El Paso Railroad Timeline 1946-1960
Bataan Train Way Improves the Quality of life in El Paso.
The Transition from Steam Locomotives to Diesel Locomotives takes place.
1946
July 07 1946: The Texas & Pacific Sunshine Special begins operation between Union Depot at El Paso Texas and Pennsylvania Station in New York New York. Train was a service of the Texas & Pacific, Pennsylvania Railroad and the Missouri Pacific. This was the first entire train set from the west to operate east of St Louis Missouri or Chicago Illinois. Previously individual sleeping cars operated east of the two cities but not entire train sets Service included stops in St, Louis, Missouri, Indianapolis, Indiana, Columbus, Ohio, Pittsburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Washington D.C. (Texas and Pacific Starts New York Run 1946 July 06 Pg. 2 Col. 1)
October 06, 1946: A collision occurred between the westbound Sunshine Special and a El Paso City Lines Bus at the intersection of North Oregon and Main Streets at 7:43 am. The bus was carrying 62 passengers. The bus had just left San Jacinto Plaza headed to Texas Western College (now known as UTEP) when the accident occurred. Two passengers were killed, and 39 were injured. Ten of the injured passengers were considered serious. Bus Driver Charged in Fatal Crash. 1946 Oct 08, El Paso Times Pg. 1, Col 6,7)
November 11, 1946, A eastbound Southern Pacific freight train was pulled by ALCo.-GE S-2 diesel #1333 and SP-3, 4-10-2 5037 when the SP #5037 suffered a boiler explosion at Gila Bend Arizona. The results of the explosion was the death of five crew members including the fireman, Walter B. (Newt) Glisson.
Mr. Glisson was laid to rest in Las Cruces, New Mexico on November 15, 1946. Southern Pacific 5037 was rebuilt at El Paso and placed back into service for the Southern Pacific.
This Texas & Pacific Advertizement appeared in the Tuesday November 12, 1946 edition of the El Paso Herald Post.
1947
July 15, 1947: Jesus Hernandez W.D. Calhoun of a Southern Pacific switching crew saves the life of three-year-old Gloria Cedillos who became paralyzed with fright when crossing the two-track mainline near present day Reynolds Blvd. He would receive a Carnegie award for his heroism.
July 19 1947: One person was killed and two were injured when two freight trains collided approximately eight miles east of Valentine Texas at 4:45 am. The westbound train was backing into the siding to clear for an eastbound freight train when the eastbound freight train appeared and collided with the westbound. W. T. Westfall head brakeman of the westbound train was killed. Engineer Ruble Clark of the eastbound train was badly burned in the collision. Engineer Walter C. Morris of the Westbound freight and his fireman B.T. Harris jumped from their locomotive. Engineer Morris suffered from internal injuries while Fireman Harris escaped uninjured. They were taken to the Marfa Hospital. Mr. Westfall, left a wife, 14-year-old daughter, and two sons one 18-year-old and one 20-month-old.
The eastbound was traveling at an estimated speed of 35 to 40 mph at the time of the collision. The two locomotives derailed and the Sanderson, Texas steam derrick was dispatched to the scene. (1 Dead, 2 Hurt in T. & N.O. Wreck 1947 July 19 El Paso Herald pg.1)
July 21, 1947: The engineers of the Southern Pacific, Pacific Lines went on strike at 7:00 pm Mountain time. The Southern Pacific, Pacific lines employed 290 locomotive engineers. Trains en-route completed their run before the individual engineers joined the strike. While the strike lasted 6 hours and 45 minutes before being “indefinitely postponed”. Livestock and Perishable movements were embargoed on July 20, 1947 prior to the start of the possible strike. This was one of many company vs. labor disputes that erupted after WWII. President Truman was very busy trying to deal with these issues in many industries. (S.P. Trains Again Moving West 1947 July 23 El Paso Times pg.7., End of S.P. Strike Reported Imminent 1947 July 22 El Paso Times pg. 1)
Aug 5, 1947: Texas & Pacific President W. G. Vollmer forwarded several complaints about diesel bells not give out a “dang” to Generals Motors Corp or EMD. The original complaint came from Joe P. Harris Dallas County School Superintendent. Harris was very unhappy because the new Diesel locomotives don’t resound with the familiar “ding-dong”. All that comes out is “ding-ding-ding,” he moaned. Supposed the Liberty Bell had just “dinged” and not “donged’ Harris said. History might have been entirely different.” (’Dinging’ Diesels on Texas-Pacific Bring Complaint 1947 Aug 5 El Paso Times Pg. 1)
Aug 5, 1947: The Texas Highway Commission announced the letting of two contracts on August 19, and 20 for the construction of two “Second Street Highway units”. The contract to be awarded on the 19th covered from Santa Fe Street to Cotton St. The contract awarded on the 20th of August was for a 1150 ft long steel and concrete bridge with 26 ft travel lanes (2 lanes) each direction with a 4 ft center divider and 10 ft sidewalks. (State to Let Superhighway Job Aug. 19 1947 Aug 5 El Paso Times Pg. 1)
Aug 9, 1947: The El Paso Times carries a story about the 35 cabooses the Southern Pacific recently received at El Paso for the Western Division. The bay window caboose made retrieving orders on the fly, and the observe of hot boxes easier. While most crews embraced the new cars, there was some resistance due to tradition. (Caboose Spouts Gills S.P. Receives 35 New Cars 1947 Aug 9 El Paso Times Pg. 1, 2)
Sept 10, 1947: A flag atop El Paso high School was at half staff today due to the passing of Juan Ornelas at the age of 63. He helped build the school in 1916 and became a Janitor at the high school where he was currently employed. Born in San Diego California he went to work in Mexico as a railroad crewman and witnessed firsthand the Cumbre Tunnel Massacre of 1912. Although shot in the leg he managed to escape the carnage of event. (Death Takes Janitor Helped Build High School El Paso- Herald 10 Sept 1947 Pg. 1)
Sept 11,1947: The final run of the Cloudcroft line is announced in the Alamogordo paper. A brief personal recollection of the 1903 shay testing appears in the paper. (30 Written for Cloudcroft Line, Historic Log-Scenic Railway 1947 Sept 11 Alamogordo News Pg. 1)
Sept 12, 1947: Alpine Texas. The new depot opened to the public this week to replace the previous structure lost in a fire on January 12, 1946. The Spanish design Southern Pacific Depot enjoyed a daylong open house of complete with refreshments from the local Chamber of Commerce were provided. (New Alpine Depot Opened This Week 1947 Sept 13 El Paso Times Pg. 7)
Sept 19, 1947: The Pacific Fruit Express Began construction of a $500,000 icing dock to extend ¾ of a mile through the Southern Pacific yards east from Campbell St. Three tracks that will serve the dock are already constructed to a level to meet the forthcoming track depression project. The project is to be completed by May of 1948 an replace the existing dock at Globe Mills. (Pacific Express Starts Icing Dock Construction 1947 Sept 19 El Paso Herald-Post Pg. 15)
Sept 27, 1947: The Treasury Department of Mexico announced the purchase of the line from Juarez to Veracruz from British interest with the final payment of 21,500,000 pesos ($4,300,000) of the 42,000,000 pesos ($8,400,000) purchase price. The line purchase was finalized on June 1, 1946 after years of negotiations. The line was operated as separate entity although a part of the government owned system. (AP Mexican Government Buys British Railroad 1947 Sept 27 El Paso Herald Pg. 1)
Oct 16, 1947: The first train bearing 825 returned war dead passed through El Paso bound for Tucumcari N.M. (for transfer to the Rock Island) and eastern points. The 15-car train with 55 bodies of war heroes arrived in El Paso from California at 3 p.m. It departed at 3:30 p.m. on the Southern Pacific Railroad. All cars were special government equipment painted black with the words “U.S. Army” painted on the sides of each car. None of the bodies aboard were destined for El Paso. (First War Dead Train Goes Through 1947 Oct 17 El Paso Times Pg. 12 Col 6, 7)
Nov 26 1947: Twenty-one freight cars and passenger coaches left the track when a freight train hit a broken rail near Samalayuca yesterday, the National Railways of Mexico reported today.
Twelve empty passenger coaches were overturned. The coaches were destined for El Paso to carry contract farm laborer’s back to Mexico. Samalayuca is 30 miles south of Juarez.
J. G. Hernandez, railway agent said that if the coaches had been carrying passengers there probably would have been many fatalities. Some of the freight cars. Including several with ore for the El Paso Smelter, were badly damaged. No one was injured. (21 Cars Derailed on Mexico Railroad 1947 Nov 26 El Paso Herald-Post Pg.9)
1951
April 1951: 3420 is converted from burning coal to oil. It is one of the last locomotives converted to burn oil on the Southern Pacific.
1954
October 1954: 3420 is brought over from Douglas, Arizona to El Paso, Texas
1955
January 20, 1955: Southern Pacific 3420 is retired and held in the El Paso Roundhouse.
1956
May 1, 1956: 3420 is placed on display in front of El Paso Union Depot El Paso, Texas.
1959
January 1959: Southern Pacific steam locomotive 3406 runs from Douglas, Arizona to El Paso, Texas ending standard gauge steam operations on the SP.
This is the end of steam locomotive era in revenue service in El Paso, Texas.
1948
July 20, 1948: Preliminary work for the track depression begins. (“Track Depression Office Established” 1948 July 20, El Paso Herald-Post Pg. 8, Col. 4)
August 25, 1948: Driving of the pilings for the trainway began at the west end on this date. (“Work Begins on Trainway steel Walls”, 1948 Aug 26, El Paso Times Pg. 1, Col 1)
1949
March 23, 1949: Southern Pacific operates the first diesel locomotive to Dawson New Mexico. Baldwin 5204 arrives in Dawson. (“First Diesel to Run on the Dawson Branch”, Southern Pacific Bulletin May 1949, Pg. 9.)
1950
April 1950. Dawson Mine Closes.
August 21, 1950: The Bataan Memorial Trainway is dedicated in El Paso. First train the new streamlined Sunset Limited. A special followed engineered by Mayor Dan Duke Who was a Southern Pacific Engineer.
A regular announcement in the El Paso Papers is the advertisement to the left. While railroading was continually changing, railroading was apart of the community of the time. This particular announcement came from the June 28, 1957 El Paso Herald Post Pg 11. Column 2.