Great pic Rick,

I used to hang around Tiburon when my Dad was there and I would visit him on some weekends. I got to know a lot of the guys there in the yard. I always asked if I could look around and they said fine.

I rode around on the 44 Toner when they would load and unload the barge. There was a Carmen that would go over to the ramp and line it up for the buffer flats. He would unlock the gate and I would sneak past and go out to the last round group of pilings and fish. When the tug came back, Slim would let me out and I would see what he was up to. Those engine rooms on the tug were always clean like they had just been been painted.

Sometimes I would ride around with the Hostlers while they moved power in and out of the Round house and over to the back shop. They would show me how to stop & start one, I think it was an SD-7 or SD-9. It had a boiler in the short hood.

One time they had an old steam engine hooked up for house steam. It sat outside, on a Roundhouse lead. The hostlers would come over a couple of times to fire it up which was interesting. They showed me how it worked, etc. One time the fire went out so the Fireman lit it off the bricks. What a "Whomp" it made. Scared the #&% out of me.

One day Slim had to work on the "Redwood", the NWP private car that was parked at the end of the yard. He took me inside while he worked on the radio and the Chef gave me an orange. The inside of the car was great.

Sometimes I would have a friend with me and we would play around on the old #112 that was stored in the last stall of the Round House, next to the Sand House. It was in pretty bad shape, no handles, gauges, etc. But it was great for a couple of kids.

We were always reminded to be careful and they would say , "Don't Step On The Top Of The Rail.". Something I would say and hear for many years working as an Engineer & Fireman for the old "SP".

You know, it was in Tiburon that I watched the Hostlers couple and uncouple engines. Back then there was another plate that would go between the gangway ramp so there wasn't an open area. I guess they had too much trouble with them and they were done away with. But even today, if you know where to look on old, old power, you can see the strips that were welded where the plate rode, between the units. Oh, sometimes they would have to couple up what I thought was a switch engine between the SDs. They were big, and I think they had DB or something.

Again, thanks,


Nudge