Copyright status unknown. This work may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, its reproduction may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. This work is accessible for purposes of education and research. Transmission or reproduction of works protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives attempted to find rights owners without success but is eager to hear from them so that we may obtain permission, if needed. Upon request to Library.CSRM@parks.ca.gov, digitized works can be removed from public view if there are rights issues that need to be resolved.
Description
Contains the audio recording of a presentation by Robert P. Hinze, the last surviving member of Santa Fe train crews who handled the "Death Valley Scotty" Special on July 1905. Hinze begins by telling the well-known story of Scotty walking into the Santa Fe office in Los Angeles and offering to pay for a special fast train run to Chicago. He gives some background about Scotty, including how he ended up in Death Valley and how he hatched the plan for the train in a Harvey House in Bakersfield. Hinze then tells the story of the Coyote Special's journey from Los Angeles to Chicago, interspersed with jokes and interesting anecdotes. Hinze did not start out as a crew member from Los Angeles, but arrived later in the run and worked the infamous steep and crooked segment over Raton Pass in New Mexico. He was chosen to be the fireman by the engineer that Santa Fe management assigned to the segment. Hinze explains the crews were not chosen because they were “daredevils”, but rather because they worked reliably and safely. Hinze tells how the train was run, including details about how and why engines were changed, how the train was kept on time, how an Interstate Commerce rule was broken, and details about his experience in his locomotive. Written on tape case: Talk given before So. Calif. Chapter of Railway & Locomotive Historical Society at Los Angeles on September 15, 1959 by Robert P. Hinze, last surviving member of Santa Fe train crews who handled "Death Valley Scotty" Special in July 1905. Recorded by Stan Kistler and donated to California State Railroad Museum on Nov. 5, 1979.
Type
sound
Format
Original Stereo Audio cassette
Form/Genre
Lectures
Extent
1 Tape of 1
Identifier
387-203-1 cscrm_000502
Language
English
Subject
Trains Scott, Walter E., 1872-1954
Provenance
California State Railroad Museum Library and Archives California Revealed is supported by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.