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