Remembering S.P. & Cabooses 1989 - Dunsmuir

1989 was my first time visiting Dunsmuir, CA. I was living in southern California at the time and was visiting relatives in Sacramento for Thanksgiving. I had recently gotten interested in model railroads and had become a Southern Pacific fan.
My favorite division had become the Shasta div. as I loved mountain railroading. I had heard that Dunsmuir was the main SP center for that division during the steam era and I really wanted to check the place out.
This was the first of countless times videoing the line from Redding CA. to Klamath Falls Oregon.
At this time Dunsmuir was a major helper terminal to help lift trains out of the Sacramento River Canyon. Helpers were usually cut out at Black Butte or Grass Lake.
This was sadly the last time I shot a video of cabooses on the tail end of the train as railroads were changing over to 2 man crews and had eliminated them.

[@AlikStansberry]

Thank you very much for posting old footage of SP back in the day!
It will never be forgotten and will always be remembered as one of the great fallen flags. I am a big fan of those tunnel motors they and Rio Grande used!

[@TheSonicfrog]

Fabulous footage! I used to railfan the area (and McCloud) in the late 80's and early 90's and your video brings back many fond memories, like the chugging of SP 6-axles in run 8 up out of Cantara Loop through Sawmill curve and onto the lap siding at Mott and Azalea, and the whine of dynamics coming downgrade. On the Siskyou line the SP was still running locals and an occasional run-through, those were epic as well.

[@Tshasta4449]

I’m glad to be able to share them with you. That is my most favorite spot to chase train’s

[@dodger1214]

Love the sound of those tunnel motors.

[@Tshasta4449]

Thanks, those were interesting days of railroading.
Check out my TH-cam website at “Tshasta4449” for other Steam and older Diesel videos.
I did a video in HD of the White Pass & Yukon narrow gauge in the rugged mountains of Alaska that includes drone footage.

[@juangarcia-co5ve]

You're not the only one that misses the cabooses I miss Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific all the original railroads like BN ATSF GT MKT plus I miss the joint rails it was music to my ears

[@Tshasta4449]

So very true, there isn’t much variety these days. I’m a diehard SP guy, unfortunately like a lot of other fallen flag railroads they couldn’t keep up. Just a sign of the times.

[@petejensen1246]

My family has 3 generations of SP employees. Love these videos

[@scottkew6278]

Nice! Great videography. U GOT MORE???

[@Tshasta4449]

Check out my TH-cam channel on “Tshasta4449”

[@tresatmd]

Love the Gyro-Lights

[@Tshasta4449]

Glad you enjoyed it, they don’t have those anymore.
Check out my TH-cam website at “Tshasta4449” for other Steam and older Diesel videos.
I did a video in HD of the White Pass & Yukon narrow gauge in the rugged mountains of Alaska that includes drone footage.

[@johnwalters1341]

Yeah, everyone misses the cabooses--except the railroads and their stockholders. While running model trains at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum a while back, I had an interesting conversation with a visitor who worked in the HR department of a major railroad. He said that when his railroad stopped running cabooses, the number of workman's compensation claims dropped by 40 per cent, due to a big decrease in back injuries suffered while getting banged around in cabooses. Food for thought...

[@Tshasta4449]

Yes, I can see that. If you weren’t ready for the slack you would definitely get banged around

[@960dogwood]

Thanks for posting your videos of SP. I do miss my favorite railroad. Makes me a little homesick seeing my old stomping grounds up in the canyon.

[@Tshasta4449]

David Hensley : I totally agree with you, the Shasta Division was my favorite also. I probably have well over a hundred hours of video from up there, mostly from the 90’s.
I will be adding more, but I’ve been having trouble uploading to TH-cam.

[@billh3-21]

I FIND IT IRONIC, THIS LOOP WAS S.P. DOWNFALL.

[@Tshasta4449]

It was the only game in town. The Sacramento River made for a very interesting railroad

[@melperry3576]

brings back memories, shudda went further up the
hill, to the old tunnel bypass
and the wall

[@Tshasta4449]

Mel Perry
Yes, it’s a bit of a walk but worth it. A lot of rail fans never heard of tunnel 16 as it was bypassed after the days of steam. I remember looking at old photos by Wilbur Whittaker of steam trains running through tunnel 16.

[@christopherorourke6543]

Tshasta4449 I like you videos of the Southern Pacific Shasta Line & Canters Loop. I’m in the process of getting my planned Pacific West Coast Railroad N Scale layout started. I plan to model the entire West Coast Rail Route from San Diego to Vancouver,BC,Canada. In it I plan to have Santa Fe, Southern Pacific, Burlington Northern power as well as my own planned Pacific West Coast power, it will also include some BNSF & Union Pacific as well as BCRail,Canadian National & Canadian Pacific. I a,ready have the Kato. Scale Amtrak Superliner that I call the Coast Starlight and my excursion train will be the Southern Pacific Morning Daylight pulled by the GS4 4-8-4 number 4449.

[@Tshasta4449]

Christopher O’Rourke
That sounds awesome, it will be a serious undertaking, will be anxious to see your progress. What’s the size of the layout when you’re finished?

[@juangarcia-co5ve]

The last cabusas I ever saw was in Mexico and in Galveston TX plus don't like the new style of Locomotives I was used to the Geeps and the SD40-2 and SD50 SD60 There sounds they had also the U23 U30 B40-8 C40-8 The lashup they had mixed but now there RIP they got tired like we do

[@Tshasta4449]

Don’t forget the Alco’s, there used to be lots of them in the 60’s and 70’s. Also some Baldwin’s and Fairbanks Trainmaster’s.