to get them back to San Jose. Other power was added at Newhall for the rest of the trip to Watsonville. 1978.
Alviso - maybe a Sewage treatment plant move by the Newark Turn? 1978
A cupola caboose rests in the little yard at Sunnyvale, most likely on the tail end of the Sunnyvale Local as it heads back to Newhall in 1975.
Santa Clara
An easbound heading out of Newhall St. at College Park, just south of Stockton Avenue. The train is on the Newhall Lead, next to the Westbound Main, while the cars behind it are on the College Park Drill.
I think this was a parking slot at the Newhall St. yard office. No date, but mid to late 70's. (Does anyone recall M. G. Quihuiz? - EO)


(above left) Here we have brand new SP 7802, a B30-7 arriving at the west end of Newhall Yard, March 1978. I think this locomotive was only a month or two from the plant at Erie. Taken with a 126 Instamatic.

(below left) SP 7802 stopped on yard track #1 across from Santa Clara station and tower.
My notes indicate that this was the OALAT coming off the Mulford at Santa Clara, but I doubt that as the train is on the eastbound main and the crossover from the westbound to the easbound is to my east (behind me). An overexposed image shows a Kodachrome in the lead. Note the cut off track in the foreground, the former Santa Clara depot house track, 1988.
Light power move on the westbound main at west end of Newhall Yard, 1977. Santa Clara tower at left
Another train off of "The Mulford" heading into yard track #1 at Santa Clara, 1977.
On a rainy February SD40T-2 8292 heads up a beet train coming off the Milpitas line at the wye in San Jose. Taken on the Santa Clara St. overpass, 1988.
A Beet train coming off the Mulford at Newhall on the west main track preparing to switch over to the east track once past the Santa Clara Depot, 1977.
SW1500 # 2596 drags an SDP45 past Santa Clara, suggesting that the latter had failed on a Commute somewhere up the Peninsula and was headed for the roundhouse.
MP15 kicking cars at the west end of the yard, 1975.
An SW1500 and caboose on spot at Newhall Tower, 1977.
San Jose Roundhouse
RS-32 #4000 sits over the inspection pit (a former roundhouse stall) at Lenzen Ave. in 1975.
Next to #4000, SD45 #8924 was undergoing static testing.
Here is #8924 taking a spin on the turntable, prior to occupying the whisker track.
SW1500 #2687 taking a ride on the turntable during the previous year, 1974.
Assorted power at Lenzen in 1975. UP SD40's were frequent callers at the time.
Switcher Sunday at Lenzen, 1980.
Watsonville
MP15 #2694 at (Watsonville) "Junction Tower", 1976.
GP9 #3579 rests in the yard at Watsonville Junction, July, 1975.
Although a bit blurry, this photo shows the state of affairs surrounding the Junction fuel racks in 1975.
A few locomotives at the fueling facility in Watsonville Jct. July, 1975.
One of the above locos was SSW #9404, SP's last SD45T-2, and I believe the last of the 45 Series locos built by GM.
Extra 7478 east
SD45R 7492
SP #'s 7308, 7420, 7309, 9346 and unknown
SP #'s 7537, 7544, 8239 and BN #6518
Various Locations
SW1500 #2635 basks in a new coat of paint at Newark in 1988.
Not quite sure what train this was at San Antonio Road in Mnt. View, It is short, seems to be stopped (no headlights) and has lots of power. No date on the photo, but probably late 70's.
Empty reefer block at Milpitas in 1978.
San Luis Obispo -1975.
Coming off the ex-WP Niles Canyon line. 1988. Note the gothic number boards.
Hotbox/dragging equipment detector, Niles Canyon Pleasanton 1974. The boy on the tracks is yours truly, 13 years old.