MY FAVORITE TRAIN PAINTING: BY R.L.HUFFSTUTTER

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PAINTINGS I HAVE COME ACROSS SINCE I BEGAN SEARCHING FOR ART ON THE INTERNET

By Robert L. Huffstutter

"I'll Hold You in my Dreams" a painting by William Phillips

I'll Hold You in My Dreams SP GS-4 locomotive 4443 by Americana artist William Phillips

http://snowgoosegallery.com/p-7742-ill-hold-you-in-my-dreams-sp-gs-4-locomotive-4443-by-americana-artist-william-phillips.aspx



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I'll Hold You in my Dreams by Americana artist William Phillips available from Snow Goose Gallery.

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The Noon Coast Daylight (train 97 from Los Angeles to San Francisco - see number board to left of stack) is drifting into Santa Barbara station. The time is 2:29 pm on a warm winter day in 1941, less than a month after Pearl Harbor. Number 97 is running three minutes early.This beautiful train was discontinued by the Southern Pacific Railroad in January of '42 - prior to the resumption of daylight savings. Standard time had prevailed year round since the end of WW1. Consequently, the sun angle spells out the same story as the train is actually headed a little south of west here in Santa Barbara.Locomotive 4443, one of the famous GS-4 class, is moving slowly as it eases to a stop with the observation car still blocking State Street. The locomotive and head end will be further along the platform to the benefit of passengers boarding from near where they are now standing. The car inspector or "car knocker" (man in overalls at the edge of the platform) is ready to start walking the length of the train, tapping the wheels of each car with his hammer - looking for broken flanges or other defects. Scheduled departure for San Franciscois 2:35 pm - a lot to do in six minutes. But railroad workers are a proud lot - and this train is one of the Daylights. It always gets special attention. Plus, keeping State Street blocked any longer than neccesary is frowned on by SP management.

Next stop? San Luis Obispo, 119 miles up the line. 2 hours and 18 minutes scheduled running time. Now, that's long enough for dinner in the diner - if you want to spend a minimum of ninety cents or really splurge with the fresh mountain trout at $1.50.Just above the station (left side) there are two P-38 fighter aircraft on their first test flight, only a few days after rolling off the assembly line at the Lockheed plant in Burbank. Full production of operational aircraft has continued round the clock since October of the previous year. The 4-8-4 is not much older, having been delivered from Lima Locomotive Works in May of '41.Businessmen wait to board as does Rosie the Riveter (far left). Amongst a sprinkling of other military personnel, the young Army Air Force Lieutenant stands out as he bids his fiancee goodbye. Look closely, you can see a small diamond on her ring finger. She will be there to welcome him home in the summer of '45.