Sitting at San Barnardino in 1971. Now at Pomona, Cal..

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=70700
ryarger@rypn.org

> Sitting at San Barnardino in 1971. Now at
> Pomona, Cal..

The SP 5021 sat at San Bernardino for a number of years. There was a desire and attempt to operate the engine on excursions. Appearently, the engine was in good order when retired from service. So when the original rail connection to the Pomona fairgrounds was to be removed the engine was moved to San Bernardino.

This Southern Californian never heard of the engine being proposed for the Amercian Freedom Train. It is a triple cylinder engine.

But, the Los Angeles area site for the display of the Freedom Train was to be at the county fairgrounds. A switch was installed and a temporary track track laid on a asphalt parking lot. Before the switch was removed, the 5021 was moved back to join the rest of the locomotives of the Southern California Chapter of the R&LHS.

When the engine was moved to San Bernardino I understand that there were approaches to the railroads about running it. Two stories have been heard. One, is that the Santa Fe would have allowed a trip, if the Southern Pacific name was painted out.

The second has some basis in fact; there was a newspaper photo taken of some disabled kids in front of the engine with the caption that the engine would pull a fund raising trip for the charity. This is throught to have been a planted story intended to shame one of the railroads into running the engine. But, the roads then flatly refused.

Brian Norden

bnorden49@earthlink.net