Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943

My sister periodically sends me links to blogs of interest. While most of Lib's suggestions are food related, she occasionally comes through with links that fulfil my interests in other endeavors.

This morning, Lib send me a link to Captured: America in Color from 1939-1943, a blog post on the Denver Post website. The article contains some 70 color government photographs from the World War II era.

These images, by photographers of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information, are some of the only color photographs taken of the effects of the Depression on America’s rural and small town populations. The photographs are the property of the Library of Congress and were included in a 2006 exhibit Bound for Glory: America in Color.

"Toward the end - trains and planes ...," Lib wrote in her mid-morning email. The reference to trains was intended for my eyes. The photos of planes will interest my brother David, a pilot.

Nine photographs in the collection feature the Chigago and Northwestern Railway in Chigago and Clinton, Iowa. They're numbered 45 to 54. Here's my favorite photo:

Caption from the Denver Post blog: "Mrs. Viola Sievers, one of the wipers at the roundhouse giving a giant 'H' class locomotive a bath of live steam. Clinton, Iowa, April 1943. Reproduction from color slide. Photo by Jack Delano. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress."

Trackmobile wiring issues

Mark Littlejohn of Newport Richey, Florida, chases wiring issues in the 3TM Whiting Trackmobile. As an appliance repair technician, he is the perfect fit for the job.

Mark joined the El Dorado Western Railway this week while on a two-month vacation in the Placerville area. He will work with the railway on various projects through the Labor Day holiday. He then returns home to run his used appliance store.

Support the El Dorado County Historical Railroad Park

The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors will vote on an important resolution (item #10-0682 on the agenda) this Tuesday. You can access the Board of Supervisor's agenda item by clicking here. It's Item 57 on the consent calendar.

The resolution authorizes the "El Dorado County Museum to pursue development and operation of the El Dorado Western Railway, as a living history program of the El Dorado County Historical Museum."

Please attend the meeting to show your support for the railroad park. The Supervisor's chambers are located at 330 Fair Lane, Placerville, California. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.

In addition, please forward a letter of support to Supervisor James "Jack" R. Sweeney, the supervisor for the 3rd Supervisorial District in El Dorado County. Mr. Sweeney must receive this letter by Monday, June 28, 2010. You can hand-carry the letter to his office at the address above or respond by email at bosthree@edcgov.us.

The resolution supports these critical milestones:

• Gives the El Dorado County Historical Museum and its operating partner, the El Dorado Western Railway, permission to start work on railroad park right-of-way, track rehabilitation, laying the third rail for combined standard/narrow gauge operation, etc. This work will be accomplished primarily through volunteer labor and donations.
• Set the boundaries of the railroad park as the Mother Lode Road grade crossing to the west and end-of-track at Missouri Flat Road to the east.
• Reserves the one spur on the eastern portion of the right-of-way for use by the railroad park.
• Maintains the Placerville Branch as a regional multi-use recreational corridor. The railroad park will not be the exclusive user of the right-of-way.

It is very important that you show your support for the El Dorado County Historical Railroad Park. The Friends of the El Dorado Trail are demanding the removal of all track west of Missouri Flat Road. They believe that they should be given the exclusive right to use the existing road bed for their own personal in interest, at the expense of members of the community who wish to enjoy the living history railroad program and equestrian trails.

The county museum, with the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation, is working to create a viable living history program that honors the contribution the railroad and those who made their living on it to El Dorado County.

New acquisition

The El Dorado Western Railway is the proud owner of a 1964 Whiting Trackmobile mobile railcar mover. The generous donation was made by the Areojet Corporation in Folsom to the railway.

Keith Berry and Ed Cuhna took delivery on Monday, June 14, 2010. We'd like to thank Tom Anderson of Diamond Crane for assisting the railway move the unit to the El Doado County Historical Museum.

Southern Pacific MOW trailer completed

The crew completed the Southern Pacific maintenance-of-way push car in the last week. The wood deck was installed before the Memorial Day weekend. It looks great!

MOW trailer

Ed Chuna prepared the wheels to the Southern Pacific maintenance-of-way trailer last Saturday for painting. The trailer is called a "push car" in railroad parlance, according to Keith Berry.

The El Dorado Western Railway will use the push car to haul MOW equipment on the old SP Placerville Branch. It will be towed behind the Camino, Placerville & Lake Tahoe No. 4 speeder, which is fully restored.

After he prepared the wheels for painting, Ed painted the frame of the push car in a color that resembled SP orange. "Does that look like SP orange?" Ed said as he sprayed the car.

In addition to painting, the crew inspected the bearings and installed a safety chain on the car. The wood deck was installed this week.

Downed tree

Keith Berry and I joined the Folsom, El Dorado and Sacramento Historical Railroad Association during a maintenance-of-way excursion on the old Southern Pacific Placerville Branch on Saturday, May 8, 2010. After putting two hi-rail trucks on the tracks near the Mother Lode Drive grade crossing, we headed east to inspect the line and note areas of excessive vegetation growth.

The crew encountered its first obstacle about one-quarter mile short of the Blanchard Drive grade crossing.

In order to cut the larger branches, Marcus Ferrill climbed inside the forest of branches. As a Naval Reserve hospital corpsman who served with the United States Marine Corps on active duty, Marcus volunteers with the FEDSHRA when he's not on reserve duty.

It took the crew about forty minutes to clear the tree from the right-of-way. From the left, Ray Retalick, Dennis Taylor, Keith Berry, Eric Olds and Marcus Ferrill raise their chainsaws in victory.

"Thanks to Marcus Ferrill, Ray Retalick, Keith Berry, Steve Karoly, and new (FEDSHRA) member Dennis Taylor for coming out on Saturday to clear brush along the line in El Dorado County," said crew leader Eric Olds in an email. "We had a full day of work ... with numerous chainsaws running at any given time ...."