What's New

The Yahoo! Groups e-mail group for the Sacramento Northern is also open to discussion on issues concerning the Tidewater Southern, Central Calfornia Traction and other related railroads.

May 6, 2003

Massive update in progress currently.  In the past few weeks, I have added numerous items, including a large number of photos and new info on TS 2-6-2 132 and new photos of steeplecab 100, 44 tonner 135/735, S2 second 745 and caboose 303 among others.  The Paperwork section is doubling in size with the addition of TS interurban tickets, timetables, a stock certificate and a 1910 investment prospectus.  Most pages have received their facelifts and now sport the new look.  The Gallery is finally on-line and will be expanded as time and photo contributions permit and numerous updates and revisions have been made across the board.

Coming soon are a new article covering the disasterous fire in Escalon in the 1950's, a small photo essay on the Turlock Depot, the report on the Tidewater Southern Crossbuck Liberation Team, updates about TS 44-tonner 135/735, TS Cornucopia boxcar 520 and many, many more photos.

 

July 28, 2003

Added many more items to the paperwork section, including a Passenger Tariff from 1921 and a 1967 set of Timetable and Special Instructions.  More photos should be showing up in the next few days and there is news that TS caboose 305 has been sold to the city of Modesto and will eventually be restored and put on display!

Also, an apology about the pace of updates.  I have been very busy lately, both with work and with events at the FRRS.  Big changes are ocurring at the Portola Railroad Museum.  Also, there is much good news on the TS preservation front, as evidenced by the news on caboose 305 above.  Hope to have more soon.

 

August 18, 2003

More items into the Paperwork section, including 1951 Timetable 10 and an Agent's Way Bill, as well as an Emergency placard, Passenger Ticket and 1961 Timetable added previously.  New photos of 4-6-0 1 and steeplecab 106.  Also, photos of 106 as SN 670 now have their own section and a photo series from Guy Dunscomb showing a TS fall rush train has been added to the 1940 Gallery.   Finally, a photo essay on the Turlock Depot in 2003 has been started.

 

November 8, 2003

Been reading Dave Stanley and Jeff Moreau's incredible "The Central California Traction Company", recently released by Signature Press.  This wonderful history of long-time TS neighbor and ally CCT has a wealth of information and photos, not just on the CCT, but also on neighboring roads like the ST&E, SP and, of course, the Tidewater.  Updates and new information on the TS 100 and TS 106 are already being written and much of the early history of the TS is also being redone based on this great book.

 

December 8, 2003

Many additions and changes to the entire site this month!  Also, the CafePress shop now features many new products with Sacramento Northern and Central California Traction themes, including mugs, shirts, mouse pads and other items.

First off, the Escalon Fire story has finally been posted in the Stories From the Road section.  There is more information on Bunk Car 0565H, steeplecab 100, steeplecab 106 and RS1 746.  Revisions have been made to the first two history chapters and new sections have been added to the Gallery.  And there is more info on the proposed trail to be constructed along the abandoned Modesto right of way.  Several more pages of the 1910 Investment Prospectus have been added as well as a new Timetable.  Finally, many corrections and additions have been made across the whole website.

Coming soon will be photos in the modelling section featuring the work of Tom Carter and David Epling, who are collaborating on rebuilding the Feather River Rail Society's model railroad display and adding more WP related models to it, including Tidewater locomotives, cars and cabooses.

 

December 15, 2003

Smaller update.  Added 6 new photos, including a shot of TS 743 as she is today on the Dakota Southern and new photos of TS 132.  Also posted more pages from the 1910 Investment Prospectus and more revisions to the early history of the railroad.

On December 9, the website broke 6000 hits.  Today, the entire site has over 350 different pages and features over 400 photographs relating to the Tidewater Southern.

 

January 7, 2004

The first update of 2004 features some interesting new items.

First up is a set of new photos of the April 1966 Excursion to Turlock behind 70 tonner 743, courtesy of Gary B. Jones.  Mr. Jones also contributed a great shot of WP S2 559 switching just north of Ninth Street.  It is on the new 1960 Gallery page.

David Epling has shared two photos he recently acquired: a 1955 shot of 2-6-2 132 in the scrapyard in Oakland with its 1952 replacement tender and caboose 306 .  More information on the Modesto Trail project has also been added.

 

February 10, 2004

New photos and more information!  New photos of TS S2 second 745, and RS1s 746 and 747 have been posted along with new historical information on them at 44 tonner 135/735.

 

May 6, 2004

Thanks to the generosity of its current owner, Tidewater Southern bunk car 0565-H has been donated to the Feather River Rail Society!!!

After receiving an inspection report done by Rick and Tom Carter, the FRRS Board of Directors approved the acceptance of the donation of the bunk car.  Work is now progressing to move this rare car to the Portola Railroad Museum for eventual restoration.

December 15, 2004

Tidewater Southern bunk car 0565-H has been moved to the Portola Railroad Museum and is now being evaluated for restoration work.  A page of images has been added to the info section on the car.  More details will be added as time goes on.

Also, a Site Search capability has been added to the site courtesy of Google.  This website has grown so large that it is getting difficult to navigate.  Hopefully the search bar will make it more accessible.  Also, it is linked into Google's AdSense system.  While I had hoped to avoid adding advertising to the site, the cost of running it is growing and neither donations or CafePress sales are coming in to help defray the cost.  Hopefully, the AdSense will help cover some expenses for the site.  As with the CafePress site, all extra monies will go toward TS related preservation.

December 17, 2004

Some new photos of TS 132 and TS 745:2 were added today, plus a new section covering TS connection Central California Traction Company.

 

April 13, 2005

TEN new photos today, with several of TS 2-6-2 32/132 as well as electric motor 100, 44 tonner 135/735 and RS1 746.  Also, two photos were added to the CCT section showing interurban cars used by the Tidewater's Stockton neighbor.

 

April 18, 2005

SIX new photos today covering electric motor 100, 4-6-0 second 11, a rare shot of 70 tonner 743 and photos of RS1s 746 and 747. 

 

July 22, 2005

A major aesthetic redesign of the site has begun, focusing at first on the roster pages.  There will be some errors and missing pages for a bit while I bring this all on line.

Hope everyone likes the upgrade.  There will also be more write-ups and photos coming.

 

January 1, 2006

Well, after a hiatus of about 6 months, there's finally a new update!

The aesthetic changes to the site continue and have gotten much positive notice.  The table of contents has changed with larger buttons and a (hopefully) clearer layout.  Also, most of the motive power pages have been changed to the new format.  Finally, one new photo each of RS1s 746 and 747, plus a color shot of steeplecab 106 in SN service, have been posted, scans of a Tidewater payment check are up, and many pages have received updates and rewrites.

 

June 27, 2006

So many updates and changes its almost too much to list!  Big changes to the pages for WP 2-8-0 124, including 2 new photos, a new history and a mystery!  New photos courtesy of Carl Allen Walker are located in several places.  There are some changes to the history of TS first 1, the 2-6-2T.  And there are now histories for TS boxcars in the 601, 611 and 801 series.  Many more pages have been reformated to the new look and several additonal photos have been added, including one of TS first 744 in service after leaving the road.

Probably the biggest change of all is the move to a new host.  The site is now on HostingZoom.  This will give more space, more speed and more access bandwidth for about $20 less a month that what I was paying before.

 

October 16, 2006

A first look through the Virgil Staff Collection, now part of the FRRS' Library, unveiled a trove of interesting facts about the Tidewater's transistion from steam and electric to diesel.  Solid dates for operation of the second 1, 132 and WP 124 were uncovered, as well as info on the first diesels and TS 106's service on the Sacramento Northern.  Also, a new freight car was uncovered in Staff's WP records, a steel flatcar.  Finally, several new photos of TS 501 series boxcars in their later years have been posted thanks to Dan Crews.

 

January 19, 2008

Yes, the impossible has happened.  The site got an update.  My apologies for the long delay.  Work, side jobs, museum work and many personal issues have kept me away from the site.  But, I took some time last night (sleeping is overrated) and posted some new photos.

Several new shots of RS1 746 have been added, including a couple on the CCT.  Plus, there are new shots of 4-6-0 1 , interurban 201, 70 tonner 741, S2 second 745 and RS1 747.  I also recently acquired many news articles covering TS history and I'm combing through those to expand the history sections.  The next update is probably a ways off, but it should be a big one.

 

April 19, 2008

This update starts with bad news.  The Stockton Terminal and Eastern scrapped all but one of their ex-WP / TS Alco switchers in March.  Only operational WP S1 505 escaped the torch, at least for now.  TS 745 was cut up after 32 years as a hanger queen.  All WP - SN - TS S2 models are now gone with none preserved.  Despite repeated efforts by several museums and fans, no one was ever able to come to an agreement with the ST&E or find the funds required to save even one.

On the good news side, Jeff Asay, WP historian and UP employee, has given me some TS paperwork he saved.  There are some very interesting things in there that will impact much of the information on the website.  I am slowly updating things as I research the paperwork.  Already, new info on the line's electrification, freight cars, interurban cars and operational aspects are coming to light.  Thank you, Jeff!