Bert-
They traveled on SP in five Western states. NM, AZ, OR, CA, NV.. Back in the days when you were in the middle of nowhere like the Bedouins (sic) of Arabia... or Gypsies...
You tell me what you might find at Steins, NM ; or Wilcox or Dragoon, AZ ; or Beowawe, NV or Drain, OR or Surf, CA in the 1930's ... See my point.

My Dad led a Welding Gang that welded things like Track, Bridges and Signal Masts. As he was a young Foreman, he and my Mom were issued the "nicer car" to live in which she fixed up with curtains on the windows and so forth, like "Kay Fisher" on Donner did.
They had a bedroom area, a small living area and a small kitchen. The welding gang was known as SP Welding Gang # 23 (System)... Meaning that they were not Division-restricted.. They went wherever needed. Two famous train wrecks he helped to cut apart were the wreck of the OWL at Selma, CA in 1937 and the wreck of the "City of San Francisco" at Harney, NV in 1939..
They were living somewhere between Beowawe and Winnemucca when that piece of sabotage took place.
The "Outfit" normally consisted of a handful of Outfit Cars, a Tank car for Water, and maybe a box car or two for supplies and spare parts.
I better stop now, before I start their story !!

Cheers.

KRK