Southern Pacific Alfalfa Yard
- Title:
- Southern Pacific Alfalfa Yard
- Collection:
- U.S. President's Railroad Commission Photographs
- Set:
- Southern Pacific Railroad: Pacific Division, El Paso Yards
- Creator:
- Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen (BLF&E)
- Photographer:
- Harp, Autry A.
- Date:
- 1960
- Coordinates:
- 31.755843,-106.389564
- Latitude:
- 31.755843
- Longitude:
- -106.389564
- Site:
- Alfalfa Yard
- Location:
- El Paso, TX
Alfalfa Yard - Country:
- United States
- ID Number:
- 5003pb63f067
- Railroad Reporting Mark:
- SP
- Internal Number:
- #1
- Exhibit Number:
- W-1
- File Name:
- 5003pb63f067.jpg
- Work Type:
- b&w photograph
- Subject:
- Southern Pacific Railroad Company
Railroad crossings
Railroad tracks - Measurement:
- 16x20 (inches)
- Description:
- Picture W-1 was taken in the Adair or Alfalfa yard looking west from the "Little Flower" grade crossing which is just off the bottom of the picture and not visible here. This is a heavily trafficked crossing as there is an extremely heavily populated residential area off to the right of the picture. Although this crossing is protected 24 hours a day by crossing flagman, as trains approach from either direction on the main track, while yard engines are also approaching on the tracks on the right, the flagman cannot be in a position to protect the crossing against all of the movements. Hence it is essential to have a lookout on both sides of each locomotive to help protect the public at the grade crossing. The fireman is also necessary to help observe the low switch targets which may be noted in the center and center background of the picture and also to protect against other train movements at the carious crossovers shows in the center of the picture. He is also essential to maintain a lookout on track curvatures such as the one in the right center portion of the picture. He is also essential to maintain a lookout on track curvatures such as the one in the right center portion of the picture. The track leads to various industries including Standard Oil Refinery and the Phelps Dodge Copper Company. In this picture, the mainline tracks are the two tracks in the left hand portion of the picture. The track coming in at the lower right hand corner of the picture and running up through the center background of the picture is a lead track and the two tracks which connect up with this track coming in at the center portion of this picture and running up through the center background of the picture is a lead track and the two tracks which connect up with this track coming in at the center portion of this picture and running off the right center portion of this picture are the tracks which connect to tracks 14 through 26. It is on these tracks that trains are made up and broken up. These tracks have reverse curvatures and when engines are working at the west end the view around the curve is visible only from the fireman's side. If the engines are working on the east end, the view from the curve is visible only from the fireman's side again.
- Cite As:
- U.S. President's Railroad Commission Photographs #5003 P. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library
- Repository:
- Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University
- Archival Collection:
- U.S. President's Railroad Commission Photographs (#5003 P)
- Box:
- 63
- Folder:
- 67
- Format:
- Image
- Rights:
- The content in the "U.S. President's Railroad Commission Photographs Collection" (Kheel Center collection: #5003 P) is believed to be in the public domain, and is presented by Cornell University Library under the Guidelines for Using Text, Images, Audio, and Video from Cornell University Library Collections [https://www.library.cornell.edu/about/inside/policies/public-domain]. These images have been digitized from items in the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives at Cornell University Library. More information about the physical collection can be found here: http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/EAD/htmldocs/KCL05003p.html. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.