SP 9 waits at the Owenyo trainorder office for its last orders. It had been filling in while diesel SP 1 was in the Bakersfield shops, but the diesel is back from the shops and soon will take over for the few months left until abandonment. So this will be 9's last trip, from Owenyo to Keeler and return. And probably the last revenue freight steam operation on the SP system. In the background is the transload dock were freight is transferred from standard gauge to narrow gauge cars. And in the distance are the rugged peaks of the Sierra Nevada, with Mount Whitney off to the left. The 9 is preserved at the Laws Railroad Museum and has recently been inspected to determine if it can be restored to serviceable condition. The original image was an overexposed faded grainy Ascochrome, but with help from Photoshop and Topaz AI the image was made much more presentable.
