January, Page 23-24
SD&AE Railway
Head Reporter: J. W. Grosdidier
San Diego
After nearly 20 years of "temporary" assignment to the SD&AE, D. L. McNaughton left San Diego (as chief clerk, Military Service Bureau) and returned to SP as traveling tariff inspector at San Francisco. He came to the SD&AE in 1926 as commercial agent at El Centro. His departure was marked by a farewell dinner by S. A. Lamey, trainmaster, and other members of the Operating Department. Bruce Adams, traveling pass. agent, was made chief clerk of Military Service Bureau. Other promotions included: Mannie L. Adier to trav. passenger agent; J. B. Bartlett to passenger agent; F. W. Piepenbrink from ticket clerk to chief clerk, Pullman Reservation Agency.
Francis M. (Red) Wangler has returned to work in the ticket office after serving in the Navy as chief pharm. mate. Red was in at the invasion and surrender of the Palaus and the air evacuation of Iwo Jima. Has two sons and a daughter, all in military service. He met one of his sons in Guam while he was enroute to the States. . . George M. Scott returned to San Diego freight house office after serving as corporal. Inf. 76th Divn. Was in the Rhineland campaign, Battle of the Bulge, and invasion of Germany. . . Also back at the freight house is Jack Wilkinson, staff sergeant, Inf. 83rd Divn. He was in five major campaigns in Europe.
Heard from in military service: Fred L. Edwards, (B&B Dept.), warrant officer, 98th USN Constr. Batt., enroute to U. S. from Japan, hoped to be home by Christmas; Gerald J. Wolfe (Yard Office), pvt. 1111th Port Marine Maint Co. in the Philippines, says he's "sight-seeing"; Alton J. Dickerson (section foreman), pvt. 475th AAA, in the Philippines-due to get out and just awaitin'.
February, Page 23
SD&AE Railway
Head Reporter: J. W. Grosdidier
San Diego
Alton B. Cummings, conductor, retired Dec. 31. He started working with the San Diego and Southeastern Railway in 1917 and during construction of the line through the Jacumba mountains he was in work train service. Old timers tell of his alertness in avoiding a serious accident when a cut of cars broke loose on a grade, knocking him down between the tracks where he lay until the cars passed over him. As the last car rolled by he caught the string and set the brakes.
Ed Simmons, retired helper in the San Diego car shops, died Dec. 25, following a long illness. He entered service in 1921 and retired in July 1944.
After dodging flak in the South Pacific-Asiatic area, Larry Cummings, Government bill of lading clerk in San Diego Freight Station, is back on the job. Larry was awarded four Air Medals and the Distinguished Flying Cross. . . . Others who have returned from military service include three firemen: Wm. B. Ingram, a sergeant in the Air Force, ETO; Clarence C. Cummings, son of retired Conductor Cummings, after serving with the Army in Europe, and Leslie Lupien who served with an Army communications unit in Europe.
March, Page 17
SD&AE Railway
Head Reporter: J. W. Grosdidier
San Diego
"Welcome home" is a frequent and warm expression around here these days as more and more service men return to take up their jobs. Alton Dickerson is back at work as section foreman of the San Diego yard gang. Alton served with the Army and went through the New Guinea campaign and on into the Philippines, returning home from Manila via San Francisco. . . . Robert Yenawine was a first sergeant in the Field Artillery and served in Europe. He returned from Ulm, Germany, with the 37th Infantry, to his job as warehouse foreman at San Diego freight station. . . . James J. Hartigan, S 1/c on a combat transport in the Pacific, participated in the invasions of Lingayan Gulf, Ie Shima and Okinawa, among others, and once again is back as brakeman.
April, Page 18-19
On the GOODWILL Route
SD&AE FOLKS DEMONSTRATE VALUE OF FRIENDLY SERVICE
To San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway men and women goes credit for a two-fold accomplishment of providing rail service for our southern border territory and maintaining good international relations. The SD&AE, an important part of Southern Pacific's transportation system, skirts the border east from San Diego, dips into Mexico for 45 miles and connects with the Inter-California Railway at El Centro to complete the trip to Yuma where junction is made with SP's Golden State and Sunset routes.
SD&AE's 148-mile scenic route traverses the spectacular Redondo Loop where curves and switchbacks are combined in an engineering feat to gain altitude that reaches up to some 3000 feet at Hipass. The line passes through Campo Valley with its expansive dry farms and cattle ranches and on to Carriso Gorge where for eleven miles the grandeur of sheer granite walls is seen from a roadbed carved out of solid rock. Among the important places SD&AE serves in addition to San Diego are Tijuana, Mexico's border resort town; Tecate, home of the popular Mexican beer, and Plaster City, site of large gypsum processing works.
During the war SD&AE folks chalked up an impressive traffic record. More than three times as much freight was moved last year and more than 10 times as much passenger revenue was taken in as during the last year before the war. This was done despite a combined shortage of man-power and equipment which it was impossible to obtain during the war. The increased traffic was drawn largely from 21 military installations and new industries situated in the San Diego area.
A service bureau, installed in 1943, proved effective in handling the heavy military and civilian traffic. In addition, the military train service bureau successfully handled thousands of military personnel by special train, and military authorities have been highly complimentary about its efficient and courteous operation.
As to its future, SD&AE workers are optimistic. New industries, greater commercial trade with the Orient, increased agricultural activities and more people who have made San Diego their permanent home forecast increased business over prewar years. San Diego, for example, was a busy city of about 200,000 prior to the war, now it has a population of about 400,000 and its industry has expanded to match this growth.
SD&AE folks are determined to meet the future's challenge with the same high quality personal service that made them a wartime success.
On these pages are shown some of the 500 employes of the inter-American line who are proving that service pays dividends. We thought you would like to meet them.
INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY: In top picture, gates at Tijuana are opened, permitting trains to cross into U.S. after customs officials have completed inspection. San Ysidro is station on California side of border.
Stations' forces, left, include, l to r: Ralph Romero, C. L. Ley, William A. Finley, Juan Castlllo. Seated is W. A. Stewart. Finley is agent at San Ysidro and asst. general manager for lines in Mexico from Tijuana to Tecate. Castillo is agent at Tijuana.
SAN DIEGO ROUNDHOUSE forces are shown below, l to r: H. L. Annis, V. T. Hurtt. E. L. Swearingen, M. T.
Palmer, H. M. Harrell, R. M. Hill. A. L. Bloom. Hertha Conway, R. Miskolczy, T. P. O'Connell, asst. master mechanic; A. L. Smith, W. C. Cameron, chief clerk; Rosa Huerta, Alex Dalgleish, Katie Magallanos, Sam Martinez, H. L. Baytiss, Mary Parra, A. L. Strader, Billie Apodaca, Carlos Castro, John Holland, Stanley Aitken, Fairon Purser.
Stores and Purchasing Dept. are operated as a unit and the staff includes, bottom picture, front row, l to r: Robert Rush, Morton Cannady, Loid Lucy, stockman; Sam Manino, Robert Holloway. Back row: Chester Lewis, Gloria Erickson, Frank J. Lantry, asst. purchasing agent; Rachael Burchard, Ray Brown, Joseph E. LaPee. chief clerk; Robert Stubblefield.
Freight clerks and warehouse crews, center, include, front row, l to r: George Scott, Larry Cummings, Jane Schellenberger, Leta Stacey, Maybelle Webb, Woodie Jeffries, Joe Lee. Back row:
Clarence Gilmore, Manuel Garcia, Bob Yenawine, Jack Wil-kinson, Wyatt Smith, P. E. Mottram, Richard Love.
YARD OFFICE, STORES AND FREIGHT SHED crews are shown in the three pictures at right. At the yard office are, top. l to r: Jerry Green, "Sunnie" Hammett, A. A. Wyttenbach, Vernon Rook. Charles Y. McKee, asst. trainmaster.
Left, are some of joint traffic office staff. Front row, l to r: M. L. Adier, TPA;
Ruby Brown, Gene Spitz, Irene Mclnerny, G. T. Foncerrada, Alice Yeager, Joe Bartlett, pass. agt. Back row: Floy Richmond, John Chapman, Bruce Adams, chief of military service bureau; Harold Orner, ADPA; Clifford Livermore. Bill Rosendaie. TPA.
GENERAL OFFICE workers, left, Include, front row, l to r: Nelle Grosdidier, Sadie H. Nichols, Ruth Sundstrom, S. A. Lamey, trainmaster; Edris Dull. Back row: G. B. Stilson, J. W. Grosdidier, F. M. Gay, A. B. Raine, chief clerk; Joyce Alien, Pete Palma. Lamey is operating officer in charge of train and yard service and stations on SD&AE.
"VOICE SMILE" GIRLS are important part of SD&AE's friendly service. Left are, l to r: Gertrude Hammersla, Kathleen Munro, Jessie Hoesly.
CITY TICKET OFFICE force, left, includes, l to r, front row: C. W. Skinner, Fred Brierly, Marie Bethel, Lloyd Waller. Barbara Burns, Francis Wangler, Dorothy Bussey, Verdelle Spencer. Back row: Cora Backam, John Gamble, Wm. Roe, Randy Blatnick, Larry Wells, Herman Kefel, agent; Charles Wilhite, Effie McGlockin. A joint SP-SD&AE office, it does as much business a month as yearly before the war.
SERVICE BUREAU staff, left, includes, l to r: Robert Gremitt, Ruth Hall, Harry Schrader, Mildred Bushnell, Vito Siskos, Ruby Simponis, John Morell, F. W. Piepenbrink, chief.
CLYDE CROPLEY, lineman, repairs a telegraph and telephone terminal block at Tecate station.
April, Page 22
SD&AE Railway
Head reporter: J. W. Grosdidier,
San Diego.
Among those who recently returned from military service are R. H. Carnahan, locomotive fireman from the Merchant Marine; LeRoy Holzman, locomotive fireman, who served with the Army Air Corps as a parachute specialist with a sergeant's rank in Africa, Italy and the Balkans; Sam Martinez, machinist helper, who was a corporal in the Army. . . . Thomas Fielding, our traffic manager, has returned to work after an extended leave at Colorado Springs due to illness. . . . SD&AE folks were given a glimpse into SP's future in informative talks by K. C. Ingram, asst. to president, who presented an illustrated lecture, "Railroad, Postwar." . . . School days have started again for supervisory personnel and others who deal with the public. Steele Holman is conducting a course in Human Relations. . . . Proud father is Loid V. Lucy, stockman at San Diego Store, whose son was born, March 8.
May, Page 9
T. F. O'Connell Retires;
New Appointments Made
RETIREMENT of T. F. O'Connell as asst. master mechanic of San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway was announced effective May 1. F. W. Kubler was named master mechanic at San Diego, succeeding him. N. L. McCracken took Kubler's place as master mechanic at LA and J. A. Peters advanced to master mechanic at Tucson.
O'Connell came to SP as machinist apprentice at Sacramento in Nov. 1897 and worked in the Motive Power Dept. until Oct. 1917 when he transferred to the Valuation Dept., SF. He has headed the SD&AE Motive Power Dept. since Jan. 1918.
Kubler started with SP as a machinist at Ogden in March, 1913. He went to Brooklyn as general foreman in May, 1931. He returned to Sparks in July, 1941, as asst. master mechanic, went to LA as master mechanic in March, 1942.
McCracken entered SP service in July, 1920, as machinist apprentice on Sacramento Division and has been master mechanic at Tucson since June, 1941. Peters first worked as machinist apprentice at El Paso in Sept. 1920 and was appointed asst. master mechanic at Tucson in March, 1943.
June, Page 2
SD&AE Conductor Has Friend-Winning Knack
ONE of the true exponents of courtesy on the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Ry is Conductor J. R. Grant.
His mastery of his job, his congenial attitude in assisting travelers, and his constant effort to make the 148-mile trip from San Diego to El Centro a pleasant one have won him customer applause.
Typical of the response passengers give to his helpful service is this excerpt from one of the many letters of commendation he has inspired: "He is without doubt one of the most courteous conductors I have ever seen. He extends himself to be helpful, explaining the trip and points of interest in detail. He can quote connections at all junction points from memory and willingly explains to travelers the methods of transfer. It is a pleasure to watch him, for he does all this rather than spend time explaining why he cannot give the information."
June, Page 20
T. F. O'Connell (left), whose retirement May 1 as asst. master mechanic, SD&AE Ry., after nearly 49 years cf railroading, was announced in last month's Bulletin, is shown with his successor, F. W. Kubler, at surprise dinner given by 75 friends and associates.
June, Page 20
SD&AE Railway
Head reporter: J. W. Grosdidier,
San Diego.
Plaster City, 18 miles west of El Centro in Imperial Valley, is reopening as an agency station. The gypsum properties of the Pacific Portland Cement Co. at Plaster City, including mill, mine and 25 miles of narrow gauge railroad, were recently acquired by the US Gypsum Co., which is greatly expanding the plant, including a mill for manufacture of plaster board. The industry is a welcome addition to the SD&AE.
Retiring as chief clerk to vice pres. and genl. mgr. at San Diego, A. B. Raine ended a 24-year service with SD&AE on May 31. He had a varied career before coming here-taught school, did court reporting, was in the construction dept. of the Illinois Central and in various capacities with the Tennessee, Alabama & Georgia, including that of asst. genl. mgr. Recently he let it slip he was interested in a good radio, which made it easy for us to select something for him to remember us by.
With regret we report the death of Fred Edwards, traveling mechanic, May 2. Edwards started with SD&AE in 1923 and served in various jobs in the B&B Dept., including that of foreman. A veteran of World War I, he returned to the Navy shortly after Pearl Harbor, becoming a chief warrant officer in the Seabees. He was undergoing treatment, principally for fatigue, at San Diego Naval Hospital at the time of his death.
Welcomed home from military service were Jack V. Hunt, ticket clerk in San Diego City Ticket Office, from the Army Air Force; and Richard P. Dick, locomotive fireman, from the Seabees.
June, Page 21
Promoted and New Jobs
SD&AE: J. W. Grosdidier, from clerk on MofW Dept., to chief clerk to vice-president and general manager., San Diego. Grosdidier also is Bulletin reporter for the SD&AE.
July-August, Page 21
SD&AE Railway
Head reporter: J. W. Grosdidier,
San Diego.
Back on the SD&AE are Storesman Elmer R. Fowler and Locomotive Fireman Thomas J. Brady. Fowler was a seaman first class in the Pacific Theatre, Brady was a T-4 in 770th Railway Battalion who ran an engine in Korea.
Friends of Pensioner Ernest E. Ebersole were saddened to hear of his death, July 3, at Arcadia. Ebersole served with SD&AE from 1917 until 1940 when he retired as chief clerk in the Master Mechanic's office.
Sept-Oct., Page 21
Retired
SD&AE: Four veterans who have practically grown up with SD&AE took their retirement recently: "Andy" M. Dahl, B&B gang foreman; Fred Wiebens, conductor; Nels E. Christiansen, carshop foreman; and Luther M. "Dad" Noel, passenger carman. All retirements were effective in August. Annuities approved: Thomas F. O'Connell, master mechanic;
Alonzo B. Raine, chief clerk to VP&GM.
Nov.-Dec., Page 9
SD&AE Safety Meetings held during October for section and B&B gangs and at outlying points by C. M. Eichenlaub, resident engineer, met popular response. Meetings were held in a coach, making it possible to reach employes who do not have opportunity to attend meetings at San Diego. Interest was heightened by use of slides to illustrate the talks.
Nov.-Dec., Page 17
WELCOME HOME
AMONG SP railroaders recently welcomed back after serving in the armed forces are: San Diego & Arizona Ry. reported the return of Fred R. Taylor, William Figueroa and Gerald J. Wolfe.
