Southern Pacific Railroad History Center Collection

Documents, photos, maps, drawings, and other paper ephemera and media related to the history of the Southern Pacific Railroad, and its predecessor and affiliated companies.
John W. Barriger III National Railroad Library

Pages

10,000th New Car Built at Southern Pacific's Sacramento, California Shops
A photograph of the 10,000th railroad car built at Southern Pacific's shop in Sacramento, California.
1960 Condensed Track Profiles for Southern Pacific's Pacific Lines and Certain Subsidiary Companies
1960 condensed track profiles for Southern Pacific's Pacific Lines and San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway, Northwestern Pacific Railroad, Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad, Nacozari Railroad, and Pacific Electric Railway.
Abandonment of Southern Pacific Trackage Between Quinif, Texas and Rosebud, Texas
Abandonment of Southern Pacific trackage between Quinif, Texas (Milepost 119.7) and Rosebud, Texas (Milepost 133.7) on Southern Pacific's former Cameron to Waco, Texas branch line. This abandonment was authorized by the Interstate Commerce Commission on July 19, 1978.
Alan Laird and Bill Fowler Conversation, May 2021
This video is a conversation between Alan Laird and Bill Fowler. They discuss the life of Levy Laird, a remarkable African-American who was a cook on the Southern Pacific passenger trains for more than thirty years. Alan Laird tells a poignant story about his father, Levy Laird, whose ancestors were enslaved persons in Louisiana and his (Levy's) journey from rural Louisiana to become a respected member of the African-American community of Oakland, California.
Amtrak Train Operating Over Newly Installed Crossing Diamonds at Tower 105 in San Antonio, Texas
A photograph of an Amtrak train operating over newly installed crossing diamonds at Tower 105 in San Antonio, Texas. Southern Pacific's construction crew is waiting in the clear so it can return to work after the train has passed through the area. The photograph was taken by Mike McGinley.
Backshops Demolishment Fire at Bakersfield, California
A photograph of backshops demolishment fire in Bakersfield, California, taken in 1970 by Tom Bethune.
Burro Crane Being Used to Offload Ties at Spofford, Texas
A photograph of a burro crane offloading ties on a train track in Spofford, Texas taken by Mike McGinley.
Caboose SP 690 at Burlingame, California
A photograph of the Southern Pacific wooden cupola caboose SP 690 in Burlingame, California. The photograph shows the newly painted caboose with orange ends.
Central Pacific Station List, 1879
The 1879 Central Pacific station list included divisions, subsidiary companies, and steamers.
Emergency Repair of Mainline Track with a Sun Kink at Luling, Texas
Southern Pacific employees, rail, and equipment have been transported to the site of the sun kink so that repairs can be quickly effected.
Galveston Interlocking 38 B Located at Galveston, Texas
A schematic of Interlocking 38 B showing the lines of Southern Pacific and the Galveston, Houston, and Houston Railroad Company (GH&H). By end of 1960, ownership of the GH&H was vested in the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad Company as successors to the original owners.
Loading a Derailed Boxcar at Flatonia, Texas
This photograph depicts an aspect of the activity conducted by Southern Pacific employees and contractors after the derailment of a Southern Pacific train. The reopening of a mainline or branch mainline was paramount after such an event.
Meet of SP 7133 and SP 6842 at Bedford Park, Illinois
Two SPSLC trains meet on trackage owned by the Belt Railway of Chicago (BRC) in Bedford Park, Illinois on July 31, 1992. As Southern Pacific owned less than 2,000 feet of trackage in the greater Chicago area, it elected to use the BRC as its terminal in Chicago. The BRC also provided a number of services for Southern Pacific such as cleaning and servicing locomotives and performing air brake tests.
Nevada-California-Oregon Railway Construction Map - Alturas to Davis Creek, California
This map of September 23, 1911, which covers construction of the Nevada - California - Oregon Railway (NCO) between Alturas and Davis Creek, California (a distance of about 32 miles), has been shared by the Shasta Division Archives. The Alturas, California to Lakeview, Oregon portion of the NCO was purchased by Southern Pacific on April 30, 1925, and would become its Lakeview Branch. At the time of purchase by Southern Pacific, the line of railroad was narrow gauge, and it would be converted to standard gauge by 1928. Several narrow gauge locomotives that operated over the line were relocated and subsequently ran on the former Carson and Colorado Railroad, a Southern Pacific narrow gauge subsidiary.
Northwestern Pacific Railroad Train Crew Performing Switching Duties at Petaluma, Californa
The Northwestern Pacific train is operating over former Petaluma & Santa Rosa Railroad trackage in Petaluma, California.
Paving Being Installed in the Street Area of a Former Railroad Crossing in Claremont, California
Paving being installed in the street area of a former railroad crossing in Claremont, California incident to the abandonment of a portion of a former Pacific Electric Railway mainline.
Rehabilitation of a Southern Pacific Lead Track at Sherman, Texas
This was an ongoing project, and the debris captured in the photograph would be removed when the work was completed.
Removal of the Former Southern Pacific Hempstead - Austin Branch Line East of Giddings, Texas
Removal of track, other track material, and ties from the former Southern Pacific Hempstead - Austin branch line at east of Giddings, Texas.
Removal of the Former Southern Pacific Hempstead - Austin Branch Line at Brenham, Texas
Removal of track, other track material, and ties from the former Southern Pacific Hempstead - Austin branch line at Brenham, Texas.

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