Steven D. Johnson Wrote:
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> Excellent post, Drew! Nothing like filthy SP
> confederate grey to put shame to a blue Sierra
> sky. This would be just east of the east portal of
> the Norden shed, and well west of the Chinese
> wall?
>
> Question: The current Norden complex features the
> remains of a lunch counter, appearing to me to be
> built sometime in the 1960's. When and why was
> this feature added? I was under the impresion that
> train crews started running beans in the very late
> 1950's and early sixties. Was this feature added
> for MOW or snow operations?

Photo is 2.4 miles west of the Chinese wall.
Norden Cook House. An epic in the never ending saga of the SP's Pergatory called Nordem.
Fire destroyed the Eating House in about 1967 that had been there since the 1920's.
The existing one was comstructed with state of the art equipment and was just barely in operation for the winter season fo 1968.
There was an agreement with the Transportation Unions that there would be eating facilities at Norden and Truckee from Nov.1 until after Spring generally in April. The cookhouse was designed mainly to feed snow crews but when it was open during the winter every train would be handed up lunches.
There never was any consideration for a cookhouse for M OF W employees.
The operation of this facility by J.V.Moan Co and later by Mile Post Inns are horror stories in them selves.
Norden was a classic study of how welfare people react.