On Aug 28, 2020, at 5:57 PM, Ken Harstine <kharstin@...> wrote:

?

Yup.? I think we just called it the Basic Onion Dehydrator.? We always figured that the plant made good business for the burger joints that opened on the south end of Monte Vista on what we called Hamburger Hill.? Much more pleasant then the smell you got as you passed through the refineries up by the straight.

The onion plant was the sole reason for the local that SN ran up through the 70s.? Below is a link to my photos of that local that I took while home on leave from the Navy.

It was operational in 78 which is the last time I got photos.

Best,

Ken Harstine

On 8/28/2020 6:40 PM, Garth Groff and Sally Sanford wrote:

Ken,

There used to be a really odiferous onion packing plant in Vacaville that our family could smell as we drove to San Francisco on US?40. It was served by the SN. I don't remember what the plant was called (my copy of WP Circular 167-E suggests Basic Vegetable Products Co., which was a drier plant). To our family it was "Bud's Onion Factory" because my father's ne'er-do-well brother Vernon (aka "Bud") had worked there one harvest season. I think the building was torn down in the 1970s.

Yours Aye,

Garth Groff ??

On Fri, Aug 28, 2020 at 4:33 PM Ken Harstine <kharstin@...> wrote:

Great,

I took photos of Winters as the district was being razed.? I regret that I did not document the SN sheds that were still extent on the Fairfield branch of the SN back in the 70s when I had the chance.? I think one of the sheds that is adjacent to I80 has been repurposed but I think the rest were removed.

No to mention of course the remains of the SN sheds in Vacaville where I was that were also still existent at that time.

Best,

Ken

On 8/28/2020 4:22 PM, Garth Groff and Sally Sanford wrote:

Ken,

I've been with the Real Steam Era Freight Car group on io since the Yahoo shutdown. There are some quirks and disadvantages, but in general I like the io format. I am also in the SN and WP groups here, but there has rarely been an SN post, and I can't remember EVER seeing a WP post. (Sigh!). Both of those went over to FB.

I have some photos of the Yuba City packing sheds taken just after abandonment which I would be happy to share on this group once it gets going. There are a few shots in the Whittaker and Jenkins SN negatives that I can make available as well. Will the group extend to nut packers? There were several of these on the SN, as well as at least two tomato canneries.

Yours Aye,

Garth Groff ??

On Fri, Aug 28, 2020 at 11:40 AM Ken Harstine <kharstin@...> wrote:

Thanks Garth,

The only advantage to Facebook was the ability to post images.? And with that is not really a problem.? I know there has been some controversy but I think the option of only getting links to images should be adequate for those on limited bandwidth lines.

Also of course you can look at past stuff on and that does not work well on Facebook.? Lots of reasons why I too prefer this to Facebook.

Best,

Ken Harstine

On 8/27/2020 6:21 PM, Garth Groff and Sally Sanford wrote:

Ken,

I just logged in. Thanks for not going to Facebook with this group. I understand that's where all the SN and WP guys went when the Yahoo groups were trashed. For personal and practical reasons, my sweetheart and I agreed not ever be on FB.

Yours Aye,

Garth Groff ??

On Thu, Aug 27, 2020 at 2:02 PM Ken Harstine <kharstin@...> wrote:

Hi,

I have created a group to facilitate the sharing of information related to the railroad served fruit and vegetable industry in North America.? My particular interests are California and specifically SN and SP related industry.
Please join if you are interested:
/g/RailroadFruitIndustryModelers
Ken Harstine
Holyoke, MA