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POTASH
by George J. Oliver

Early January 8, the largest shipment, some 21,000 tons, ever to pass thru the 10th Ave. bulk loader, left San Diego sailing west to the east.

For this shipment, around 250 cars amassed in the Santa Fe's 22nd Street yard, some brought in by the two nightly freights, and some by potash specials. Friday January 7, one switch engine did nothing for eight hours but keep the loaders supplied with loads and the empties pulled.

There are two tracks going thur the dumping apparatus; to start with, each track is filled with 11 or 12 cars by the switch engine, and then the loader's large, rubber tired switcher takes over, pulling two loads at a time into each of the two tracks of the unloader. After the first cars are unloaded, this mechanical mule brings in two more loads, cuts off, and taking a big run at it, kicks the empties onto a small, but steep, reverse hump, from which they run back into the empty yard first passing thru a remotely operated electric-pneumatic retarder, and into any one of four tracks remotely selected. There the cars are finally stopped by powerful spring loaded retarders.

Perhaps not as large an operation as some back east, but a lot of commotion in our "City in Motion".


ZIP CODE

Due to U.S. Postal regulations, it is required that zip codes now be included in all addresses of the Report.

If your zip code is not included in your address with this issue, we do not have it. To receive further issues of this publications you will be required to notify the edito of your zip code.

Thank You.

REPORT

Report is the official publication of Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association, Incorporated, of San Diego County, California.

Officers include:
Stanton W. Kerr, president; Lee B. Adams, vice president; George Allen, secretary; Vic Koenigsberg, treasurer.

Report staff are:
Charles Kent, editor; George Geyer, circulation; Kent Anderson, publicity

The Report is issued free to PSRMA members. Others may subscribe for $1.20 per year.

PSRMA TO RECEIVE WATCHMAN'S SHANTY

According to a report from Walt Hayward the museum is to receive the Broadway crossing watchman's shanty. The shanty and its occupants have been replaced by automation. Automation, in the form of automatic crossing gates, ends the practice of many years. The crossing watchman is a thing of the past in San Diego.

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