A Special Issue Of PASSENGER TRAIN JOURNAL

nllual AND USER'S GUIDE FOR 1992

For the first time, the editors of Passenger Train .; Journal bring you a complete update on the North American light rail scene in one 64-page publication: the 1992 Light Rail Annual and User's Guide!

City after city is adopting light rail- it's the rail success stQry of the decade! Don't be without this comprehensive publication, the first of its kind ever released. Center­ piece is the User's Guide, documenting in photos and statistics every light rail system and heritage trolley operation in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. Contains complete rosters of cars, line listings, and det.ailed maps.

INTERURBAN PRESS P.o. Box 6444. Glendale. CA 91225 TOLL-FREE ORDERS (Weekdays 9-5, psn 1-800-899-8722. FAX (818) 240-5436 PACIFIC RAIL NEWS

20 BN's West End Coal trains abound on this double-track route into Galesburg Darren K. Hill

32 Santa Fe's Barstow Diesel Shops An inside look at a state-of-the-art locomotive facility

David C. Crammer

38 Focus Texas: Austin Discover railroading in the Lone Star State's overlooked city

Carl M. Lehman

40 Focus Colorado: Air Force Academy Great scenery, lots of trains and it's not off-limits to railfans

R.C. Farewell

Images: The Wide-Nose Revolution A southbound Rio Grande AICLC coal train visits Col­ 50 orado's Air Force Academy in June 1984. R.C. Farewell Crew comfort cabs are everywhere in the West these days

PACIFIC RAIL NEWS and PACIFIC NEWS are registered trademarks of Interurban Press. a California Corporation. I DEPARTMENTS I PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree EXPEDITER SHORT LINES EDITOR: Don Gulbrandsen 4 19 NEWS EDITOR: Carl Swanson 6 UNION PACIFIC 38 FOCUS TEXAS ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael Falk AMTRAK/PASSENGER FOCUS COLORADO CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elrond G. Lawrence 8 40 EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Dick Stephenson 10 CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN 45 SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES

ART DIRECTOR: Katie Danneman 12 REGIONALS 47 TRANSIT ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Tom Danneman 14 SOO LINE 50 IMAGES OF RAILROADING CONTRIBUTING ARTIST: John Signor 15 CANADA WEST 54 THE LAST WORD CIRCULATION MANAGER: Bob Schneider 16 SANTA FE 55 PRN ADVERTISING INDEX © 1992 INTERURBAN PRESS 18 BURLINGTON NORTHERN PRN CLASSIFIEDS Mac Sebree. President/CEO 55 Jim Walker. Senior Vice President Don Gulbrandsen, Vice President

COVER: In May 1992, an eastbound Burlington Northern coal train glides down the 1.18 percent hill into Burlington, Iowa, on the little-photographed West End. C30-7 5532 and two roster mates power the train which, in minutes, will thread its way through down­ town and cross the Mississippi River into Illinois en route to Galesburg. Tom Danneman

PAClFlC RAILNEWSIISSN 8750-8486) is published monthly by Interurban Press la corporation), 1741 Gardena Ave., Glendale, CA 91204. Second-class postage paid at Glendale, CA 91209 and additional mailing of­ fices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PACIFlC RAn.NEWS, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $30 (U.S.) for 12 issues, $58 for 24 issues. Foreign add $6 for each 12 issues. Single copy $5 postpaid from Glendale office (subject to change without notice). CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Office does not regularly forward 2nd Class Mail and PACIFIC RArLNEWS is not responsible for copies not forwarded or destroyed by the Post Office. Replacement copieslPO notifications will be billed. Please allow us at least four weeks for any address change. ADVERTISING RATES: Contact Interurban Press, P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, W153187; (414) 542-4900. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscription problems and inquiries call: (800) 899-TRACK. Two of the three former Transcisco F45s-power for the defunct Sierra 4ger ExpreS9-Sold to short line Wis­ consin Southern have emerged from Wisconsin Central's North Fond du Lac shops repainted for their new owner. The 1002 and 1003 make up train 418 at Horicon, Wis., on June 19, 1992, before departing on their first trip to Milwaukee. The third unit, 1001, is still undergoing repairs and repainting at the WC shop. Tom Kidd

SHORT ·LlVED STRIKE: Two ing the Seattle solid waste SANTA FE'S BIG DEAL: On days after it began, Congress train-which is required to June 18, eight southern Cali­ stepped in to end a strike that move by contract. fornia transportation agencies paralyzed the nation's rail sys­ The legislation that ended announced that they had tem. President Bush signed the shutdown established a 35- reached an agreement to buy legislation at 1: 02 a.m. June 26, day cooling-off period during 340 miles of Santa Fe right-of­ ordering a return to work for which negotiatiations will con­ way and other property for the duration of a 38-day negoti­ tinue. Twenty-five days into the $500 million. The properties z ating period. process,labor and management will likely be conveyed in three z Trains stopped rolling after will present their best offers. At closings during the next year. midnight on June 24,when the the end of the 35-day period,an The agreement brings the International Association of arbitratorwill chose the best of­ Southern California Metrolink Machinists struck CSX. Most fer and use it as the final settle­ commuter system a giant step major freight railroads re­ ment. The settlement will be closer to completion, clears the sponded to the CSX strike by forwarded to the president, way for extension of the Blue halting operations. Soo Line, who has three days to accept or line light rail system from Los whose workers are covered by reject the deal. If accepted, it Angeles Union Passenger Ter­ local contracts, continued to will become an approved con­ minal to Pasadena and allows run trains throughout the dis­ tract. If not, unions will regain Santa Fe to retain trackage pute. Prior to the strike dead­ their right to go on strike, and rights necessary to continue line, Amtrak canceled or short­ railroads regain their right to its extensive freight operations ened the runs of most long-dis­ impose a lockout. in the area. As part of the tance trains. Once the dispute Although brief, the rail agreement, the transportation started,Amtrak suspended all shutdown cost the nation $1 agencies involved agreed to operations, except for North­ billion each day, according to pay for more than $80 million east Corridor and Chicago-Mil­ some economists. Railroads in capital improvements to waukee (Soo Line) service. move two-thirds of the new boost capacity on the San Union Pacific joined the oth­ cars produced in the United Bernardino, Olive and San er Western giants in suspend­ States,more than half the lum­ Diego subdivisions. The multi­ ing through freights and yard ber used for construction and county Southern California Re­ operations on June 24, but UP coal used for producing 60 per­ gional Rail Authority (SCRRA) LLI said it would continue operat- cent of the nation's electricity. is also obligated to provide

4 • AUGUST 1992 double track through Santa came to a halt in 1983, after I Ana Canyon, probably extend­ two of the railroad's 17 trestles ing between Esperanza and at were damaged by fire. Fire least Corona. SCRRA also struck again four years later, gained trackage rights on the this time collapsing two tun­ San Bernardino Sub, from San nels northeast of Jacumba. The Bernardino via Fullerton to Re­ two bridges were replaced and dondo Junction. insurance provided $7.5 million The Southern California to reopen one of the tunnels, lines acquired from Santa Fe but that money proved insuffi­ include: cient to complete repairs. The • Pasadena Sub, San Bernardi­ railroad said it will seek other no-Los Angeles. sources of funding. SD&IV con­ I ·San Diego Sub, Fullerton-San tinues to operate freight ser­ Diego. vice over the San Diego Trolley • Olive Sub, Atwood-Orange. line and uses a 46-mile line in­ ·Escondido Sub, Oceanside­ to Mexico. Escondido. ·San Jacinto Sub, Highgrove­ SP OFFERS NEW COMMUTE San Jacinto. ROUTE: Bay Area commuters ·Redlands Sub, San Bernar-di­ may have a new way to get to no-Mentone. work in the future. On June ·Harbor Sub, Redondo-Wilm­ 17, SP offered to allow com­ ington. mute trains to use 70 miles of ·Mission Tower-Redondo track between Suisun City, Junction (in L.A.). Fairfield and Brentwood and the BART stations at Rich­ NORTH WOODS CHEMICAL mond and West Oakland. SP SPILL: Sixty thousand resi­ officials said trackage rights dents of the Duluth, Minn., and over its system would allevi­ Superior, Wis., areawere evac­ ate traffic on parallel inter­ uated in the early morning states and would cost much hours of June 30 after a less than a BART expansion. Burlington Northern freight Public agencies would have to train derailed on the Nemadji band together to sponsor the River bridge, five miles south of service and provide operating Superior, spilling a benzene­ subsidies. The California De­ based chemical into the river. partment of Transportation The accident caused a fish kill would supply locomotives and and sent a bluish-white chemi­ cars, possibly operated by ABOVE: Newer UP wide-nose units have startedtuming up with startling ca! plume over the nearby Amtrak crews. SP said it regularity on C&NW freights on the east-west main. On June 13, 1992, cities, but no serious injuries hopes to operate a test train Dash 8-40CW 9469 switches the PRNPA before departing from West were reported. Most residents soon and said if all goes Chicago, III. Steve Smedley BELOW: Since early this year, South Orient were allowed to return to their smoothly, six weekday-morn­ Railroad has been operating a big chunk of little-known ex-AT&SF homes by evening. The 57-car ing commute trains could be trackage in western Texas. On May 14, 1992, GP9s 200/20 1 pull a string freight train was bound for running in a year. of tankers through Ballinger, Texas; the train is returning to San Angelo Minneapolis when it derailed from the AT&SF interchange at San Angelo Junction. Wes Carr about 2:30 a.ill. June 30. Three tank cars derailed off the bridge structure, dropping 50 feet to the river below. One of the cars, carrying a 44 percent solution of benzene, broke open on impact. DESERT LINE WORK SUS­ PENDED: California's San Diego & Imperial Valley Rail­ road, which owns the historic desert line between San Diego, Tijuana and Plaster City, has suspended efforts to reopen damaged sections of the 146-mile line. The SD&IV operates the former San Diego & Arizona Ea�tern Railway line under contract from the current owner, San Diego's Metropolitan Transit Develop­ ment Board (MTDB). The board bought the line in 1979 to expand the San Diego Trol­ ley to El Cajon, La Mesa and San Ysidro. Service across the desert

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 5 Duncan on the west. The May 28 edition of the LA GRANDE OBSERVER quoted La Grande Subdivision Director of Operations Phil Aylward as saying the cost of the tun­ nel would be $425 million and that it would take 10 years to construct. He said that it would be doubtful that the railroad would go ahead with construction-even with a positive report from the feasibility study now under way-since UP desires costs from capital improvements be recov­ ered within three years. Aylward also expressed doubt that run­ ning trains through a tunnel under the Blue Mountains instead of over them would bring a $140 million gain per year in income. He did mention that UP may consider double-tracking the entire line to increase capacity. Currently, UP tries to hold to a lid of 28 trains per day over the Blue Mountains-the level at which traffic flows with a minimum of problems.

Commuter Trains Over Altamont Pass?

In late May, UP operated an inspection special for officials from county govern­ A Union Pacific APL doublestack in the Blue Mountains at Kamela, Ore., on May 23, 1992. Both ments and transportation experts over APL and this mountainous line are in the news: A UP offic ial said a congestion-easing tunnel California's Altamont Pass. With the push was unlikely, even though APL may soon send more trains over this route. Lindsay Korst elsewhere to start commuter services over existing rails, an ideal corridor for such a talk that UP, BN and the operating unions service is Modesto/Stockton to the Bay Highline Reopens are trying to come to an agreement that Area over Altamont Pass. As more and would eliminate Bieber and allow UP more people have bought homes in the The first train operated north from Ked­ crews to go all the way to Klamath Falls San Joaquin Valley and are commuting on die, Calif., through Tunnel 2 on June 16, over BN. Interstate 580 to business parks in the Liv­ nearly 28 months after an arson fire col­ ermore Valley, in the San Jose area and lapsed the tunnel. The "Westwood Turn" even San Francisco, auto traffic has picked up the week's carloads off the AI­ E9s Go In For Rebuilding reached crisis proportions. manor Railroad at Clear Creek Junction. Starting with two or three trains oper­ Through trains to the BN connection at The questions of where and when the ating west to the Union City BART station Bieber, Calif., were expected to start the A-B-A set of E9s owned by UP and stored (next to UP's main line) in the morning week of June 21. in the railroad's historical locomotive col­ and east in the evening, the trains could UP management is attempting to come lection at Cheyenne would be rebuilt have form the core of a much larger and much­ to a new Highline operating agreement finally been answered. On June 6, E9s needed network. UP is proposing a two­ with its unions. The railroad would like to 951, 970-B and 949 departed Cheyenne year trial run. close Oroville as a crew-change point for and made their way to VMV at Paducah, Highline trains. Crews are already quali­ Ky. Some reports suggest the two E9As fied to operate out of Portola and/or be will be rebuilt with a single 12-cylinder Hoisington Subdivision Service Cut taxied to Keddie to pick up the trains as 645 prime mover rated at 2,000-h.p. with a an interdivisional run. There is once again head-end power generator set, while the The 562-mile Hoisington Subdivision in 978-B will be only cosmetically restored as Kansas and Colorado is better known as a slug and/or fuel trailer. In this configura­ the former MoPac main line west to tion, the A-B-A set would only have 4,000 Pueblo, Colo., and as the current SP RAILROAD MAPS h.p., which is not quite enough to handle (D&RGW) main line between Pueblo and the occasional 28-plus car passenger Herington, Kan. To UP, this line goes 1 ) trains seen in company service. nowhere, provides a rival railroad with a 2) competing main line and no longer sup­ 3) plies its owner with any through traffic. 4) Blue Mountain Tunnel DoubHul The line continues to be true to its orig­ 5) inal purpose of causing problems for Following several months of silence, UP UP-it was built to connect the Gould­ officials have commented on the prospect owned Missouri Pacific and D&RG nearly Send SASE· of drilling a tunnel under eastern Oregon's 108 years ago. From the completion of Blue Mountains. Under the proposal, UP Western Pacific in 1909 until the UP-MP­ RAILROAD INruruv. .... would eliminate the traffic bottleneck WP merger in 1982, this route was a key P. O. Box 1429 caused by 34 mountainous miles west of bypass around former Harriman empire Georgetown, TX 78627 La Grande by constructing a 12- to 15-mile members UP and SP. Credit Cards Call 1-800-795-MAPS tunnel that would run from near Hilgard, Now, SP trains operate with trackage on the east, to near the sidings of Camp or rights between Pueblo and Herington,

6. AUGUST 1992 ·where the SP "'Cotton Rock" line to rent severe congestion problems for con­ Kansas City crosses. More than a year tainer traffic, has already announced ago, UP applied for abandonment of 90 plans for a 288-acre site as part of its Pier miles of the ex-MoPac from Osawatomie, 300 project which includes direct rail ac­ PACIFIC RAIL Kan., west to Council Grove, Kan., 27 cess. Oakland has a favorable site avail­ NEWS miles east of the SP crossing at Herington. able and is home to APL's corporate On April 16, the eastbound local LHV50 headquarters but may loose out due to NEWS STAFF was the last train to operate over the 39 further problems dredging the ship chan­ miles of track between Council Grove and nels in San Francisco Bay for APL's giant Lomax. Service from Osawatomie west to C-l0 container ships. News/information submissions: If you would like to Lomax and then north on the "Topeka In­ As far as possible effects on UP, the se­ share items on any of the topics listed below, please contact the appropriate columnist at the address list­ dustrial Lead" to Overbrook will be on an lection of Seattle or Tacoma will further ed for each section. NOTE: Do not send photos to as-needed basis until the abandonment is aggravate congestion in the Blue Moun­ the columnists. approved, or a shortline operator is found. tains. Oakland would be a good choice for UP will continue to operate a local train a UP, but a major siding extension program few times per week all the way west to on the Feather River Service District RAILROAD COLUMNISTS Pueblo and east to Council Grove out of would be quickly needed. In Los Ange­ AMTRAK/PASSENGER-Dick Stephenson Hoisington. Motive power will now be les/Long Beach, congestion problems to 1595 E. Chevy Chase #20. Glendale. CA 91206 moved in and out of this area by way of and from the harbors will not be solved for AT&SF-Elson Rush the ex-OKT main line through Salina in­ nearly 10 years until the Alameda Corridor P.O. Box 379. Waukesha. WI 53187 stead of by way of Osawatomie. is completed. BURLINGTON NORTHERN-Karl Rasmussen 11449 Goldenrodst. NW. Coon Rapids. MN SS448 CANADA WEST-Doug Cummings 5963 Kitchener SI.. Burnaby. BC V5B 2J3 APL Renegotiates Contract; New Termi­ Locomotive Notes C&NW-Michael W. Blaszak nal Planned 211 South Leitch Ave .. La Grange.IL 6OS25 COMMUTER-Dick Stephenson The search for locomotive systems that 1595 E. Chevy Chase #20. Glendale. CA 91206 Seven years ago, Union Pacific and Ameri­ operate on alternative fuels, such as liq­ D&RGW-Richard C. Farewell can President Lines signed a landmark uefied natural gas, is expanding. On May 9729 w. 76th Ave .. Arvada.CO 8CXXlS agreement that set off the doublestack 28, UP announced that an agreement has ILLINOIS CENTRAL-David J. Daisy train revolution. With three years left on been reached with General Electric to 746 N. Bruns Lane Apt. A. Springfield.IL 62702 the originall0-year agreement and with participate in the development and test­ MEXICO--Clifford R. Prather P.O. Box 925. Sonta Ana. CA 92702 increasingly competitive pressures on ing of a system to use LNG. GE is devel­ REGIONALS-Dave Kroeger APL's land services from other dou­ oping a LNG high-pressure, late-cycle in­ 525 6th Ave .. Marion.IA 52302 blestack operators, UP and APL have jection system that can be used in the SHORT LINES-RobertC. Gallegos agreed on new terms for the next three current Dash 8 line of locomotives. The P.O. Box 379. Waukesha. WI 53187 years of operations. railroad expects the units from GE and SOO LI NE-Karl Rasmussen The renegotiated contract will save APL from EMD will be ready for testing in the 11449 Goldenrod st. NW. Coon Rapids. MN SS448 SP/SSW-Joseph A. Strapac about $28 million per year on its UP dou­ second half of 1993. P.O. Box 1539. Bellflower. CA 90707 blestack train operations. UP is able to offer In early 1993, another type of LNG-fu­ TRANSIT-Mac Sebree reduced costs thanks to recent labor agree­ eled locomotive will arrive on UP for test­ P.O. Box 6128. Glendale. CA 91225 ' ments allowing just two crew members on ing. Two low-horsepower switch locomo­ UNION PACIFIC-Wayne Monger a train instead of three. Additionally, UP is tives will be produced from the combined 1300 Southhampton Rd. #214. Benicia.CA 945 10 now allowed to include container traffic efforts of Morrison Knudsen and Caterpil­ from other doublestack operators in APL lar. The prime movers will be the proven CONTRIBUTING TRANSIT COLUMNISTS trains. This eliminates the need to run a Cat 3500-series engines which run on short doublestacktrain for just APL traffic. LNG and are already in service around the Robert Blymyer. Chris Cucchiara. Don Jewell. Within four months, APL is expected world in various applications. Richard R. Kunz. Matthew G. Vurek to decide on where it will build a $208 As of mid-June, 26 of the 188 units to million "gateway megaterminal" on the be converted into "B-units" this year were FOCUS CORRESPONDENTS West Coast-a decision that will have done and on the road-three are C30-7Bs

wide-ranging impacts on Western rail­ and the rest are SD40-2Bs. Seven locomo­ Mike Abalos. Greg Brown. Rich Farewell. Paul roading. This monster container terminal tives were retired at the end of May, all Fries. Dave Gayer. Steve Glischinski. Wayne will be larger than anything now on the from the "Mexico" motive power fleet. Kuchinsky. Carl M. Lehman. Scott Muskopf. Dan West Coast; it will require 288 acres of These units are SD40s UP 3070, UP 3080, Pope. Ken Rattenne. Dick Stephenson land and will be able to handle as many UP 3086 and MP 3002, plus GP40s MP 632, as five container ships at once. In the MKT 170 and MKT 174. running for this megaterminal are the The number of locomotives remaining SUBMISSIONS: Articles. news items and photographs ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oak­ in Katy and Missouri Pacific colors contin­ are welcome and should be sent to our Wisconsin edito· rial office. When submitting material for consideration, land, Tacoma and Seattle. At the mo­ ues to dwindle. On June 6, only two MKT include return envelope and postage if you wish it re­ ment, APL moves containers through Los units remained in Katy green, SW1500 53 turned. PACIFIC RAILNEWS does not assume responsibility . for the sale return of material. Payment is made upon Angeles, Oakland and Seattle. and GP40 200. As for units in Missouri publication. In 1991, APL accounted for 16 percent of Pacific blue, 50 units remain in service. all imported container shipments and 12 These units are MP15DC 1378, SD40-2 EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Submit all photos, article sub· missions and editorial correspondence to: percent of all exported container shipments 3270, 11 GP15-ls and 37 GP38-2s. PAcmc RAILNEWS on the West Coast, well above Number The road slug set of 3002/S303/3003, P.o. Box 379, Waukesha, WI 53187 Two Sea-Land. Upon opening the new ter­ which we mentioned last month as being (414) 542-4900 FAX: (414) 542-7595 minal, APL will move a majority of its con­ reclassified to switching duties, continued tainer traffic to this new facility. to be used in helper service in the Blue BUSINESS ADDRESS:Address all correspondence re­ The initial leaders in this contest are Mountains out of La Grande, Ore., in May garding subscription and business matters to: Interurban Press Seattle and Los Angeles. Seattle, one day and June P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225 of transit closer to Japan than the other Thanks to Bill Maltby, Steve Kalthoff, (818) 240-9130 FAX: (818) 240-5436 ports, is proposing to build an appropri­ Chris Fry, Curt Howell, P.J. Gratz, George ate-sized facility that will include rail ac­ Cockle, Ken Meeker, Tom Messer, THE MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subSCrip­ cess onto the docks for direct ship-rail MIXED TRAIN, RAILFAN tion problems and inquiries call: FLIMSIES, NORTHWEST (800) 899-TRACK loading. Los Angeles,in spite of the cur- and Un ion Pacific Railroad.

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 7 ENGER

most of them off the San Diegans and Bugged by the Feds putting them onto the Cap itols, the San Sunset Extension Postponed Joaquins and covering some of the assign­ Amtrak service over a wide area was ments on the Coast Starl igh t. These units Amtrak announced in June that the exten­ severely delayed in mid-June when the U.S. have performed better on long-haul runs sion of the Sunset from New Orleans Food and Drug Administration clamped such as the Southwest Ch ief, Sunset and through Mobile and Jacksonville to Miami­ down on Amtrak for its cleanliness and Desert Wind, where they may be mixed creating the railroad's first transcontinental sanitation methods in dining and lounge with F40s. In their place have been some train-has been postponed until April 1993. cars. Trains such as the Coast Starlight, F40s new to Southern California, such as The State of Florida was slow to ante up Southwest Ch ief, Desert Wind and Cres­ 342 and 349 which were shipped from promised monies to CSX for track and sta­ cent incurred delays of up to five hours due Oakland to L.A. via SP freight June 12-13, tion improvements. The equipment situa:­ to swapping equipment or cleaning and in­ with others following. F40s from the first tion will not be as tight next year either. spection of food handling areas. order, with the smaller capacity HEP are A development related to this move Amtrak and the FDA reached agree­ expected back, with units 220-224 and 229 was the decision by Amtrak not to sus­ ment by June 15 on a program of im­ picking up the traces on the San Diegan s, pend the St. Louis-Carbondale River proved cleaning, inspection and training where timekeeping is critical. Cities. The little-used train is expected to for Amtrak's employees. Amtrak also has Reportedly, Amtrak personnel in Oak­ accommodate increased Kansas City/St. contracted with a leading pest control land have experienced some annoying­ Louis-Florida ridership thanks to the Sun­ firm to eradicate infestations from its though humorous-problems with the set extension, and Amtrak wants to evalu­ cars, including follow-up inspections and GEs. Apparently, on occasion, the toilets ate how significant this clientele will be treatment. Various contractors have been in Horizon Fleet cars go into automatic before it drops the train. used in the past but not with any consis­ flush when connected to the HEP on the tency, or broad coverage throughout the P32s, flooding the cars until the HEP is many states where Amtrak maintains its disconnected. New Contract, New Services equipment. Leased GP40s of the 650 class have al­ so augmented the L.A. pool. On June 12, Amtrak has increased its involvement GP40 No. 661 was switching at L.A. as with contract operations by taking over Motive Power Shifted part of a multiple day stint in that service, operation of the Peninsula Commute ser­ and sister unit 656 was the trailing unit on vice in the Bay Area and Metrolink, the Amtrak decided in June to change the as­ the Sunset arriving that day, in the compa­ commuter service due to start in Southern signment of some of its P32BHs, taking ny of a P32 and an F40. California in October.

This program features the cam­ time machine era artistry of such prominent rail­ will transport you fans as Doc Blackburn,Bill Janssen, back to the great traction era, Truman Hefner, and Vic Uzofi, plus when the Illinois Terminal reigned maps, graphics,and still photos from supreme in the Land of Lincoln. Pro­ the ITS collection. Most of the scenes duced in cooperation with the Illi­ are in color, a few in black & white, nois TractionSociety, thisgreat video and the footage dates back as far as features the big orange tractioncars, 1939. Sound is both natural and the blue-and-silver streamliners, augmented. VHS only. heavy trolley freight drags, PCC Code# FEI07 45 Minutes $39.95 trains rolling across the great McKinley Bridge into St. Louis, the Check or Money Order VisalMasterCard Alton Limited cars - even the mean­ In stock for immediate delivery dering Alton-Grafton railbus!

A Traction Time Machine Order Line: sr� PRODUCED wrrH THE COOPERATIONOF" � "flll-: 11 Ui\lOIS TMtno� Scx'!ET\ o 5 33 P.O. Box 94911, Pasadena, CA 91109 24 Hours A Day FAX 818-793-3797 CALL OR WRITEFOR FREE CATALOG Please add $4.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 for each additional tape. Canadian customers add $5.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 for each additional tape. California residents please add 8.25% sales tax. All other foreign customers add $10.00 per tape.

8 • AUGUST 1992 These contracts have meant transfers and hiring in a variety of job descriptions, including dispatchers. That is an expansion of sorts, because previously here in the West Amtrak has always been the tenant, never the operator of railroad passenger services. It has successfully operated the commuter service under contract with MBTA in the Boston area, and that set the pattern for expansion. These new services are expected to contribute to Amtrak's prof­ its, and are seen as one of the ways that the agency is running more like a business, and less like a subsidized stepchild.

Other Southern California Changes

The important agreement between Santa Fe and Metrolink is covered in Expediter. The expected impact on Amtrak and its op­ erations is not very great. In time the Southwest Ch iefwill probably be moved from the Pasadena Sub to the San Bernardi­ no Sub to operate via Fullerton. The agency at Pasadena generates a fair amount of rev­ enue, and there is nothing to say that an of­ fice at Pasadena, either directly or as a commission agency, cannot continue. Another change that will come in the next year or so is that with the completion of the new Ontario station, the stop at the former SP station in Pomona will be discon­ tinued. Strange as it may seem, the Sunset Amtrak has started shifting its P32BHs off the San Diegans and onto Western long-haul trains. carries passengers from Pomona to L.A., an On April 30, 1992, for example, the 500 had the eastbound Desert Wind in tow in Cajon Pass. example of how desperate people are for The new GEs have reportedly been solid performers on the long-haul trains. Don Bowen commuter service in Southern California, even riding on a tri-weekly train. an Amtrak employee actually debarked The Sunset operates via the Alhambra New Stop from the train there, the crew was mildly line in and out of L.A. since the State surprised, and told the employee he was Street line has been sold to Metrolink for At the April time change Amtrak estab­ the first person they had seen actually use its commuter operations. This routing lished a new stop at Lovelock, Nev., for the the new stop. Let's hope there are others. could resume in the future, but not for a California Zephyr. This location had previ­ Th anks to Bill Farmer, Ed Von number of months. ously been a crew change, and the train Nordeck, Bob Schneider, Wa yn e Monger, stopped there anyway. So last month when Norm Peterson and Kristopher Lundt. Business Levels Remain Good

Despite a soft economy Amtrak continues to enjoy good business in the west. Anyone MID AMERICA'S "STARS" COAST LINES DEPOTS who has tried to make a sleeping car reser­ LONESTAR - TWINSTAR LOS ANGELES DIVISION vation on a long-haul train lately is aware of fact. One reason is the $7 return fare this NEW! by Lee Gustafson & Phil Serpico which remainsin place on various trains in­ KATY·TEXAS SPECIAL pages, over By GIL BENNETT New Hardcover Book - 232 cluding the San Diegans, serving as an in­ 17 x 22" - S20.00 335 b&w photographs and illustrations including centive for all but holiday blank-out periods. 500 PRINTS depot drawings and floor plans, 8 color plates and 8 detailed maps.

In addition to the historical text and informa­ NEW! tive captions, this thoroughly researched ref­ Back Issues ROCK ISLAND TWIN STAR ROCKET erence work contains an in-depth roster listing E·B #652 499 milepost locations, 736 station names with 17 x 22" • S20.00 Available establishment/abandonment dates and 453 structures, including carbodies. Also listed are AT ORIGINAL COVER OTHERS AVAILABLE: • Bennett-Super Chief on Raton 18 x 24" ...... $20 agency closure dates and final disposition of PRICE! • Fogg·UPB44 on Sherman Hill 18 x 24" . . .25 structures. Asa bonus, there are 20+ photographs • Fogg: DRGW Cal. Zephyr 18 x 24". .25 • Fisher: UP 1957 Sherman Hill 24 x 36" . . .25 of interlocking towers relative to the operations Some issues are in limited quantities. • Fogg: T&P 610 16x22". .. ..15 of the Santa Fe Ry. This publication is truly a • EMD: City of SF (E·6·s) 19 x 25" ...... 15 must for railroad enthusiasts, modelers and so hurry! For a complete list. send a • Krabbenhoft: MP Colo. Eagte 16x 24" . . .20 • Eggleson: SP Sun. Ltd. (Alco PA's) 18 x 24" .20 self-addressed long (# 10) envelope to: historians alike. • Huge List 01 Others for 45¢ LSSAE Ptease add $3/0rder Shipping Price: $49.95 plus $3 postage and handling. Send Check. M. 0., VISA or Me info to: Outside USA buyers add $4 for post/hand. PACIFIC RAiLNEWS Available in June 1992. P. O. Box 6128 '4CJ....,;:--�-:;-:-7 PRINT S & HOBBI OMNI PUBLICATIONS Glendale, CA 91225 P.O. BOX 900566, Dept. P Palmdale, CA 93590-0566

PACIFIC RAlLNews . 9 CHICA

DW&P interchange at Pokegama Yard. C&NW has not commented on the re­ sults of the test, or whether the company may consider a wide-cab or cowl design (an extra-cost option) for its next order of C40-8s.

"C42-8s" Visit Texas

Last year we noted that the final three units of C&NW's 1991 order for C40-S loco­ motives were rated at 4,200 h.p. instead of the 4,000 h.p. promised in GE's catalog. Not entirely happy with the performance of its SD60Ms, Burlington Northern ar­ ranged to borrow these units in June, as­ signing them to a Utility Fuels (Houston Light & Power) coal train bound from Wyoming to Smithers Lake, Texas, on the Santa Fe for evaluation. The test results, though, apparently weren't satisfactory, as the train stalled on the hill at Northport, Neb. BN loaned C&NW three SD60Ms for the duration of this round-trip test.

Freight Traffic Notes Two C&NW S060s and an 5018 switch the NPPRA at West Chicago, III., on June 13, 1992. Unfor­ tunately, the depot now houses the Chamber of Commerce, not the railroad. Steve Smedley C&NW and CSX commenced a test move­ ment of taconite from Tilden Mine, Mich., cluded 38 coal loads which had been set to Gulf States Steel at Gadsden, Ala., in C&NW Tests BCR Locotrol Units out earlier by an NABPC coal train. BCR late April. CSX provided three trainsets of 4617 was teamed with C&NW C40-8 8520 hopper cars to C&NW at Proviso for this Searching for the next leap in productivity, and UP C40-8W 9477 on the point, while 10-train movement. C&NW moved the Chicago & North Western concluded long­ BCR 4607 shoved the rear of the train in empties to Tilden Mine (as train CTISX) pending arrangements to test two of BC accordance with the engineer's com­ and returned the loads to Proviso (as train Rail's Locotrol-equipped General Electric mands. The BCR units were removed at ISCTO) for interchange to CSX. Both C40-8Ms in May. The system allows an en­ Boone and trailed the power of an empty railroads did everything possible to expe­ gineer in the leading unit to control one or coal train out to the Powder River Basin. dite the interchange and encourage this more Locotrol-equipped locomotives else­ The second Locotrol test, starting at new customer to commit to a long-term where in the train by radio without the Shawnee Junction, Wyo., on May 12, in­ transportation contract. use of multiple-unit cables. volved another 150-car train weighing However, North Western, along with Canadian National (Duluth, Winnipeg & 20,900 tons. BCR 4617 rode the point Southern Pacific and BN, lost the Fairfield, Pacific) delivered the pair of red-white­ along with C&NW C40-8s 8577 and 8542. Ala., ore business this spring when the and-blue cowls, BCR 4607 and 4617, to (C&NW claims no effort was made to get contract ran out. Fairfield is now buying C&NW at Superior, Wis. C&NW moved these specially painted units together for taconite from the Minntac plant on Duluth, these units to Fremont, Neb., where they the test.) On the hind end BCR 4607 was Missabe & Iron Range; Wisconsin Central were assigned to a special 150-car loaded joined by C&NW 8562, running but isolat­ and CSX move it south. As a result, Ish­ coal train departing on May 8. This train ed. After this test the BCR units ran to peming-Proviso trains ISSWO and SWISX was an ECPPC (East Caballo Mine, Wyo.­ Proviso, where they remained till the end run no more and SP power is no longer Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) symbol, but it in- of May when they were moved back to the regularly seen at Proviso.

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10 . AUGUST 1992 North Western instituted train service Wolfe after C&NW's late chairman. The reductions on May 2 as a profit-boosting new location of Horse Creek, 1.2 miles west Fort Robinson Flap move, even though freight traffic has in­ of Joyce, marks the end of double track creased somewhat so far in 1992. Train from South Morrill. Another new location, In May 1991 a flash flood destroyed por­ CYPRA from Clinton to Proviso was elimi­ Fairfax, Iowa, at milepost 84.2 of the East tions of C&NW's line from Crawford, Neb., nated, with local work reassigned to Iowa Subdivision, appears in the timetable. to Crandall, Wyo. The line never reentered Kansas City-Proviso train KCPRA. Proviso­ The ex-M&StL trackage between Hart­ service and the affected states have Butler train PRBUA, last restored to the land and Curtis, Minn., used by DM&E, ap­ agreed to let C&NW abandon it if no one schedule book in October 1990, was also pears in Timetable No. 12 as the Hartland steps forward with a plan to buy and re­ dropped, with train PRGBB rerouted over Sub. The Hampton Subdivision no longer store it by May 1993. Nebraska Gov. Ben the Kenosha Subdivision to handle appears in the timetable; the segment of Nelson, in fact, demanded that C&NW re­ Waukegan traffic. Various switcher, this ex-M&StL line between Rockwell and move "flood-damaged" portions of this wayfreight and overtime reductions were Sheffield, Iowa, has been abandoned. line, which extend about 12 miles, on also implemented. grounds that the washed-out rails and ties C&NW began seasonal sand train ser­ represented a safety hazard. vice to Elmhurst-Chicago Stone Co. in A salvage crew from a C&NW contrac­ Capital Improvement Program Elmhurst, Ill. , on May 24. The train as­ tor arrived at Crawford in mid-May. In­ signed to this customer, consisting of 35 stead of going into the White River North Western plans capital expenditures ore jennies, runs empty to South Beloit, Canyon to remove the track materials that Ill. , of $91.6 million in 1992, up 7.9 percent from on Sunday and Tuesday nights and back to had been washed out, the contractor be­ 1991 levels. About $25 million will be spent Elmhurst loaded on Monday and Wednes­ gan dismantling the physically-undam­ on the east-west main for installation of day nights. A caboose is assigned to the aged track just west of Crawford. In this 37.7 miles of welded rail and 107,000 ties, consist because the train has to back up area the line runs through Fort Robinson plus related work. The rest of the railroad between Proviso and Elmhurst. Two ATS­ State Park, a National Historical Land­ will receive 32.5 miles of welded rail and equipped GP7s or GP40s are assigned. mark. Nebraska considers the rail line 258,450 ties. Among the branch lines, the "part of the scenery, the historical integri­ Rake and Oskaloosa subdivisions in Iowa ty" of this park, according to museum cu­ will be upgraded, with the Rake getting 7.5 New Employee Timetable Issued rator Tom Buecker, and felt North Western miles of secondhand welded rail. had broken faith by not dismantling the C&NW's rail gang installed new rail on North Western Timetable No. 12, with a washed-out canyon trackage. the westbound track east of Cedar Rapids gray cover, superseded No. 11 at 12: 01 a.m. After a round of charges and counter­ during April and May. All trains operated on April 5. The new timetable is similar in charges had filled the Nebraska press, on the eastbound track through the work format to the old. It restores the maximum C&NW apologized for the track removal on limits from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays authorized speed for intermodal trains on May 22, offering to give the track within the through Fridays. the east-west main line to 70 mph, from 60 park to the state, to pay for a $2,000 histori­ mph in the old timetable. Maximum speeds cal marker explaining the railroad's role in were reduced on the Peoria Junction-Madi­ developing the fort, and to assist in a histor­ son segment of the St. Louis Division (from Harriman Award ical preservation study of the trackage. 49 to 40 mph) and on the Marinette Subdivi­ Th anks to Bruno Berzins, Karl Ras­ sion between Green Bay and Escanaba The 1991 Harriman awards for employee mussen, Dave Kroeger, P.J. Gratz, Michael (from 40 to 30 mph). safety were announced on May 28. C&NW M. Bartels, Jim Seacrest, A. Robert John­ The additional trackage added during won the Gold Medal for the lowest inci­ son, THE MIXED TRAIN and THE NORTH 1991 to the Powder River Subdivision ap­ dence of injuries on any railroad its size. WESTERN DISPATCH. pears in this timetable. The location of the The number of on-the-job injuries suffered new segment of double track between by C&NW employees dropped 22 percent mileposts 50.3 and 54.5 has been named during 1991 from 1990 levels.

Burli ngton Northernls Denver Division-Part 1 !

rom the Mountains of Wyoming and Montana to the sand VIDEO PRODUCTIONS Fhills of western Nebraska, Casey Jones Productions takes Steam Returns to Prince George you on an exciting tour of the northern part of the gigantic Three steam locomotives take a passenger Denver Division. See new SD60Ms, Oakway SD60s, LMX GE tra in on a mile, five day trip from Dash 8-40Bs, vintage GEs and BN's F9-2 Nos. 1 and 2 pulling 1,200 a stack train less than 2 miles from where General Custer and Vancouver to Jaspar then on to Prince his Seventh Cavalry fought their last battle. 90 mins., $39.95. George and back to Vancouver. Steam on B.C. Rail's Also available- Minneapolis & St. Louis Squamish Subdivision 1930s to the 1950s. 58 mins., Come on board The a some color. $39.95. Roy l Hudson No. 2860, hear the sound of No. 3716 and CASEY JONES watch Ex CN No. 6060 on the point dou­ bleheading with No . 3716. VIDEO PRODUCTIONS PO Box 1385 Each tape approximately 70 minutes, no narration. Torrington, WY 82240 Lots of informative literature.

$34.50 one tape plus $3.00 postage. INFORMATION 307 532-7204 $60,00 both tapes plus $4.50 postage. ORDERS ONLY 800-231-1385 VISA or money order. B.C. residents 6 percent pst. VISA I MasterCard C&NW Powder River Coal Vols. 1 and 2 are still available at $39.95 each, $70.00 for both, IRON HORSE VIDEO PRODUCTIONS R.R. 3, Site 6, Compo 10 • Prince George, B.C. V2N 2J1 Handling I Shipping $2.50 per order. $90.00 for three or $120 for all fo ur tapes! (604) 962·7737

PACIFIC RAILNews • II GIONALS

I - work is completed, as there are still many 10-mph slow orders west of Atlantic. As a result of the changes, there are no / longer pool crews working out of Rock Is­ �- land. Instead, these crews now work out of Iowa City to Blue Island. Newton crews take the 012 to Iowa City, take a short rest, then take the 011 back into Newton. In part two of our Iowa Interstate op­ erations review we'll look at the CouncIl Bluffs road-switcher. It is on duty Sun­ day-Friday at 8 a.m., makes up tIain {)l2, handles interchange cars wIth Umon Pa­ cific and does any work on the main line east of the Bluffs.

Washington Central Holds Ya kima Val­ ley Rail Monopoly

On May 18, Nick Temple's Washirlgton Central Railroad (WCRC) took over opera­ tion of 85 miles of the 98-mile Ya kima Branch from UP. Union Pacific had been searching for a new owner for this branch line for nearly six years and had gone through a long list of prospective buyers. The locomotive repair arm of Montana Rail Link keeps putting a steady stream of Upgrade� In the end, it was Washirlgton Central, units out on the rails. On April 25, 1992, MRL 5045 358-one of eight ex-B� S045s purchase . which operates over the parallel ex-NP from Helm in October 1989-emerges from the Livingston shops In fresh pOint. Kirk Petty mam lirle between Kennewick and Yakima and irlto Cle Elum, that was the wirmer. UP There is still no confirmation on whether kept the 19 miles from the junction with the Chicago Central Acquires GP38s or not Chicago Central has sold its East Spokane Subdivision mam lirle at Wallula Dubuque-Portage, Ill., segment to Burlirlg­ Junction west across the Columbia River on The days of Paducah power are startirlg to ton Northern. Officials from the two roads the Kalan Bridge irlto Kennewick and on to fade away on Chicago Central. In early May, did meet irl late April though, and some de­ Richland Junction. UP will also keep the the road purchased the five remairlirlg tails from this meetirlg have surfaced. BN eight-mile Richland Spur that runs south GP38s from Helm Leasirlg that formerly be­ would buy the westbound line, with CC&P from Richland Junction to the irlterchange longed to Gateway Western, and before keeping the eastbound, since many irldus­ with the government railroad at the Han­ that, Chicago, Missouri & Western and Con­ tries that CC serves are located along here. ford Nuclear site. WCRC is irlterchangirlg rail. The renumbered 2006-2010 will come BN would brirlg up both mams to high­ with UP at Kennewick and will provide ser­ from the 2026, 2027, 2033, 2046 and 2047, speed standards and install CTC, but . vice plus act as agent for UP for the existirlg respectively. The fi rst unit reportedly would be firlancially penalized for delaymg shippers along the Yakima Branch. It is ex­ worked on irl the Waterloo backshop was any CC traffic irl favor of BN traffic. And, fi­ pected that some of this lirle will be aban­ the 2047, which was spotted there May 13. nally, any idea of removirlg the tunnel at doned irl favor of the parallel ex-NP lirle. The GP40s on lease from Cornail contirl­ East Dubuque is out of the question. ue to show on CC&P trams. May 14 found A new seasonal move of coal began GP38 2000 leadirlg Cornail units 3202, 3189, rolling on Chicago Central May 5. This and GP38 2001 on an FW2 14 gram extra out train is delivered to the CC by BN at Gateway Western News of Ft. Dodge, Iowa, while tram No. 51 on Council Bluffs, and is taken to East May 22 at Jesup, Iowa, had the 2001 lead­ Dubuque, where it is transloaded into With Gateway Western's bridge out at irlg Cornail units 3053, 3201, 3005, 3266, barges for a trip up the Mississippi River Louisana, Mo., detours over neighborirlg 3003, along with GPIOs 8235 and 8260. for Wisconsin Electric. roads Burlirlgton Northern and Norfolk Southern contirlued irl May and June. Trams 268 and 332 detour on NS, while 233, 322 and stackers 100 and 101 detour on the TRACTION Iowa Interstate Changes Schedules ' Prototypes and Models BN. Speakirlg of the bridge, it was hit by a barge, and knocked 21 irlches off center. Iowa Interstate trains 011 and 012 on the "The magazine for the traction enthusiast" A Santa Fe A-B-A set showed up on a Newton-Blue Island segment had their • Great Photos • Book Reviews 100 stack train May 24, with GP60s 160, Hints schedules changed in May. Below is a • 36 to 44 pages • 334 and 132. This the first time a set of • Letters • Maps timetable of the new schedule: the warbonnets has been seen on GWWR Westbound Station Eastbound trackage. Finally, from the unconfirmed rumor de­ LV 1415 Blue Island AR 0930 partment, several GWWR workers report SUBSCRIBE TODAY LV 2000 Bureau LV 0530 the railroad may have lost its lawsuit over 6 Bi-manthly Issues LV 0100 Rock Island LV 0145 putting in the crossover on TRRA trackage Only ...... $1 600 LV 0400 Iowa City LV 2200 at CSX's Cone Yard in East St. Loms. AR 0700 Newton LV 1700 Thanks to Chicago Central, Wa yne 12 Issues Only ...... 53000 Monger, Dale Hearn, NORTH WESTERN LIMIT­ Mail to: Box 526, Canton, Ohio 44701 Allan Hunt, Sonny Sellers Jr. , and P. J. Dealer Inquiries Welcome A new schedule for the Newton-Council ED, Bluffs segment will be released when track Gratz.

12 . AUGUST 1992 RaiiNews Annual

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Call now To ll-Free to reserve your copy. 1-800-899-8722 ta Fe would provide a truly transcontinental official abandonment filings within three CP North America to Expand empire for CP, both east-to-west and north­ years include: 1.04 miles of terminal track­ to-south. Purchase of a substantial stake in age in Chicago (Chicago and Evanston As reported in last month's column, CP Santa Fe would also be the kiss of death to line) ; 9.11 miles of the former MN&S High­ Rail has taken definitive action to fully the former Milwaukee Road-Kansas City line in the suburbs of Minneapolis; 50.01 amalgamate its operations in North Amer­ main line. Portions of the line in eastern miles from Bemidji to Oklee, Minn. ; 63.07 ica. Effective May 11, all Soo personnel Iowa would be retained because of volume miles from Brooten to Genola, Minn. ; (bal­ were instructed to answer the phone "CP shippers, but the balance of the route ance of the Brooten line); 0.23 miles of the Rail Systems," with a corresponding ex­ across northern Illinois and northern Mis­ Columbia Heights spur in northeast Min­ pansion of CP influence on written docu­ souri is redundant and would be sold to a neapolis ; 7.5 miles from Burlington to ments. In recent press releases from Mon­ short line operator or perhaps abandoned. Kansasville, Wis.; and 2.66 miles of the treal, it appears that a similar conversion In other corporate news, it is reported Chestnut Street line in Milwaukee. Other is taking place on the former D&H portion that CP is strongly considering relocation long-term abandonment candidates in­ of the system. (Editor's note : PRN pians to of its marketing operations to Chicago. clude 38.9 miles of line from Comus to expand its coverage of CP and its sub­ With the expansion of traffic solicitation in Blooming Prairie, Minn., and 60.2 miles sidiaries later this fall. Contributors should the United States, as well as a potential from Bisbee to Kramer, N.D. On the other watch for changes in editorial policy in the collaborative venture with Santa Fe, end of the spectrum, rumors have sur­ coming months.) Chicago makes a logical base of opera­ faced again that CP may have an interest The trade press has given CP consider­ tions. The future of both Milwaukee and in purchasing the Spine Line from C&NW. able column space as to the rumored ex­ Minneapolis as operational control points pansion of its rail network in the U.S. Of is unclear. Shoreham Shops will likely be particular interest was the report that retained since that facility is currently Tunnel Enlargements Planned Canadian real estate giant Olympia and CP's most effective maintenance base. York Development, Ltd. sell its 32.5 mil­ will After years of speculation, it appears that lion share interest in Santa Fe. As of early Soo will proceed with its plan to raise the May, this transaction would have a market Facility Changes Considered roof on the former Milwaukee Road tunnel value of $410 million, a costly means of ex­ at Tunnel City, Wis. The proposed con­ panding market share in North America. In view of the corporate strategies dis­ struction work would raise the ceiling of Canadian officials are very concerned cussed above, Soo is considering a number the bore by six feet, to accommodate dou­ about the potential loss of industrial mar­ of facilities changes which will have signif­ blestacks and other high/wide loads. Work kets from Southern Canada to both the U.S. icant impacts on the way it (and its con­ should take place this summer, with a six­ and Mexico. A friendly connection with San- nections) conduct business. PRN has re­ to-eight-hour work window provided dur­ ported on the gradual reductions of opera­ ing daylight hours. This project is sched­ tions at Bensenville Yard in Chicago over uled to coincide with the $30 million im­ the past year, including the closure of parts provement of the Detroit-Windsor tunnel of the classification yard. Agreements are by CP, allowing the movement of dou­ MISSABE being negotiated with connecting carriers blestacks from Montreal and Toronto to RAILS to expand the number of run through Chicago and thence northwestward to "transfers." Box car (manifest) traffic will Winnipeg and Vancouver. H6��s S44.95 be pre-blocked at St. Paul and Milwaukee In a somewhat related activity, Soo to take advantage of these opportunities forces have been dOing heavy track work as they occur. Traffic coming off the on the double-track segment extending LTV STEEL Kansas City line will still require classifica­ west from Raymore (just west of Tunnel ORE LINES tion at Bensenville, although probably on a City) to Sparta. This will be a dual-sig­ flat switching basis. It is also likely that nalled CTC line to provide dispatchers the H6��s S33.95 CPISoo will expand use of !HB 's Blue Is­ means of running around slow moving LTVSTEEL MINING CO. land Yard, the current terminal for interna­ coal trains on the 12-mile ascent to the tional trains 504 and 505. Soo is interested tunnel. Concurrent work continues on the in expanding its intermodal terminal at River Division, with the placement of con­ Bensenville, with speculation that a Chica­ tinuous welded rail on the curves and bal­ go-Winnipeg Sprinttrain may be inaugu­ last at turnouts and "soft spots. " rated later this year. Trailer and container volume has picked up noticeably on trains 560 and 561 since May 1. Ford Shutdown; Trains Dropped Soo operations between Chicago and Milwaukee could be significantly effected The reported closure of the St. Paul Ford by a proposal to raise Amtrak operating truck plant willhave a profound impact on COMING speeds in that corridor to 125 mph. The Soo train operations this summer. Train 425 states of illinois and Wisconsin are prepar­ (Ford Fast) will undoubtedly be dropped, SOON! ing a feasibility study on moving Soo with fill traffic moved on other schedules. freight operations to either paralleling Trains 222 and 223 willbe temporarily ALCOS ON THE C&NW or WC trackage. The study will dropped between St. Paul and the Quad GREEN BAY & WESTERN cost $1 million, with recommendations ex­ Cities, with Kansas City trains 430 and 431 pected within 18 months. Early estimates handling pickup and set out work as need­ Shipping & Handling: $3.00 I $1.00 ea. additional of the cost to upgrade the 90-mile route ed. To support that plan, Soo will establish WI residents add 5% sales tax are in the vicinity of $200 million. Soo may a six-day-per-week road switcher at Mar­ Send Payment To: ChecklM.O.lCr.Card#, Exp. also be asked to operate freight trains dur­ quette, Iowa, as of July 1. This job willwork ing night hours only. from River Jct., Minn., to Dubuque, Iowa, as Soo has released its list of potential well as west from Marquette to Calmar. abandonments, in accordance with federal Soo has been handling some new coal regulations. Lines anticipated for filing for business between Ottumwa and Betten-

14 . AUGUST 1992 dort, Iowa, connecting with BN trains Minnesota during the last week of May. and the 8507) ... Although there is a ru­ W296/297. The unit trains are broken up at Business out of Austin and Mason mored moratorium on locomotive repaint­ Ottumwa, with blocks of cars handled on City is picking up, with 400 covered hop­ ing, SD540 741 and SD40-2 6615 were various 220-series trains as power and pers loaded on the Jackson subdivision scheduled for transformation in May ... space permits. A new symbol has also been during that time period. A colorful con­ UP 6200-series SD60Ms are now working established between Portal, N.D., and St. sist led No. 382 at Mason City on May 30, the point of coal trains 880 and881 be­ Paul, this being way freight 128. One of the including CP SD40s 5528 and 5561, as tween St. Paul and Portage, Wis., usually first sightings was in Minneapolis on May well as Soo SD40-2s 7691771 and SD40 with C&NW C40-8s ... Soo had 38 units 13, handling in addition to the usualbulk 752. Grain is also moving to the Twin stored unserviceable as of mid-May, in­ commodities, 50 empty SSW grain hoppers. Ports again, with SD60s 6051 and 6056 cluding 15 GP40s, 10 GP9s, the two SD45s With the slackening of grain and coal leading a 102-car No. 376 out of Min­ and 11 switchers. Only six units are stored traffic in Canada by the first of May, neapolis on May 15. serviceable (all SW1200s). Active GP40s at most of Soo's SD60s were returned home. that time included 17 banditized former To replace the loss of leased BN SD40-2s, Milwaukee units and four units in white CP has sent at least four SD40s to work Motive Power Shorts paint (4600101/03/48). off credit hours on Soo. Locomotives Th anks to Mike Blaszak, Mike Cl eary, 5528, 5535, 5556 and 5561 were spotted The lease on the last five SD40-2s from P.J. Gratz, Fred Hyde, Pete Johnson, Tom on various trains in Iowa and southern Helm was to expire on May 31 (four 6300s Kidd, Jesse Kattner and TRAFFIC WORLD.

CANADA WES T

- BC Rail

Following three months in the Squarnish shops, GF6C Electric 6005 was shipped back to the Tumbler Ridge line at the end of May after being repaired follOwing a col­ lision with a rock slide in February ... Work has commenced to give the North Vancouver yard a badly needed facelift. The yard will be reworked to provide for better mobile yard car repair crew access, improved lighting, a new coach yard and major improvements in track layout ... The last segments of the Takla Lake line to be rehabilitated should be completed in 1992 ...An order for four more GE C40-8M units, for delivery in 1993, was placed with GE in early June ...As part of a five-year car-renewal program BC Rail has taken de­ livery of 200 new 73-foot center-beam flat cars from National Steel Car. Plans call for an additional 100 similar cars each year through 1996. For 1993, fifty 100-ton chip cars are planned, plus an additional 100 each in 1994, 1995 and 1996 ...The Three of Canadian National's 60 "Draper Taper" SD50F cowl units haul an empty unit coal train Squamish cars shops have been convert­ up the Fraser River Canyon near Boston Bar, B.C. At this point, the double-track main line ing older box cars to 80-ton and 100-ton needs both a fill and a bridge to deal with the rigors of the canyon topography. Patrick Lawson Kraft pulp cars, and approximately 300 of each are planned through 1996. Also in the plans is the conversion of large num­ remove the crew and six passengers from 15442 has been purchased by CP and re­ bers of small bulkhead flats to other types the scene; no injuries were reported. painted in traditional passenger car colors of cars : 450 to centerbeam flats; 125 to log Army maneuvers at Wainwright includ­ of tuscan red with yellow lettering and flats; 100 to gondolas; and 100 to 100-ton ed equipment from Kentucky which was renumbered 400901 for use on the steam Kraft pulp cars. New chip cars are also accompanied by riders using three modern weed-spraying train used in B.C. The rail­ planned, fifty 100-ton cars in 1993 and one Paducah & Louisville cabooses resplendent road has found the steam weed sprayer hundred 100-ton cars each in 1994, 1995 in clean green paint. The trio, P&L 9601, works as well, if not better, than the old and 1996. 9604 and 9605 laid over on the caboose chemical weed sprayers. track in Calder from mid-May to early June. CP briefly had 10 Sao Line units for Canadian service only. All were received Canadian National - between April 14 and April 17, and all CP Rail went home by May 10. In addition, CP It isn't often that a regularly scheduled leased SD40-2 HLCX 6369, ex-Sao, ex-Mil­ mixed train operated on a Class 1 railroad Two GP38-2s, 3079 and 3097, have been waukee 208 on April 24. derails, but such happened on June 6 fitted with Pacesetter equipment and CP Rail's new Pacific Region Operating when Saturday-only Gillam-Wabowden have been working since April 28 on a Timetable 87 effective April 26 features a VIA 294 derailed at mile 189.1 Thicket special work train on the E&N lines on cover photo of SD40-2W 9021 and two Sub. GP38-2s 4766-4770 and eight freight Vancouver Island. The train is installing a SD40-2 locomotives on a potash train at cars ended up on their sides, with exten­ fibre-optic cable for the B.C. Telephone Fraine, B.C., mile 68.3 Mountain Sub. The sive track damage. Since the area is totally Company between Victoria and Nanoose, spectacular photo taken during the fall col­ inaccessible by highway,Hi-Rail vehicles along the CP right-of-way. or season really makes a change from the from Wabowden and Gillam were used to Former VIA Rail steam generator car traditional plain white cover.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 15 ELSON RUSH SANTA

Scott City, Great Bend-Kinsley, Great Bend-Yaggy (with trackage rights to near­ by Hutchinson), Larned-Jetmore, Galatia­ Lyons and Salina-Osborne. The "South Kansas" lines include the H&S Sub from Hutchinson to Blackwell, Okla., the Wichi­ ta Sub from Wichita to Pratt, the Engle­ wood Sub from Rago to Englewood, and the Medicine Lodge Sub from Attica to Belvidere. No Santa Fe locomotives were included in the sale, although Amerail has an option to buy some. Amerail Chairman Bruce Borland said his company's "strategy is to operate the newly acquired property with service bet­ ter designed to meet the needs of local cus­ tomers and ...to generate additional traffic to improve the viability of these lines." Other Amerail officials said the compa­ ny hopes to provide more frequent service on these lines, and will instruct its crews to wait for shippers to load hot cars. Ex­ cept for the Medicine Lodge Sub, Santa Fe has provided irregular, on-demand train service on these lines in recent years. Amerail doesn't have its financing in place yet. The company hopes to close the acquisition between July and September.

Four Super Fleet B40-8Ws hurry the QLANY intermodal train eastbound on April 19, 1992, near Winslow, Ariz. Besides the distant San Francisco Mountains, the major non-rail landmark in Transit Dies on Santa Fe this desolate area is Interstate 40 which parallels the Santa Fe main line. Ron Butts When Santa Fe people talk about "tran­ tion Corp., an affiliate of Temco Corp. of sit," they don't mean buses or streetcars, Amerail lnks Contract for Kansas but rather a long-standing rate structure Lake Bluff, Ill. Temco bought Santa Fe's Branches Seagraves, Lehman and Floydada subdivi­ which allows grain customers to ship sions in the Texas Panhandle in 1990 and from country points to a large terminal el­ As reported in last month's Exp editer, has operated them since. evator for storage, and then to market lat­ Santa Fe announced on June 2 that it had Two packages of connecting branches er, on a through rate-saving money over Signed a contract to sell 830 miles of were included in the transaction. The the combination of local rates. Transit is branch lines in Kansas to Amerail Acquisi- "North Kansas " lines extend from Marion- largely responsible for the construction of huge terminal elevators like Garvey's in Wichita, which regularly ships 120-car grain trains to Gulf of Mexico ports . On June 1, though, Santa Fe implement­ ed a new grain tariff which eliminates the transit privilege. Instead, the smaller ele­ vators at country points can take advan­ tage of a new 15-car rate for movements direct to the Gulf, bypassing the terminals. Not surprisingly, the terminal operators complained the move would make it tougher for them to bid on country grain. From Santa Fe's perspective, though, tran­ sit was an outmoded, paperwork-heavy practice which had to be discarded be­ cause the railroad simply doesn't have the people to keep track of it anymore.

Good-Bye Harbor, Hello Belt (Again)

Belt Railway of Chicago was on the rocks in 1989 when Santa Fe shifted the bulk of its Chicago interchange traffic over to In­ diana Harbor Belt. Santa Fe obtained the right to operate over IHB from McCook, Ill., to IHB's Blue Island Yard and Balti­ more & Ohio Chicago Terminal's adjacent Barr Yard, for a while running separate run-through trains to these facilities.

16 . AUGUST 1992 BRC gained new life when ex-ICG pres­ the site of the new UPS intermodal termi­ ets per trip segment will be issued ident Jim Martin began running the prop­ nal just north of Willow Springs, IlL, to through employee committees. erty, and the rejuvenated terminal line has raise the marshy site by about four feet steadily gained traffic at IRB's expense and provide a good sub grade for track ever since. BRC lured Santa Fe back on laying. By June the job was about done, BOO-Class Settles In May 12, when AT&SF established trains with a massive expanse of white lime­ 133 and 331 between Clearing Yard and stone extending two miles from Willow The last of the 42 C40-8Ws scheduled for Argentine. Trains Q-CHHO and Q-HOCH Springs Road to LaGrange Road. A rail spring delivery was shipped from GE in from IRB's Blue Island to Houston were train was unloading rail on the site on late May. Since there are more than enough discontinued at this time. The 133 is June 13. to handle the dedicated stack trains, the scheduled to depart Clearing about mid­ Ultimately the Willow Springs facility 800s are showing up in other kinds of ser­ night, while 331 is due to arrive 9 a.m. will boast four strip tracks, a four-track vice. C40-8Ws were spotted several times To reach Clearing, most Santa Fe trains yard and a siding. About one "lift" (trailer in Texas in early June, and a trio took an operate over the joint IHB-B&OCT line from loading or unloading) per minute will take off-line trip to East St. Louis over Gateway McCook to Argo, a distance of less than place, and a switcher will be on duty Western about the same time. one mile. Some trains, though, take a cir­ around the clock. The two main tracks will As previously reported, GE expects to cuitous detour through Corwith Yard to be shifted to the south side of the deliver the remaining 25 C40-8Ws on San­ make pickups and set-outs. terminal. Construction of the massive UPS ta Fe's 1992 order later this fall. To bal­ sorting facility on the site of GM's old ance its production schedule, though, GE Fisher Body plant is also well along. is building 15 of these units during June. DART Sale Severs Dallas Subdivision Both the intermodal terminal and the The builder will store them, fully painted, UPS facility are planned for completion in pending the scheduled delivery date. "Effective 12 :01 a.m. June 1, 1992, the 1994. Only UPS and possibly a few other Dallas Subdivision Between milepost 46 preferred customers will be allowed to use and Tower 19 becomes DART. " That's the site. As a result, Corwith will continue Leased Loco Epitaph how the Southern Region memorialized in its role as Santa Fe's primary Chicago­ the sale to Dallas Area Rapid Transit that area intermodal terminal. 1974 was a tough year for the nation's rail­ chopped the historic Dallas Sub in two. roads, including Santa Fe. To cut capital As a result of the sale, Santa Fe stopped outlays, the company leased the locomo­ interchanging traffic at Dallas with UP, 3751 Returns Indoors tives it added to the fleet, rather than buy­ Southern Pacific and Burlington Northern. ing them. The units, which included SD45- Allarea interchange with these carriers On June 12 a Santa Fe diesel coupled onto 2s, U36Cs and Santa Fe's first 17 GP39-2s, now takes place at Fort Worth. Santa Fe steam locomotive 3751 at Kaiser, towed it to 3600-3616, have remained on the roster continues to interchange with Kansas City San Bernardino and delivered it to its newly since then. Because Santa Fe didn't own Southern at Dallas for the time being. leased space in the San Bernardino Shops. them, they weren't included in rebuilding Freight trains 535 and 555, serving Dal­ Santa Fe had earlier agreed to let the San programs. The leasers have spent most of las, were abolished effective June 1. Three Bernardino Railroad Historical Society occu­ the past few years in storage. yard jobs were abolished at East Dallas, py one of the buildings in the long-vacant The 18-year lease ended this year, and leaving five in operation. To handle local car shops on the east end of the complex. In Santa Fe had no interest in buying the loco­ traffic south of Tower 19 (primarily the Hale preparation for the expected two-week motives. The SD45-2s and U36Cs are proba­ Cement line and Redbird Industries), two trip to Topeka and Chicago in late August bly headed for scrap. The U36Cs, which are locals were established at Venus and a sec­ and September, SBRHS will work on a cou­ stored at San Bernardino, recently had their ond road-switcher was put on at Cleburne. ple of minor mechanical problems. oil drained and may be cut up on the site. All signals appear green for the great The GP39-2s, though, may have a new steam trek. Practically the entire Santa Fe lease on life. Wisconsin Central is seriously Willow Springs Terminal Taking Shape business car fleet will be hitched to 3751 's considering buying these units and re­ drawbar for the run east. Along the way, building them for use on its Fox Valley & For two years a steady flow of trucks has employees and their families will be treat­ Western affiliate if the ICC, as expected, been transporting crushed limestone to ed to one-way excursions. About 300 tick- approves the transaction later this year.

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 17 BURLING NNORTHERN

doubled (to 1,000 units). These cars boast a Union Negotiations Heat Up net loading capacity of 111 tons. Delivery of Operating News these cars will be spread over the third and GTW operated a ballast train over BN in After months of jawboning with United fourth quarters of 1992 so as to support an­ late May, with SD50-2s 5932/5935 and Transportation Union officials over various other heavy grain season. Management has SD40 5901 handling a string of B&LE hop­ work rules issues, Burlington Northern also indicated a desire to shift away from per cars as an X03 through La Crosse, heightened its war of words with threats the lease of privately owned cars on a long­ Wis., on the 27th and as an X1242 on the of traffic diversions from certain northern term basis. lines. In particular, BN management is 30th ...Santa Fe power continues to wan­ considering the diversion of Powder River der the property, including a pure set of Basin originated unit coal trains from the SD40-2 5173 and SDF45 5978 on No. 171 at Power Needs Drop; Units Stored former NP corridor across North Dakota Sherman, Texas, on May 20. SD40-2s 5181 and Minnesota to Nebraska and Iowa. and 5081 trailed OWY SD60 9069 and CR As of mid-May, BN had 137 units stored The catalyst driving this plan is the po­ SD50 6801 on the 61-TT002 coal train into serviceable across the system, including 26 tential need to hire 400 workers to staff Alliance on April 10. On the same day, a SD40-2s and all 27 remaining U30Cs. Man­ trains on the Northern Corridor (four-man quartet of the blue-and-yellow EMDs agement has taken a close look at horse­ crews versus three on the southern lines). trailed BN SD40-2 7136 on the 108-00050 power-per-ton allocations and found them Trains in excess of 70 cars require three­ into Fort Worth ...SD60Ms 9280 and 9292 to be too rich in comparison with compet­ man crews in accordance with the south­ looked out of place leading CSX train R514 ing roads, thus dictating the reduction of ern lines' contract negotiations following between Louisville and Cincinnati on May power on some trains and the consolidation recommendations by the President's 20, perhaps balancing horsepower-hour of shorter trains. Other units stored reflect Emergency Board convened in 1991. Prior credits for the test of CSX C40-8Ws earlier the temporary drop in local grain loadings to this announcement by BN, there ap­ this year. and continued softness in unit coal train ac­ peared to be some move towards reconcil­ tivity. Units listed as being stored unser­ iation over this system-divisive issue. viceable totaled 51, including 20 GP9s, six BN Shuts Down Havre Shops SD9s, five E9s and a cross-section of other road power. A total of 15 GP9s have been Schedule Changes Increase Train BN hopes to save up $9 million per year by shipped to Morrison Knudsen at Boise for Tonnage consolidating locomotive and freight car re­ upgrading to "GP28Ms," with no word as pair operations across the property. The yet as to the carbody characteristics or As discussed earlier in this column, BN greatest casualty in this plan is Havre, with number series for these rebuilds. has taken action to increase tonnage han­ 190 diesel shop employees to be offered In recent motive power transactions, dled per train in some corridors, aimed at jobs in Minneapolis, Lincoln and Seattle. As BN returned the six former Santa Fe reducing the incremental power cost per of mid-May, 297 units were assigned to the C30-7s leased from GE, with the trio of gross ton-mile. One of the more noticeable north central Montana locale for mainte­ EMD SD60s (8300-8302) assigned to Glen­ changes found No. 110 dropped between nance, including 208 SD40-2s. Most of dive, Mont., for maintenance, while all 10 Pasco and Northtown. On the three or four these units are used in the transcontinental EMD SD40-2s in the 6300-series are now days with heavy tonnage, train 100 is op­ pool for intermodal, manifest and grain based at Northtown for inspections. erated in multiple sections over the High­ train service and easily be integrated GP40Gs 3075-3084 leased from GATX will line. Secondary manifest train 106 contin­ into the three shop facilities listed above. have all been withdrawn from service and ues to operate on a daily basis in the The 100 Oakway SD60s currently based at are stored at Lincoln pending disposition. Spokane-to-Minneapolis corridor. North Kansas City, Mo., be moved to LMX B39-8 8521 has returned from wreck will other scheduling changes, symbol 628 Al liance concurrently, with all relocations In repairs at VMV, with similar work pending replaces trains 633/634 (Everett-Brownsville expected to take place this fall. on sisters 8509 and 8532. Work on the turn) , while symbol 627 replaces trains SD40-3 program at West Burlington, Iowa, 635/636 as the Everett-Ferndale turn. Occa­ is on hold for a while with 3,300-h.p. units sional train consolidations have also been 7150, 7155, 7159 and 7160 assigned to Al­ Corporate News Briefs noted, such as a huge 140-car 1011241 com­ liance for use on coal trains. The number bo into Northtown on May 6, led by a trio of of C33-7s in service has increased to nine BN reported that its operating ratio for the SD40-2s and including a 30-car Green Bay & units, with C30s 5099, 5106 and 5577 up­ first quarter of 1992 was 87.5 percent, a Western pick-up. BN has also set up sym­ graded with rebuilt traction motors, modi­ significant improvement from the 95.5 per­ bols 25 and 26 to handle potential K-Line fied fuel rack settings and Sentry wheel cent recorded during the same period in doublestack business. A test No. 26 was op­ slip control thus far in 1992. In a minor 1991. The company has a goal of reaching erated into Council Bluffs, Iowa, on April 17, power swap, SD9s 6135, 6193, 6198 and a level of 82 percent by 1995 ...Planners its five SD40-2 power set interchanging the 6221 have been reassigned from Lincoln for this year's grain harvest were elated train to C&NW. This unusual move was ap­ to Interbay Shop in Seattle. when the ICC gave its formal bleSSing to parently operated over between MRL BN plans to retain two of its 9900-se­ BN's Certificate of Transportation (COT) Billings and Spokane. ries E9s for executive train service (9919 program in early May. This program al­ and 9920), with three sisters to be donat­ lows shippers guaranteed access to grain ed to museums and the 20 remaining units hoppers at specified times and locations, New Freight Equipment presently up for sale at $100,000 per unit. provided certain conditions are met. The During March, April and early May, Metra National Feed and Grain Association had BN has ordered 240 more aluminum coal added F40PHM-2s 193-198 to the BN ser­ strongly objected to the program, thus ne­ hoppers from Johnstown America Corp., vice pool, with a total of 15 Metra units cessitating the ICC review ...The ongo­ these 121-ton capacity cars to be delivered serving as the current backbone of the ing head-to-head competition with UP has during the last three months of this year. At fleet, augmented with 11 9900-series Es. yielded yet another contract for BN. Solvay present, BN owns 5,000 open-top hoppers It is reported that SD60M 9222 has Polymers will be shipping 5,000 cars of suitable for coal train service and operates been modified to burn LPG along with chemicals out of Houston this year, up 12,000 similar cars for private utilities. The SD40-2 7890, supported by the fact that from 404 in 1991. This move will increase covered grain hopper car order outstanding this tandem was spliced by fuel car GT 100 revenues from an annual level of $1 mil­ with Trinity Industries in Dallas has been at Northtown on May 11. lion to nearly $10 million. Solvay manufac-

18 • AUGUST 1992 turers a variety of plastics for such items international grain marketing venture back to the U.S ...BN's Precision Execu­ as milk jugs and auto parts ...Trucking with Grupo Protexa SA de CV will result tion scheduling of operations was extend­ giant Consolidated Freightways has an­ in some unusual operating practices. BN ed to unit coal trains on the Denver Divi­ nounced plans to work with BN and four will station locomotives in Mexico to han­ sion as of April 9. other major rail carriers to move freight dle 54-car unit grain trains because of Th anks to Mike Cleary, Chris Fry, Bill via doublestack containers. The "Con­ high bad-order ratios on FNM equipment. Grady, P.J. Gratz, Fred Hyde, Pete John­ Quest" plan relies on the rails to move 48- BN will accompany each train to make cer­ son, Jesse Kottner, NORTHWEST RAILFAN, foot containers on the long haul, with CF tain that the grain hoppers are promptly Tom Robinson, THE MIXED TRAlN and TRAF­ providing the drayage services ...BN's returned to port for shipment by barge FIC WORLD.

T LINES

WSOR to Acquire WleT

The two major short lines in southern Wis­ consin were involved in some interesting negotiations which recently culminated in a rendezvous in Watertown. Wisconsin & Southern operates a net­ work of former Milwaukee Road lines in the east-central part of the state. The road's main line reaches from the Soo connection at North Milwaukee to Hori­ con (former route of Scenic Rail Dining's dinner trains) with branches radiating out to such exciting places as Cambria and Oshkosh. Until recently, the railroad operated a fleet of six rebuilt Geeps and a couple of switchers. The fleet has since grown to include three former Transcisco Tours F45s. Wisconsin & Calumet operates more than 300 miles of state-owned former Mil­ waukee Road trackage with a myriad of lines radiating out of Janesville, Wis. WICT's main line runs from Madison to Chicago with the railroad reaching the Windy City via trackage rights over Me­ tra/Soo from Fox Lake, Ill. Other lines op­ erated by WICT serve Prairie du Chien, Mazomanie/Sauk City, Waukesha and Freeport, Ill. (the latter has not seen a A Toledo, Peoria & Western coal train has stopped on the Peoria & Pekin Union's Illinois River freight in several years). bridge to allow a P&PU switcher to clear. The locomotives carry the usual TP&W rainbow of The State of Wisconsin has spent a color combinations, with SPSF merger-painted 2006 on the point. Steve Smedley considerable amount of money to up­ grade several WICT lines ; Fox Lake to otic power in road service. Until recently of the 79-mile Benson-Douglas Douglas Madison looks as though it could host the railroad had been leasing power from Branch and the five-mile Bisbee Branch. high speed/high tonnage traffic like it Glen Monhart, including several F-units The first unit for the line, Kyle GP20 2039, did under Milwaukee Road ownership. and even a BL2. In the interim several ex­ arrived in Benson on June 13 and took On the other hand, the line to Prairie du Grand Trunk passenger Geeps and a cou­ SP&SW's first train down the line two Chien is in rough shape and the line to ple of leased ex-BN GP7s should satisfy the days later. The five covered hoppers and the Wisconsin Central connection at road's power needs. eight tank cars were delivered to Apache Waukesha is in such miserable shape Inlate June the WICT hosted ferry Nitrogen Products, reportedly the only ac­ that it looks as if it couldn't handle a 44- moves by former C&NW 4-6-0 1385 from tive customer on the branch. SP&SW will tonner let alone 100-ton grain hoppers the mid-Continent Railway Museum at also perform intra-plant switching for and F45s. North Freedom, Wis. On the eastbound trip Apache. Though operations will be On June 12, Wisconsin & Southern's the venerable 10-wheeler pulled five cars freight-only this summer, the owners re­ business train sat on the house track next from Madison to Waukesha en route to portedly would like to start a steam-pow­ to Soo Line's Watertown depot, many Horicon and eventually Wausau. The jour­ ered tourist train on the line this fall. miles from both WSOR and WICT rails. At ney from Milton Junction to Waukesha took Thanks to Bob Ristow, THE MILWAUKEE a press conference that day, WSOR and over six hours. The engine even stalled on JO URNAL, Wi sconsin & Southern, Wis con­ WICT officials announced that an agree­ a hillnear Palmyra, Wis., because of bad sin & Calumet and Joe A. Smith. ment had been reached and that the pa­ track and abundant plant growth. pers had been filed with the ICC for the acquisition of the WICT by WSOR. If this transaction is approved, WSOR will control San Pedro & Southwestern Debuts TWO RAILFAN SPECTACULARS over 500 miles of trackage. Interestingly, :'\E\".\IH :'\OWrlIEll:,\ c\UFOll:,\I.\\\"E STEll:'\ the two railroads do not connect although On June 10, 1992, a new short line was OCT. :1 1-:,\O\". I :'\0\'.�-7 Chttrll'r P;I:'sl'ng:l·r. lrl'ight ,Inti mi\l'd with sk;lIn. dil':->l'l.

PAC IFIC RAllNews . 19

The Sixth Subdivision hosts a daily Amtrak train in each direction, the Chicago-Oakland California Zephyr. The eastbound version is shown departing Ottumwa, Iowa, for Mount Pleasant, Burlington and points beyond on Nov. 25, 1990. Jim Gilley

O what exactly is Burlington Northern's West End? Pic­ ture a hub centered in Galesburg that expands in five 500 S TO directions. The Sixth Subdivision of the Galesburg Division MUSCAT INE -running to Creston, Iowa-is the western spoke off this hub. When you think of Iowa and Illinois, steep, tortuous grades and legions of coal trains don't immediately come to mind-yet this is standard fare on the seldom-pho­ tographed West End. Traversing the farm country of west­ OTTUMWA, ern Illinois and southern Iowa, and crossing both the Mis­ IOWA sissippi and Des Moines river valleys, this route is just starting to mature as a heavily trafficked main line, though it has always been fascinating geographically. The double­ track Sixth Sub is part of BN's Chicago-Denver route (host to Amtrak's two daily California Zephyrs) and also serves as a virtual coal conveyor belt between the coal-rich Pow­ der River Basin in Wyoming and Montana and points east of the Missouri River.

C&NW TO I('e DES MOINES .(;o� ��,... 500 c,'<' TO MUSCATI NE

BURLINGTON NORTHERN C&NW TO K.C. ROADS (NOT ALL SHOWN) OTHER RAILROADS

22 • AUGUST 1992 of Rome, Iowa) on June 17, 1857. The railroad continued west­ The way the zephyrs ward, reaching Ottumwa on Sept. l, 1859. By Aug. 23, 1869, The Sixth Subdivision boasts a rich history, having served as B&MR track forces had pushed the rails as far west as an integral part of Chicago, Burlington & Quincy's "Way of Afton, just short of Creston. Finally, on Nov. 26, 1869, the the Zephyrs " and as the very center of the Burlington Route. B&MR reached the Missouri River at Plattsmouth. As of Jan. Yet, creating a single-owner line linking Chicago and the Mis­ 1, 1873, the B&MR was leased by CB&Q, with the 'Q' nego­ souri River took over two decades and four railroads to com­ tiating the final deed to the railroad on July 1, 1875-thus plete. The natural boundary of the Mississippi River originally completing its route to the Missouri. divided the route into two separate railroads at Burlington, Iowa. East of Burlington, the line was comprised of the Chica­ go & Aurora (changed to CB&Q in February 1855), the Central Departing West From Galesburg Military Tract, and the Peoria & Oquawka railroads, with the P&O trackage the predecessor of today's Sixth Sub, running The West End starts at Graham (IlL),elevation 784 feet, BN between Galesburg and East Burlington, Ill. (now know as milepost 168.4. This cornfield junction marks the western end of Illinois Junction). The work on the East Burlington-Monmouth the Galesburg terminal and is also where the Galesburg freight segment began on Oct 4, 1851, and was completed on March and passenger mains join together and head toward Cameron, 17, 1855, with regular passenger service over the P&O operat­ where Santa Fe's large double-track bridge crosses the BN ed by CB&Q starting in May 1855. On Feb. 12, 1853, the Peo­ main. The first 11 miles of the Sixth Sub are otherwise unre­ ria & Burlington Bridge Co. authorized a Mississippi River markable-basically flat and straight-until Monmouth, where bridge ; the span was opened for service on Aug. 14, 1868. an unusual center siding is located. Amtrak's California Zephyrs In 1853, on the Iowa side of the river, the Burlington & (symboled by BN as the 1005 and 1006) are limited to 40 mph Missouri River Railroad was surveying a route between it's and BN freights are allowed only 30 mph through town. two namesakes. Its first scheduled passenger train ran be­ Near milepost 183, the line begins its long descent toward tween Burlington and Messengers (just east of Danville) , Burlington through Kirkwood and Biggsville. The first of five Iowa, on April 23, 1856, with trackage completed as far west failed equipment detectors is located at milepost 193.3 just as Mt. Pleasant in July 1856, and the Skunk River (near east of Gladstone, known to local railroaders as "Happy Rock."

GALESBUR ILL.

- BURLINGTON NORTHERN ROADS (NOT ALL SHOWN) OTHER RAILROADS

ILLINOIS

BN TO CHICAGO

) �

BN TO QUINCY BN TO MAPS BY TOM DANNEMAN FT. MADISON PACIFIC RAllNews • 23 Gladstone also boasts a nice super-elevated curve. The track locomotives that are sent to West Burlington can be pho­ levels off at Sand Lake near milepost 197.75 and continues on tographed from the old wooden bridge just east of the shops through Lone Tree and into CTC Connet at milepost 202.4, on West Burlington Avenue, or from the Amtrak station plat­ three miles east of Burlington. Two miles later the line crosses form downtown on Main Street. Almost every locomotive that the massive MiSSissippi River bridge. The section of Centralize BN owns or leases can be seen en route to or from West Traffic Control extends through Burlington, ending just north Burlington at one time or another. Burlington-Galesburg local (railroad west) of Mt. Pleasant Street near the U.S. 34 freeway. turn 13868113869 frequently hauls locomotives to and from The CTC is used to funnel priority traffic around slower freight the shops. Power for this local also doubles as the Burlington and coal trains in Burlington, physically accomplished with switcher during weekdays . three sets of power crossovers located at the east end of Con­ West of West Burlington, the Sixth Sub encounters a 7,655- net, at South Street (just west of the crossing nearest to bridge) foot eastward siding and wye near Dayman that provides ac­ and just west of the Mt. Pleasant Street overpass. cess to the massive Iowa Army Ammunition Plant. The main A major junction and crew-change point is found just east line then enters a broad, sweeping curve near milepost 215 at of the South Street crossing. Movements to and from BN's Middletown; U.S. 34 parallels the tracks closely from this Eighth Subdivision-known locally as the "K-Line"-are con­ point all the way into New London-and actually for most of trolled by a power switch at this location. After departing the the distance between Galesburg and Creston. At New Lon­ Sixth Sub, the route follows the high bluffs south out of don are two long passing sidings; the westward siding is Burlington along the river, eventually working its way to 6,561 feet long and the eastward is 6,482 feet. The sidings West Quincy and St. Louis, Mo. Several coal and grain sym­ aren't as important as they were in years past and today they bols frequent this route. are used mainly to store coal train sets when traffic levels are Screaming flanges are the norm in Burlington as the city is down or when utilities shut down for maintenance. host to some of the sharpest mainline curves found any­ After negotiating a nice curve the line drops down into Mt. where. The sinuous trackage begins as soon as westbound Pleasant, passing a second failed equipment detector just trains hit Iowa soil, with a 7 -degree curve at the west end of east of town at milepost 229.9. Mt. Pleasant is the home of a the Mississippi River bridge and an ear-piercing 9-degree nicely renovated BN/Amtrak depot complete with a restored curve at Main Street. At Main Street, the railroad begins its brick platform. Between Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield the line nearly four-mile climb to West Burlington. The worst of this encounters two sizeable bridges : at milepost 235.85 over Big grade is 1.18 percent near milepost 206.72 at Mt. Pleasant Creek and another over the Skunk River at milepost 239.24. Street and 1.15 percent near milepost 207.5. Over the next 10 miles, the line climbs more than 150 feet in After climbing West Burlington hill, the main line passes elevation. Ample photographic opportunities exist in this BN's huge West Burlington shop complex. Do not venture on­ stretch, around Rome and Lockridge and along old U.S. 34, to BN property near the shops-this area is strictly off limits with numerous overhead wooden bridges offering good van­ and permission to photograph will be denied. Nearly all of the tage points. The third detector is located at milepost 251.6 at

24 . AUGUST 1992 LEFT: 5040-2 700 1 leads a westbound AT527 coal train (Monroe, Mich., to Antelope Mine) under the Highway 34 overpass just east of Creston, Iowa, on July 22, 1990. Greg Sieren RIGHT: With its horn blowing for an al­ most constant succes­ sion of grade crossings, C30-7 5509 takes an eastbound load train down the hill from West Burlington, Iowa, in May 1992. Tom Danneman BELOW: A westbound empties train negotiates the 5-curves west of CTC Halpin on March 30, 1992. Rick Newton

Beckwith, just east of Fairfield, site of another depot. into at least two sections for the trip up the hill to Rut­ West of Agency, Iowa, the line descends into the Des ledge-even with SD60s and C40-8s on the point. Moines River valley and the city of Ottumwa. This hill is quite similar to the West Burlington hill and is just as impressive, A Wild Ride to Halpin highlighted by a sweeping 1 degree curve complete with a county road overpass. This .66 percent grade slows east­ bound coal loads to around 10 mph for the crawl up the hill. At milepost 289.1, near Chillicothe, Iowa, the Sixth Sub passes The line is visible for nearly two miles from the overpass. a large BN-served Iowa Southern Utilities power plant. East­ West of milepost 280 the Sixth Sub crosses Soo's Chicago­ bound W082 trains bound for the power plant are normally run Kansas City main line at grade with the BN-Soo interchange against the current of traffic between CTC Maxon and milepost track located just west of the 289.1. West of this point, the line diamonds . It is at this point is fairly flat until Dudley, milepost where coal trains for Iowa-Illinois 291. Here, BN begins a 17-mile Gas & Electric's Louisa Generat­ wild ride which includes a 300- ing Station at Fruitland, Iowa foot westbound climb , grades in (near Muscatine), are inter­ excess of 1 percent and several changed. Until 1990, coal for this places where the east-and west­ contract originated exclusively on bound main lines diverge. Major the BN, but the business moved track separations occur between to UP/C&NW/Soo via Kansas City mileposts 294.56 and 300.5, and until mid 1991, when a majority of again between milepost 303 the traffic came back to the BN. (Maxon) and milepost 308 just Recently, the trains moved back east of CTC Halpin. No less than to the UP/C&NW/Soo routing-at 17 curves are found between least temporarily. BN and UP milepost 294.56 and Halpin on power regularly runs through on track 2, while there are a mere their respective trains . dozen curves on track 1 in the Soo's Milwaukee Road prede­ same distance. Unfortunately cessors definitely got the short most of this trackage is inaccessi­ end of the deal when they routed a main line through Ot­ ble, although some of it can be viewed from Monroe County tumwa. Soo's locomotive engineers have to contend with roads H27 and T59. The Maxon-Halpin segment has the only sharp curves and a 1.6 percent grade on a route that resem­ other CTC on the Sixth Sub. Maxon is also a good place to bles a roller-coaster ride. To complicate matters, the diamond catch the Chicago & North Western local that interchanges lies at the bottom of the hill with absolute signals. This inter­ with the BN. It normally rates a pair of GP38-2s and shows up locking uses two power switches leading to and from the BN during the late morning or early afternoon hours. and Soo mains and a power crossover between BN mains 1 At Albia, Norfolk Southern's Moberly, Mo.-Des Moines, and 2. (BN numbers its main tracks consecutively from the Iowa, main crosses under track 2, then joins the Sixth Sub on north with the westbound track being track 1 and the east­ track 1 for a short distance before splitting off on joint track­ bound track being track 2.) Helpers are still used on some age with BN's Tenth Subdivision branch line to Des Moines. eastbound Soo trains, and the BN and UP coal loads are split Norfolk Southern recently announced plans to abandon its

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 25 trackage between Moberly and Albia, and has entered into route would be grim indeed. As recently as August 1987, only an operating agreement with BN to maintain access to seven on-line customers were being served by BN on the Iowa's capital. BN will provide NS line-haul service between Sixth Sub and only 28 loaded coal symbols were in use. Then, St. Louis and Des Moines (via Hannibal, Mo., Burlington and the route saw a virtual explosion in coal traffic tonnage, espe­ Albia) and will provide local switching service between Des cially in 1989. The line is currently host to 80 loaded coal sym­ Moines and Albia. bols and this doesn't include the TS800 and TS900 series test The Burlington Northern main continues its hogback pro­ coal trains, which include at least 29 pairs of symbols. The in­ file most of the way into Creston. The fourth detector is at crease in traffic can be attributed to aggressive marketing milepost 328 near Russell. The line crosses over the C&NW's strategies by BN management and also to increases in low­ Twin Cities-Kansas City "Spine Line" at milepost 333.32. sulphur coal consumption by existing customers. BN's two mains part company again near milepost 338.5 and A labor dispute may also route more coal onto the Sixth join back together four miles later at Shannon. The line sepa­ Sub. BN is threatening to divert unit trains currently running rates one last time west of Woodburn between mileposts 351 on its ex-Northern Pacific line through North Dakota (see the and 356. At milepost 356.7 is the fifth and final failed equip­ October 1991 PRN ) to a routing through Nebraska and Iowa ment detector on the Sixth Sub, three miles east of Osceola. since trains on the southern line need only three crew mem­ Osceola is one of five Amtrak stops for the California Zephyr bers rather than the four required up north. in Iowa with the others including Burlington, Mt. Pleasant, A possible preview of things to come was observed last Ottumwa and Creston. Creston is the end of Sixth Sub and al­ fall. On Sept. 6, 1991, Burlington Northern ran a special high­ so of the Galesburg Division, meaning the end of the line for speed test train consisting of GP39M 2875, business car Galesburg crews and the start of the Nebraska Division. Canadian River, prototype articulated coal car BN 899997 (nicknamed Trough Train) and BN caboose 12586. The Chica­ go-to-Denver train hit speeds of up to 70 mph. Other recent Coal Dominates Traffic trends on the Sixth Sub include a flood of aluminum coal train sets, including cars lettered for DEEX, MCHX, ACCX, AEPX, The most important commodity on the Sixth Subdivision can BN and sometimes DEGX and ELFX. The EN, MCHX and be summed up in one word: coal. Coal trains are the life AEPX trainsets also run with steel coal cars. blood of the West End and without them, the outlook for this No power run-throughs are scheduled across the Sixth Sub

26 . AUGUST 1992 SIXTH SUB FREIGHT TRAINS

EASTBOUND

SYMBOL ORIGIN OESTINATION TYPE DEPATURE TIME FREQUENCY

60 Denver Chicago Intermodal Creston 2355 Daily 162 Denver Chicago Priority freight Creston 2035 Daily 168 Denver Galesburg Priority freight Creston 21 00 Daily 492 Omaha Galesburg Secondary freight Creston 1400 Daily 13630 West Quincy Burlington Local freight W. Quincy 0630.0900 Mon.-Sat. 13682 Afton Ottumwa Local freight Mon.-Fri. 13860 Ottumwa Burlington Local fre ight Ottumwa 1930-2000 Sun.-Thur. 13868 Burlington Galesburg Local freight Burlington 1 600-1 800 Daily WESTBOUND

63 Chicago Denver Intermodal Galesburg 2230 Daily 65 Chicago Denver Intermodal Galesburg 0905 Mon.-Sat. 161 Chicago Denver Priority freight Galesburg 0300 Daily 491 Galesburg Omaha Secondary freight Galesburg 0530 Daily 13631 Burlington West Quincy Local freight Mon.-Sat. 13661 Ottumwa Afton Local freight Ottumwa 0800 Mon.-Fri. 13861 Des Moines Albia Local freight Des Moines 1100 Mon.-Sat. 13869 Galesburg Burlington Local freight Daily

13900 Series are for work trains that can be run at any time on the Sixth Sub. X50 eastbound and X51 westbound trains are for ribbon rail, extra freight, grain, ballast, circus trains or other.

OPPOSITE PA GE: In an usual show of horsepower, five six-axle units lead the RCOS7 empties westbound at Lucas, Iowa, on Nov. 22, 1990. Jim Gilley LEFT: With a load of Powder River Basin coal in tow, three GEs (including a trailing pair of U30Cs) take an eastbound over the Skunk River Bridge near Rome, Iowa, on April 1, 1988. Kim M. Hornbaker

on coal or freight trains, although, apparently due to the large thingfrom UP and Conrail C40-8s to AT &SF SD45-2s and KCS increase in coal business, there's been an increase in "strays" SD60s regularly visit the Sixth Sub. The eclectic motive power from other roads. Some of these foreign power visits can be at­ mix has recently included units such as Seaboard System tributed to power-hour paybacks accumulated by Sixth Sub coal GP38-2s and Seaboard Coast Line and Chessie GP40/GP 40-2s. trains that go off line in the Chicago area. Locomotives from While coal is booming on the West End, the outlook is more Kansas City Southern, Union Pacific, CSX, Conrail, Santa Fe, mixed for general merchandise traffic. Currently, the Sixth Sub Montana Rail Link, and Soo Line-usually of the 3,000-h.p. vari­ hosts three intermodal symbols, three priority freights and ety-work the West End with BN locomotives. On rare occa­ two secondary freights, but this is much less than in the past. sions, a pure trio of foreign units can be photographed. Every- The 1980s were not kind to the nation's railroads and two

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 27 The semaphore is still there, but the tracks are long gone. A westbound on Burlington Northern's Sixth Sub rolls over a rural grade crossing, and in so doing passes the remnants of Chicago & North Western's parallel branch to Albia, Iowa, in May 1992. North Western's line has been cut back to Maxon, a few miles to the east, where BN and C&NW now interchange freight. Tom Danneman

megamergers dealt a further blow to BN's line across Iowa beer. This important commodity is carried on trains 162 and and Illinois. BN gave up a fair amount of traffic to UP following 168, with the empties returning west on 161. These blocks of that road's merger with MoPac and Western Pacific ; UP keeps traffic are easily recognized as cuts of 62-foot insulated box North Western's route to Chicago busy with a full slate of cars from various roads and large white tank cars bearing trains every day. More importantly, that merger gave Rio CORX reporting marks. Grande-BN's main interchange partner in Denver-trackage rights to Kansas City. The Southern Pacific-D&RGW merger further cut BN out of the picture as SP traffic can now be west End operations handed directly to Eastern carriers at several gateways. Still, there are bright spots in the Sixth Sub's traffic picture, The Sixth Sub is dispatched by TWC (Track Warrant Control) including a resurgence of mechanical reefer traffic and coiled and is supplemented by ABS (Automatic Block Signal) and CTC steel moving east from SP at Denver. Other recent develop­ (Centralized Traffic Control) with dispatcher operations cen­ ments include the growing BN America domestic container tered in Galesburg, Ill. BN Road Channel l (161.100) is used for business, which frequently moves as doublestack trains. The operations across the Sixth Sub with Channel 3 (160.665) used West End was one of the last routes in the area without stack at Ottumwa and Creston and Channel 5 (161.130) used at traffiC, but this changed when doublestacks began moving to Burlington and Chariton (Williamson) as mobile telephone Denver in August 1991 after clearance restrictions on the channels by operating personnel and train crews alike. bridges at Burlington and over the Des Moines River were Current operations see a top speed of 79 mph for the Cali­ eliminated. Another bright spot is beer traffic, namely Coors fornia Zephyr, while intermodal, manifest and local freights

28 . AUGUST 1992 BELOW: Amtrak No. 6 calls on Mount Pleasant, Iowa, in June 1983. The Iowa town has recently restored its depot and platform, one of the few remaining depots along the Sixth SUb. Jim Aronholt BOTTOM: Two KCS run-through units help ease a westbound empties train down the .66 percent grade into the Des Moines River valley and Ottumwa in February 1990. Kim M. Hornbaker

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 29 Working what was once home turf, tiger-stripe 5060 830Q-now part of the EMO lease fleet-is joined by Oakway 9038 in Burlington, Iowa, on July I, 1991. The two six-axle haulers are about to pull their eastbound 00036 coal train (West Oecker, Mont., to Hammond, Ind.) onto the massive Mississippi River bridge and across into Illinois. John Brem

are limited to 60 mph. Loaded coal trains are allowed 45 mph tumwa and Burlington. The crew is called between 7: 30 and while empty unit trains (called hoppers or empty hoppers by 10 p.m. A third local, the 13861, is based in Des Moines and BN employees) are allowed 60 mph between mileposts 168 runs to Albia and Maxon Monday-Saturday; it's usually on du­ and 219, mileposts 250 and 273 and mileposts 369 and 391 ty at 11 p.m. The fourth local is Burlington-based 13868/13869 and 50 mph everywhere else. which makes a daily turn to Galesburg. It goes on duty be­ Current freight symbols include eastbounds 60, 162, 168 tween 4 and 6 p.m. The fifth and last local doesn't actually tra­ and 492 and westbounds 63, 65, 161 and 491. Trains 60, 63 verse much of the Sixth Sub at all. Originating at West Quincy, and 65 are intermodal trains between Chicago and Denver Mo., train 13630113631-the Arco Turn to most-usually with 161 and 162 being priority freights between the same doesn't go any further west than Burlington Yard before head­ terminals. A new Advance 161 symbol is a dedicated Chicago­ ing out of town on the "K-Line." On rare occasions, it ventures Woodlawn (Lincoln), Neb., auto train. The train originates on up the hill to West Burlington to do work. The "Arco" runs Conrail at Honda's Marysville, Ohio, assembly plant. Train 168 Monday through Saturday; it goes on duty between 6:30 and is a priority freight running between Denver and Galesburg. 9 a.m. and frequently uses up its 12-hour limit. A sixth local, Train 162 also handles intermodal traffic. Trains 491 and 492 the 13760, runs occasionally from Creston to Galesburg to are secondary freights between Omaha and Galesburg. These move the Cargill traffic interchanged with C&NW at Maxon. jobs are interesting in that they interchange large numbers of The rest of the freight on the Sixth Sub consists of sporadic, tank cars bound for Cargill's Eddyville, Iowa, corn syrup plant seasonal movements of grain. Four sets of symbols are noted via the interchange track and C&NW branch at Maxon. on the line (even numbers loaded eastbound, odd empty west­ Trains tend to run a bit earlier on Sunday evenings and on bound) : G42/G43 Fargo-Mobile ; G50/G51 Denver-Chicago ; Mondays when traffic is lighter. Daily operations normally see G92/G93 Sioux City-St. Louis ; and G96/G97 Creston-Peoria. 65 and 491 through Ottumwa by noon with 492 showing up Additionally BN reserves the 13900 series for work trains on by mid to late afternoon most days. The 162 and 168 normally the line and the X50/X51 symbols for extra movements includ­ arrive during the evening hours with 60, 63 and 161 arriving ing ribbon rail, ballast or even the occasional circus trains. in the Ottumwa area after midnight. All of these trains run on Amtrak is also a daily visitor to the Sixth Sub in the form of a daily basis with the exception of 65 which runs Monday­ trains 5 and 6, the California Zephyr. The eastbound is a year­ Saturday and is sometimes combined with 63 during holi­ round fixture for photographers, entering the line at Creston days, and with 491 on Mondays when traffic is light. at 8:55 a.m. and reaching Galesburg at 1:03 p.m. In summer There are five locals that regularly work the Sixth Sub. Lo­ its possible to photograph both trains since the westbound is cal 13661 is called at Ottumwa at 8 a.m. weekdays and works scheduled to depart Galesburg at 6:14 p.m. and calls on west to Afton (east of Creston) before returning eastbound as Burlington at 7:07 p.m. and Ottumwa at 8:17 p.m. the 13662. The same power and caboose go on duty Sunday Nearly all of BN's motive power can be seen at one time or through Thursday nights as the 13860, running between Ot- another across the West End. Loaded coal trains get either a

30 . AUGUST 1992 pair of Oakway SD60s or BN SD60Ms or a ABOVE: C30-7 5138 has a westbound empties train in tow as it glides beneath Santa three-unit, 9,000-h.p. combination of SD40-2s Fe's double-track Chillicothe Subdivision at Cameron, III., on July 7, 1991. Rick Newton and/or C30-7s. Believe it or not, a few U30Cs BELOW: BN's westbo.und YV017 (Powerton, III.-West Decker, Mont., empties) exits Cen­ were still showing up on the West End in late tralized Traffic Control at Halpin, Iowa, on April 14, 1991. Dave Kroeger 1991. Freight and intermodal trains tend to get high-horsepower, four-axle units such as GP50s, B30-7ABs and LMX B39-8s, or else the ubiquitous SD40-2s. Secondary freights are usually assigned a pair ot GP40M/GP40Es and/or GP40-2s, or a pair of SD40-2s in "cap­ tive" service between Lincoln and Galesburg which are rotated on a regular basis. Locals tend to be powered by a single GP38/GP38-2 or by any of the various rebuilt GP39Ms; all lo­ cals except 13868113869 still use cabooses.

A Bright Future

The future is definitely bright for the West End. Coal business has steadily increased in recent years and more growth is expected. Norfolk Southern has already signed on to route its Des Moines traffic over the Sixth Sub, and some speculate that Southern Pacific may come call­ ing as well, obtaining a Denver-Chicago track­ age rights agreement to go along with the K.C.­ Chicago access it obtained from BN in 1990. Ifyou visit the West End you probably aren't going to have to worry about competing for the best photo locations. This is a rail line that fans have long overlooked as they flocked to better-known and busi­ BN's Sixth Sub should be on everyone's must-do list. er C&NW, AT &SF and BN mains in the region-but, they've This article is dedicated to my fa ther, Larry L. Hill. missed something special. With good roads offering ample track Th e author wishes to thank Dave Kroeger, Dave Lotz, the access, friendly local residents, plenty of places to eat and Burlington Route Historical Society and everyone else who sleep-and, most importantly, lots of great railroading-a trip to helped make this article possible.

PAC IFIC RAILNews • 31 .---- AN INSIDE LOOK ------SANTA FE'S BARSTOW DIESEL FACILITY

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID C. CRAMMER

itting next to your favorite main line, watching facility, we knew it was an experience that our train after train race by, it's easy to forget how readers would thoroughly enjoy. much work goes into keeping a railroad run­ ningS smoothly. In fact, operating trains is just one A New Diesel Facility for Barstow small part of what today's Class 1 carrier needs to be successful. Consider motive power, for example. In 1990 Santa Fe opened its new Locomotive A railroad's ability to dependably deliver goods on Maintenance and Inspection Terminal in the time is directly dependent on how reli­ high-desert community of Barstow, Calif, a key able its locomotive fleet is-and the fleet AT&SF junction and classification facility 145 is only as good as the maintenance force miles east of Los Angeles. The $11 million invest­ behind it. Thus, the willingness of the ment expanded a service facility that was first West's major railroad's to invest in top­ opened in 1975 and created a unified complex for flight inspection and repair facilities. the care, feeding and servicing of diesel locomo­ Yet, the hows and whys of what tives. The previous locomotive facilities had been happens inside a modern located at the far eastern end of Barstow Yard, Class 1 repair facility are necessitating a trip via the hostlers and time de­ still a mystery to many lay for advanced work on the engines ...result­ of us on the outside. ing in increased down time and higher expense. When Atchison, Topeka The entire complex now consists of the Running & Santa Fe Railway of­ Repair Building (RRB), the Locomotive Mainte­ fered the opportunity nance Building (LMB), the Diesel Service Facility for PACIFIC RAILNEWS to (DSF), the locomotive washer and the recycling get an inside look at a station for handling contaminated oil and water. state-of-the-art diesel Twelve supervisors and 125 employees are on

32 • AUGUST 1992 hand to assure that Santa Fe diesels receive qual­ ity, state-of-the-art service. Units registered with the facility are tracked in the Locomotive Dispatch Office/Tower which is situated between Diesel Service and the LMB . As well as entering locomotives on the comput­ er, the dispatch office utilizes a control board like those often seen in war movies for tracking the movement of troops or ships. The board is a rough diagram of the Barstow facility complete with labeled tracks. Locomotive-shaped mag­ nets-marked with the appropriate unit's num­ ber-are placed on the board. An arrow-shaped end shows which direction the unit is pointing. The locomotive dispatcher can tell at a glance not only where each unit is but also which way each locomotive under his control is facing. The magnets are color-coded, with yellow indicating the unit is undergoing the daily inspection and green indicating a monthly inspection according to FRA regulations (three-month, six-month, etc.). The type of inspection each unit is to un­ dergo is tracked via computer. Units that have been scheduled for service at the LMB following the routine work are removed from the board af­ ter leaving the tower's jurisdiction.

From Fuel to Sand-Diesel Service Facility

Units entering Barstow's yard for stopover servic­ ing are washed in the washer built specifically for locomotives by the N/S Corporation. With road grime absent, units are moved by hostlers to the Diesel Service Facility. Sitting in the open air with ramps for both upper- and lower-level work, the DSF is responsible for supplying diesel fuel, oil, sand and coolant water to keep the units rolling. Diesel fuel is purchased from refineries in the Long Beach area and transported to Barstow via the CalINev Pipeline. Approximately 5 million gallons of diesel fuel are utilized by the AT &SF pumping stations at Barstow each month. These include the DSF and fuel pumps located on the east and west main tracks. Fuel is stored in three tanks : The receiving OPPOSITE PA GE: Sever­ tank, whichholds 2 V2 million al Santa Fe diesels gallons, the DSF storage tank, await minor repairs at Barstow's Locomotive which holds 2 V3 million gal­ Maintenance Building lons, and the smaller-hali-mil­ in April 1992. ABOVE: lion gallon-service tank. Super Fleet GP60M 110 The two fuel facilities on the picks up a full tank of main line are handled by one diesel fuel at the racks two-man crew which works on the westbound main the 1 'a-mile distance by truck. at Barstow. LEFT: Dis­ Units fueled on the main are patchers in the tower protected by a blue flag hung monitor the progress of on the unit. Two flags are at­ units running through Barstow for service by tached with one facing off of computer and with a the side of the unit while the color-coded tracking other faces the engineer as a board. constant reminder. Once a blue flag has been placed by a member of a particular craft it can only be removed by a member of the craft-assuring the the work for containment bunker. The fuel storage tanks are all which it was installed has been completed. Fuel is fed by an underground pipeline that runs through kept at the West facility in a 29,OOO-gallon bunker the yard. Fuel inventories are checked every three and at the East above ground, but surrounded by a days and the results forwarded to Topeka for a con-

PAC IFIC RAILNews • 33 -- AN INSIDE LOOK ------

stant updating of inventory and tracking for additional purchases. Lube oil and journal box oil are brought in by tank car and stored in holding tanks. The eight DSF storage tanks, each with a 15,000 gallon capacity, are currently uti­ lized this way : No. 1, Out of service ; Nos. 2-6 Journal oil; No. 7 used oil (to be sold to a recycling company) ; and No. 8, coolant water with borate added. In the past year Barstow went through 27 tank cars of lube oil, each with a 15,500- gallon capacity and two tank cars of jour­ nal oil totaling 31,000 gallons. Eight tanker cars of used oil were reclaimed and sold to a recycling company. Sand, used for traction, is purchased in Texas and Colorado. Previously, Talica Sand in Oceanside, Calif. , supplied Barstow, but that operation has been shut down. The sand must meet dust and grit specifications-it cannot simply be hauled off the nearest beach or dune.

Getting Repaired-RRB and LMB

Units that have finished their trip through the DSF may then be routed through the Running Repair Building. As the units en­ ter, massive roller doors can slide down behind them to protect locomotives that are undergoing work. This feature is a ne­ cessity, not only because of the intense summer heat of the high desert, but also because this is a desert environment where sand storms can place a lot of un­ wanted grit in sensitive places. Tracks in the RRB are designated Nos. 12 through 15, with track 12 utilized for periodic inspections and tracks 13-15 des­ ignated service tracks. The tracks are ele-

34 . AUGUST 1992 vated above a work pit to allow easy access to the OPPOSITE TOP: A cut trucks . "Running" is the key designation for this of locomotives just building, as locomotives move in under their own released from the power and the objective is to deal with minor re­ Diesel Service Facility runs past the Running pairs and get the units back on the road as quickly Repair Building en as possible. The is responsible for, among RRB route to the ready other things , trouble shooting for grounds, truck track. OPPOSITE BOT­ work, air conditioning repair and exhaust repair. A TOM: AT&SF 3688 at charger, if necessary, is located under the ramp. Barstow's Diesel Ser­ Units released from the Diesel Service Facility vice FaCility; note the and Running Repair Building are either moved to different levels to al­ the ready track or assigned to the Locomotive low access to loco­ Maintenance Building for further work (back in the motives. ABOVE: A view of several units control tower, each unit's colored magnet is placed undergoing repairs at the appropriate position). As a cold shop, the on tracks 30, 31 and LMB utilizes GP7 2192 to move locomotives in and 32 in the Locomotive out of the building. The specially equipped Geep Maintenance Building can operate powered either by conventional diesel shows the overhead fuel or by a double set of batteries. It was designed cranes and move­ and built at the old shops specifically for use at the able work platforms. new LMB ; most of the design work was completed LEFT: The 51 11 on by second shift electrician George Jackson. Under track 33, one of two battery operation the unit can pull as many as four tracks in the LMB fit­ ted with drop pits for locomotives and in the two years it has been used traction motor and the batteries (which are charged by the locomotive wheel change-outs. while under diesel power) have not had to be re­ placed. The units are brought into the LMB under battery control and then the sliding doors come down to seal that area and protect it from the desert environment. Diesel exhaust would be a definite hazard in this setting. Inside the Locomotive Maintenance Building are six tracks. Tracks 30-32 are for locomotive work, including both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. Tracks 33 and 34 are equipped

PAC IFIC RAILNews • 35 ---- AN INSIDE LOOK ------I

I ) I " I I I, , I I IiJ

SDF40-2 5257 sits on with drop pits for changing out traction motors simply removed and shipped to Topeka for re­ track 34 in the Loco­ and track 35 is equipped with a lathe for turning building and a new one placed in the unit. The motive Maintenance wheels while they're still on the locomotive. One tracks are equipped with 10-ton ceiling cranes; Building while under­ of the first things you notice about the LMB as three are assigned to each track. With no pits, going a wheel change. compared to other shops is that it is quiet. Hy­ work is performed on these tracks by moving draulic and electric motors move and operate ev­ wheeled, multi-level carts beside the units. erything and locomotives are not running. As Crews stand on the different levels while they well as being a quiet shop, the LMB is an envi­ perform their tasks. Between tracks 31 and 32 is a ronmentally conscious shop. Every drain in the PROCECO washer large enough to clean whole shop is routed to the water treatment plant and radiator banks as well as smaller parts. The fluids are cleaned according to state and federal washer unit utilizes a wash timer, rinse timer, regulations. Oil is sent to a recycling company and exhaust blower to complete the operation. and water is released into the city sewer system, Tracks 33 and 34 are utilized for truck and trac­ but only after it meets state and local require­ tion motor repairs. They use a 3D-ton crane to move ments for treatment. Metal from wheel grinding equipment; it was originally designed to be run by travels by conveyer out of the shop to a storage an operator but is now radio controlled. Using a pit bin where it is held for recycling. and hydraulic lift (looking suspiciously like the plat­ form for landing the space station shuttle craft on The R&R System the moon in the movie 2001), an entire axle assem­ bly can be disconnected, lowered from a unit, taken Tracks 30-32 are utilized for changing out equip­ offthe lift by the overhead crane, and a new as­ ment such as auxiliary generators and air com­ sembly placed in the unit-all by two men. Once pressors. Another current task is changing the again the entire operation is almost silent. carbon traps on older units to meet environmental The last track inside the LMB, track 35, con­ restrictions. The LMB utilizes what is called an tains the Hegenscheidt wheel lathe (which was "R&R" system of making repairs-this means built in Germany), used for turning the wheels "Remove and Replace. " Whole assemblies are without removing them from the journal box and

36 • AUGUST 1992 while they are still mounted on the unit. While LEFT TOP: A worker at most shops use a a milling machine, the model the Barstow LMB uses 106 under-floor wheel lathe is the only one of an overhead radio­ controlled crane to its kind owned by Santa Fe. The Hegenscheidt to lift wheels re­ uses a hydraulic claw to keep pressure on the moved from a unit on wheels. It is computer controlled using power track 35. Thanks to rollers interacting with the wheels which can the high-tech, heavy compensate to the extent of truing flat spots. equipment, jobs The lathe uses a four-corner carbide cutting such as this are just a tool that can be turned to produce eight cut­ two-man operation. ting edges and is designed to bring the wheels to within 1110,000 of an inch tolerance. The tol­ erance of the wheel diameter is reported digi­ tally on two separate screens that can be viewed by the operator. The inventory necessary to support the Loco­ motive Maintenance Building is kept in the stock building located just to the west. The compo­ nents necessary for repairing locomotives are kept in shelves and sorted according to whether their purpose is electrical or mechanical. Also outside the LMB, on the east side and in the open air, is track 36. This track is equipped with cables that can be attached to the unit and rout­ ed to a grid resistor for testing units under load while bypassing the traction motors.

Keeping Things Flowing

As one would expect from Santa Fe, everything at Barstow is designed to operate smoothly and efficiently, from the fueling of through units on the main tracks to running locomotives through the various maintenance stages. In a typical day at the Barstow maintenance facility, 64 units LEFT BOTTOM: The run through Diesel Service, five work through second man in the the Running Repair Building, and 13 are re­ wheel Change-out leased by the Locomotive Maintenance Build­ team uses the hy­ ing. The entire operation is tracked by computer draulic lift on track and all the work performed on each each unit is 34 to position a set recorded in that unit's record. Plus, the facility of wheels. uses the latest technology to go a step beyond simple maintenance and repairs : Fluids are re­ moved from the units-fuel, lube oil, journal box oil and water from the radiators-and like a medical diagnostic lab, spectroanalysis is per­ formed at the pulse lab located at Barstow and the information is summarized on a computer generated chart. This allows Santa Fe to spot potential problems such as ring failure and deal with them before they become critical. Why would Santa Fe go to such lengths to maintain its locomotive fleet? Because it can't af­ ford not to. Santa Fe has positioned itself as the preeminent intermodal carrier in the West-a business that demands high-speed trains and timely delivery of goods. To compete with other railroads and long-haul trucks, Santa Fe has to have reliable motive power. The railroad has in­ vested a lot of time, effort, and money into assur­ ing that its units receive the best possible care. The Barstow Locomotive Maintenance and In­ spection Terminal and the outlying services in the yard are all part of this effort. I want to thank Lee Morrow, Bob Clayton, Marty Ch avez, Aaron Adams, Ai Alcantara, Pa­ co Fl ores, Larry Hoskins and Mike Martin for their help in preparing this article.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 37 TEXAS' II OVE RLOOKED II CITY

ABOVE: One of the rail highlights of Austin is four miles of mainline expressway running, where Union Pacific trains-such as this northbound local-take to the median of busy Mo-Pac Boulevard. OPPOSITE PA GE: Austin & Northwestern's roadside shops offer unobstructed views of the short line's locomotive fleet, including, on this day, four of the five Geeps painted and lettered for the road.

hen you think of Texas, it's really nects Fort Worth and San Antonio, runs and sees the passage of approximately 15 easy to forget about Austin. Sit­ roughly north and south through the city freights every 24 hours. Southbound trains ting inside the boundaries of a and features a unique segment of express­ of note include the Mexico City-bound inter­ triangleW defined by the state's three way running. Traveling northward, the modals AlZand Advance AlZ (AAlZ­ sprawling urban centers-Houston, Dal­ tracks cross the Colorado River and make a known as the Double AlZ). both of which laslFort Worth and San Antonio-Austin is sharp left turn before reaching the Amtrak usually pass through Austin early in the af­ often unfairly overshadowed. Yet this station. Shortly after leaving the station, ternoon. The primary northbound train is bustling city of a half-million people is the the main line swings back to a northerly the RSPZ, which is usually a late mOrning state capital , is home to the venerable Uni­ course and enters the median of the Mo­ visitor. There is also a daily unit coal train to versity of Texas (Hook 'em Horns !), is a na­ Pac Expressway (also called Mo-Pac Boule­ and from San Antonio, unit grain trains des­ tionally known music and cultural center vard), a busy four-lane highway. It follows tined for Corpus Christi, Amtrak's north­ (ever watched Austin City Limits?)-and the road for four miles. There are only two bound Texas Eagle at 9:35 a.m., and several even boasts a couple of interesting rail op­ streets that cross over the Mo-Pac Express­ freights to and from San Antonio, Laredo erations. Though its rail scene is less di­ way and the main line. The overpass at and Mexico-evidenceof Union Pacific's verse than that found in not-too-distant 35th Street offers good photos of north- or growing cross-border business. San Antonio (80 miles to the southwest), southbound trains running side-by-side The city's hometown short line is Austin hosts Union Pacific's busy ex­ with Austin automobile traffic. Austin & Northwestern (A&NW); Rail-Tex MoPac main, sees daily Amtrak service Union Pacific's main line is quite busy headquarters are found in nearby San An­ and is the home base of Rail-Tex short line tonio. Like all Rail-Tex operations A&NW Austin & Northwestern, which the city is locally based and you'll generally find purchased from Southern Pacific in 1986. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY friendly folks with a strong interest in the The Union Pacific main line, which con- CARL M. LEHMAN communities they serve running the rail-

38 • AUGUST 1992 road. To reach A&NW facilities in Austin, take exit No. 233 off Interstate 35, make your way to Sixth Street and turn east (right). Next turn south (right) on Robert T. Martinez Jr. Street. When you get to the tracks, the A&NW office and shops will be on the right. Cross the tracks and turn west (right) on Fifth Street, and you can paraJjel the open shop area and photo­ graph the short line's motive power. There is a small yard and wye just to the east along Fifth Street and from there the main line runs to the east and northwest. The A&NW locomotive roster consists of several EMD units. The railroad has four switchers. SW1200 No. 8 has dynamic brakes and Flexicoil trucks. It wears A&NW's red-and-black paint scheme, which resembles Burlington Northern's livery with red replacing green. SW9s 14, 15 and 16 are all ex-Missouri-Kansas­ Texas , are all painted Katy green-and-yel­ low and have kept their Katy numbers­ but the MKT lettering is painted out and still has its original lettering, number and very few roads in these hills that get close AUNW reporting marks added to the hoods. GW red-and-black colors. One GP35M, No. to the tracks. From Cedar Park to Burnet For road power there are five GP9s num­ 66, is on the property; it has had its tur­ the main line is close to U.S. 183 and Texas bered 11, 22, 33, 44 and 55 which all wear bocharger removed and liberated exhaust Highway 29. Good photo locations can be A&NW red and black. Another GP9 on the installed. A&NW's latest acquisition is found every few miles, and the train speed roster is ex-Great Western Railway 272. It three rebuilt GP9s, Nos. 171, 172 and 174. is such that it's not too difficult to get They are painted green and beige and ahead of the train without speeding. Addi­ wear AUNW reporting marks. These units tionally, industries in the Austin area are TO TEMPLE previously worked on the Georgetown switched Monday through Saturday, but Railroad, though they were lettered for In­ trains usually don't operate on Sundays . ----- HANCOCK DR. termountain Gas Industries. Another rail highlight in Austin is the The A&NWmain line runs 58 miles east city owned and operated steam locomotive. to interchange with the Southern Pacific at Southern Pacific 2-8-2 No. 786, previously Giddings, and 95 miles west to Llano, on display in Austin, was removed for re­ where the line ends. Most trains carry grav­ building by the Austin Steam Train Associa­ el and cement products originating in the tion in 1989, and was first steamed up in Burnet area, 57 miles west of Austin, and September 1991. Its first trip was to Austin interchange with the UP at McNeal, 14 in December 1991 for display. Plans were to miles northwest of Austin. Even though the have the locomotive running excursions on A&NW and UP main lines are separated by the Austin & Northwestern by rnid- 1992 on only a few blocks in Austin, and there's still the route west from Cedar Park to Burnet, a a lot of rail in place around Third and Fourth round trip of approximately 100 miles. streets, no interchange takes place there. Whatever locomotives are not at the A&NW shop can usually be found at Mc­ Neal early in the morning, or on weekends. McNeal is good for photos of either A&NW or UP. An A&NW train runs every weekday from McNeal to Burnet and return, but usually only one train a week works east to Giddings. "The Mountain " is what the 1 main line from McNeal to Cedar Park is N nicknamed and unfortunately there are

AUSTI N, TEXAS

-- RAILROADS

••••.••.• ABANDONED STREET TRACKAGE -- ROADS

MAP BY CARL lEHMAN AND TOM DANNEMAN

PA CIFIC RAllNews • 39

RAILFANNING THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY R.C. FAREWELL

olorado's Air Force higher ground above the Academy is bisected east bank of Monument C by the Joint Line, a Creek. Interestingly, to unique railroad where BN, maintain reasonable grades, Santa Fe and SP (until re­ D&SF's line used "fly-overs " cently Rio Grande) share oc­ to cross D&RG's trackage in cupancy to move tonnage several places. In many along the eastern face of the places near the Academy, Rockies between Denver traces of D&SF's and suc­ and Pueblo. A railian's cessor AT&SF's grade can dream, the Joint Line is be seen just west of pre­ blessed with a system of ex­ sent-day Interstate 25. cellent parallel highways (in­ By 1899 D&NO was ab­ cluding Interstate 25) which sorbed into Colorado & allows access to virtually all Southern and D&NO's east­ Joint Line action. Although ern line between Pueblo and the heavily forested Acade­ Denver via Falcon and Kiowa my grounds conceal much of was replaced by a trackage the rail action from the high­ rights agreement allowing way cruiser, the trackage C&S access over Santa Fe's alignment offers backdrops Denver-Pueblo line. in marked contrast to the In 1918 all railroads were LEFT: Three F9s lead southbound D&RGW No. rest of the Joint Line-mountain topogra­ 265 through the Air Force Academy on June brought under control of the government. phy and ponderosa-pine-framed views that 6, 1984. ABOVE: The Academy single track is One consequence of centralized govern­ are tough to beat. a bottleneck, as this scene at Crews (start of mental control was that the U.S. Railroad So don't let the posted gate houses double track) reveals, with trains from all Administration had crossovers and con­ marking all entrance roads to the Academy three Joint Line tenants competing for access. necting tracks built between parallel fool you-access is not restricted for rail­ D&RG and Santa Fe trackage, thus con­ fa ns. Enter and enjoy the diverse traffic pa­ Fe, built a standard-gauge route between verting the two distinct and competing rades as northbound and southbound traf­ Pueblo and Denver parallel to and very main lines into joint double-track. The re­ fic funnels through the single-track main. close to the D&RG line. This effort was sulting double track "Joint Line" became completed through Santa Fe sibling Den­ the shared Denver-Pueblo route for C&S, The First Rails Are Laid ver & Santa Fe. Through the area that was D&RGW and Santa Fe. later to become the Air Force Academy, Later, C&S was acquired by BN (thus D&SF's alignment kept to the east of Rio transferring the trackage rights agree­ The first railroad to lay trackage down Grande's trackage and tended to follow ment), setting the stage for the present Monument Creek's drainage and through three occupants of Joint Line trackage the area that later became the Air Force through the Academy. Academy was Denver & Rio Grande Rail­ way. In 1871 D&RG spiked narrow gauge iron southbound from Denver over the A Busy Single-Track Line Palmer Lake Divide and down Monument Emerges Creek to Colorado Springs on a railroad­ building venture that took D&RG into Since the days of its construction Pueblo the following year. In 1881 D&RG D&RGW's alignment has followed a creek­ three-railed its Denver-Pueblo line as part bank grade south through the Academy of a system-wide standard-gauging effort. grounds and southward through the city In the meantime, rival Denver & New Or­ of Colorado Springs. There was never a leans Railroad laid a competing standard­ problem with rail traffic in Colorado gauge line between Pueblo and Denver Springs interfering with city life . routed many miles to the east of D&RG's However, Santa Fe's segment of the efforts. D&NO later became part of the Joint Line through Colorado Springs was Colorado & Southern Railway. another story. The Santa Fe alignment bi­ Next, another D&RG arch-rival, Santa sected several fast-growing residential

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 41 ABOVE: A southbound BN 262 train breaks the still of an October morning as it coasts around a sharp curve and into the northern edges of the Air Force Academy. BELOW: A Santa Fe 344 train grinds upgrade through the Academy at Husted. The end of the climb and the start of double track awaits at Palmer Lake, a few miles to the north. areas. Into the early 1970s tempers heat­ aptly named " Academy. " The southernmost Operations-BN Trains ed up each time a slow-moving train spur is named "Stadium" and has a length Dominate rolled northbound through town on the of 3,200 feet. Stadium is located a little over Santa Fe. Colorado Springs' politicians two miles north of Academy siding, and al­ BN moves the lion's share of Joint Line did not like the delays, noise and safety though Stadium has access from both north tonnage, the majority of which rolls in the problems created by ever-increasing traf­ and south ends, it is not part of the CTC in­ form of unit coal trains, with loads moving fic levels on the Santa Fe line. stallation and thus is not remotely con­ south and empties moving north. BN also In 1974 an agreement was reached be­ trolled. The northern spur, named "Husted," moves considerable amounts of mixed tween Joint Line tenants and the city. The is about 960 feet long and is equipped for manifest traffic through the Academy, solution was to cut the double track and southern entry only. Husted is located about such as symbols 195 northbound and eliminate the Santa Fe alignment through a mile north of Stadium and in years past counterpart 196 southbound. Other opera­ town. Several miles north of Colorado was used as a site for loading gravel. tions include northbound 191, which can Springs and the Academy, at the top contain doublestack containers as of the hill at Palmer Lake, the double well as mixed tonnage. Southbound track was merged. Just south of Col­ 192 can also carry priority traffic, but orado Springs, at Crews, an identical is commonly a late-night operation, merging was accomplished. Left in­ normally passing through the Acade­ tact was D&RGW's main line along my well before dawn. Finally, north­ Monument and Fountain creeks, bound 261 is a mixed-manifest oper­ while the ex-Santa Fe line was torn ation, with counterpart 262 passing up, a move later regretted by the southward through the Academy Joint Line's occupant railroads. grounds shortly after dawn. Today, all traffic moving over the Santa Fe is a minor player at the Joint Line is funneled through the sin­ Academy, with the majority of its gle-track segment between Palmer trains composed of manifest ton­ Lake and Crews, through the Air Force nage. Additionally, Santa Fe main­ Academy. The single-track segment tains the regional "Big Lift" has been converted to CTC and is con­ TOFC/COFC facility, positioned be­ trolled by Santa Fe's dispatcher in La tween the Joint Line main lines just Junta, Colo. Inside the Academy south of Denver at Louviers. Because grounds are two spurs and a 7,200- of Big Lift, Santa Fe traffic commonly foot, CTC-controlled passing siding contains blocks of intermodal cars.

42 • AUGUST 1992 AIR� ACADEMYFORCE TO DENV R

PA LMER LAKE DIVI DE

PALME R L

N

Rio Grande GP30 3004 has a northbound empty unit coal train well in hand deep within the boundaries of the Air Force Academy, just north of Stadium spur.

On a routine basis, Santa Fe runs train 344 a locomotive and a few cars. northbound and counterpart 443 south­ The traffic pattern through bound. The 344/443 pair comprise a de the Air Force Academy finds facto long-distance, work-ail-stops local. that trains tend to move in Santa Fe 443 usuaily contains blocks des­ blocks. The reason is simple. tined for Kansas City as well as Texas, Southbound loaded coal trains with block separation accomplished upon grind at a snail's pace up the 443's arrival at La Junta. the Palmer Lake Divide, slow­ Southern Pacific, like Santa Fe, is also ing ail following traffic. Once a secondary player in the Joint Line over the top at Palmer Lake, a RAILROAD scheme. SP's operations, however, are spate of trains is likely to follow ROADS equally split between unit coal trains a loaded coal movement south and mixed-manifest movements. SP coal through the Academy. North- trains operate with loads moving south­ bound, the CTC single track is bound and empties northbound. Mani­ most efficiently utilized when MAP BY R.C. FAREWELL fest freight moves on trains DVPUM blocks of trains are routed over AND TOM DANNEMAN (Denver-Pueblo merchandise) and the trackage in the same direc- PUDVM. These trains frequently run tion. In both directions, blocks with both morning and evening sections. may contain trains of any occupant in any though the Joint Line is out of sight to the It is not uncommon to see the morning order, thus lending an extremely colorful east through the trees in many places, ac­ section of the DVPUM operating with a air to railfanning at the Academy. cess to the overlooking creek bank is easy. large block of coal hoppers on the head­ Simply find a place to park and walk east end. Conversely, the early-morning sec­ Railfanning the Academy through the trees several hundred feet. tion of PUDVM sometimes runs with just From the south, take exit 150 into the Access to the Air Force Academy's Academy. Follow the plethora of paved Joint Line trackage is easy. From the north, roads staying as far east as possible. follow 1-25 south to exit 156 and travel This will bring you eventually to a north­ west to the entrance road and gate house. south road which parallels the Joint At the gate house, just mention that you Line. Again there are a few overlooks, are here to see the railroad and you should but don't be afraid to park and work your be given access. Once west of the gate way east by foot to find your own spot house you have two choices. A quick right for train watching. turn will ailow you to gain entry to the While at the Academy a visit to the Joint Line access road. Loop under the world-famous Air Force Chapel is a must, Academy entry overpass on the dirt "free­ along with a tour of the beautiful Acade­ way" and you can follow the access road my grounds. to wherever your vehicle can take you. For Radio frequencies used by Joint Line those who wish to stay on pavement, after railroads include: 160.920 (SP), 160.650 entering the Academy grounds make a left (AT&SF) and 161.100 (EN). turn at the first intersection and follow Th anks to Steve Patterson fo r furnish­ paved roads south to various overlooks. Al- ing Joint Line operational information.

PA CIFIC RAllNews • 43

SOUTHERN PA

being made at the Denver headquarters. Skyline Mine to Kansas City and trans­ SP Turning the Corner Financially? When, and if, the corporation can afford an ferred to Santa Fe for delivery to Sibley, investment in motive power, new locomo­ Mo. The fourth train originated at the Axi­ Money is flowing into SP, enough so that tives would be the most desirable al Mine on the Craig Branch. Bank of America in San Francisco was will­ choice-at once buying both increased The recent discussion of unit-grain trains ing to work out a new loan to help reduce productivity and improved reliability. In dispatched west from Denver as symbol some of the railroad's long-term obliga­ the meantime, work proceeds at the DVBKG included an incorrect destination. tions. You may remember that to acquire cramped Burnham facilities in Denver to DVBKGs are routed from Denver to Bakers­ the SP in 1988, Rio Grande Industries ob­ restore to service more than 20.0 units laid­ field, Calif., for delivery to Zacky Farm's ele­ tained a $700 million term loan and a $150 up with various ills. Burnham is a three­ vator at Traver on the Valley Line. Empty million line of credit. Recently received track shop that is 50 percent smaller than DVBKG hoppers are cycled back to Denver proceeds from the sale of the Peninsula Taylor Shop in Los Angeles. for return to UP intwo distinct ways. Some Line (Gilroy-San Francisco), as well as im­ Still another traditional answer to pow­ are routed east as a unit train from Bakers­ proved earnings, allowed RGI to go back to er shortages is to lease locomotives. This field via Roseville to Grand Junction as its bankers and obtain new loans for small­ season finds both American locomotive BKDVU, and continue east to Denver as er principal amounts at lower interest builders standing by with lease-unit symbol GJDVU, Or, the cars may move rates. Revenue for the first quarter rose al­ pools: EMD with ex-Conrail, Milwaukee from Grand Junction to Denver a block at a $ $ most 50 million to 692 million, a 7.5 per­ and Soo units and General Electric with at time as tonnage fill on the head-end of cent improvement over 1991. least 30 former Santa Fe locomotives. The RODVT. Incidentally, bad-order locomotives latter group remain in their former own­ are occasionally routed east to Denver on er's colors-ironically, some even in red­ the head-end of RODVT. This occurred May Nothing But the Speed Lettering and-yellow Southern Pacific-Santa Fe 19 when RODVT contained dead-in-tow Speaking at a news conference in Denver merger paint. Most are C30-7s that Santa Amtrak F40s 65, 333 and 404. on May 20 during a layover for the "New Fe traded for its warbonnet B40-8Ws, but SP" promotional train, company President the mix is leavened with a few 7400-series Mohan gave everyone some insight into B36s as well. Priority Symbols Expanding the revitalized railroad. Mohan defined Denver as the heart of the "new Southern Super-hotshot RVCHX (Roseville to Chica­ Pacific" and re-emphasized well-known Unit Train Update go express) has been expanded from sin­ plans to greatly enhance Denver's Burn­ gle to multiple sections as tonnage re­ ham Shops as a heavy locomotive rebuild­ SP has been moving a significant amount quires. June 5, for example, found four ing center. Mohan also took the time to ex­ of soda ash to Long Beach of late for RVCHX sections called at Salt Lake's Rop­ plain plans which virtually eliminate Rio transloading into ships. Trona Railway er Yard, with a three-hour lag between de­ Grande from the corporate image. Accord­ transfers the tonnage to SP at Searles, parture of each section. RVCHX commonly ing to Mohan, the only visual reminder of Calif. Each operation is symboled MJLBP originates at West Colton and is routed Rio Grande's contribution to the corpora­ (Mojave to Long Beach potash) and usual­ east via Roseville. As a result the opera­ tion will be the use of its "speed lettering" ly consists of between 80 to 100 covered tion is sometimes symboled WCCHX style adapted to freshly painted locomo­ hoppers. (West Colton to Chicago express). tives. Mohan acknowledged the fierce loy­ The operational scenario for unit coal A new SP hotshot has been symboled alty maintained by Rio Grande employees, trains SNBNC and SNKCC mentioned in for tonnage formerly operated from but noted that "they must understand that the May 1992 column has been clarified. Chicago to the Southwest by Santa Fe. the railroad [SP] must respond to changes Unit-coal train SNBNC consisted of 105 SP's CHPXF is operated from Chicago to necessary to maintain a coherent corpo­ D&RGW hoppers of test-burn coal routed Phoenix via Kansas City with tonnage rate image." from the Skyline Mine on the Pleasant Val­ consisting of UPS trailers and auto racks ley Branch near Soldier Summit, Utah, to containing Chrysler products. SP police Springfield, Mo. The coal was handed to are targeted to ride in SP caboose 4766 Power Shortage-Again BN at Kansas City for delivery. Two test­ on the rear of this operation from Kansas burn trains were shipped under this sym­ City to Phoenix. SP needs more operable locomotives. That bol. Unit coal SNKCC consisted of four 92- Hotshot CHSZT (Chicago to Port of simple fact drives many of the decisions car trains. Three were routed from the Oakland Sea Land containers) has been re-

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 45 A broken locomotive axle at Cliff, Calif., tied up the busy route over the Te hachapi Mountains for several hours on May 3D, 1992. The follow­ ing day, several delayed trains were finally able to get through, including this Southern Pacific BKDOU passing Woodford. Don Bowen defined as CHOAF (Chicago to Oakland vices, an independent railroad car repair Three current or former SP lines will be forwarder) to better specify its consist of shop alongside the AT &SF-BN joint main­ utilized. The first, to Moorpark, northwest mixed-destination tonnage. Symbol line at Pueblo, Colo. Reportedly, Liberty of L.A., will utilize trackage presently KCROF (Kansas City to Roper forwarder) has so far repainted five SP units. Off-site served by Coast line freights and Amtrak. is now being split into three operations, painting has the advantage of freeing-up The second route, served by SP Saugus ASROM (Alton & Southern to Roper mer­ shop space (definitely in short supply at line freights, terminates in Santa Clarita. chandise), KCOAF (Kansas City to Oak­ Burnham) and the work is done in a loca­ This trackage hasn't seen regular passen­ land forwarder) and KCROM (Kansas City tion where environmental laws aren't be­ ger service since the San Joaquin was to Roper merchandise). Normal operations ing violated. abolished in 1971. Finally, a line to the east find KCROM crossing the Central Division (which will eventually terminate at San about eight hours prior to KCOAF. ASROM Bernardino) uses an alignment once trod and KCOAF can occasionally be found op­ L. A. Commuter Rail on the SP by the big red interurban cars of the Pacific erated as a block of two trains across the Electric as far as LaVerne (Pomona). Central Division, both dispatched and Los Angeles Metrolink commuter trains CTC is being installed from Burbank powered for minimum delay. are scheduled to start running over SP Junction to Dayton Av enue Tower in antic­ trackage Oct. 26-but don't be surprised if ipation of a considerable traffic increase you see the first rumblings of the burgeon­ this fall ; there will be four Metrolink trains Outside Repainting Begins ing passenger system before then. In in each direction to Moorpark and three preparation of the start-up, a fleet of dou­ more to and from Santa Clarita (Saugus). SP can't apply durable paint to locomo­ ble-deck UTDC coaches is assembling at SP and LACTC were to begin train testing tives and be in compliance with California SP's Midway Yard (just south of Dayton and schedule development in late June on environmental restrictions. Water-based Avenue Tower). They are being switched the Moorpark line. As more Metrolink paint (which is environmentally correct) by a leased ex-Metra E8 now owned by equipment is delivered, expect to see simply peels off in large scabs, prompting Pacific Rail Car in Colton. The E8 tows white-and-blue passenger trains in places numerous "Desert Storm" jokes. To get a each new car to Taylor Shops for under­ where varnish has been uncommon. paint job that will survive the rigors of body acceptance inspection over the SP Thanks to Paul Bearer, Dick Stephen­ railroading-SP style-locomotives must pits. Nearby, Metrolink's huge new shop son, P. J. Gratz, Steve Sm edley, Lawrence be painted elsewhere. facility is rapidly taking shape on land re­ Papp, Dr. R.R. Harmen, Southern Pacific Elsewhere, for now, is Liberty Rail Ser- cently occupied by Taylor Yard. and H. W Farewell.

46 • AUGUST 1992 MAC SEBREE AND THE PRN STAFF TRANSIT

- Worth International Airport via Irving, uti­ Street and the Civil Rights Museum on Dallas lizing ex-Rock Island and new trackage. the south. Eleven cars will be used, in­ But the airport extension has been de­ cluding single- and double-truckers from MOMENTUM AT LAST: After years of fu­ layed, so trains initially will terminate at Porto and trams from Melbourne. Six cars rious infighting and constant delays, the Irving with service beginning toward the will be ready for service by the end of the dirt is finally flying on Big D's long-sought end of 1993. Trains will be extended to year. The initial line runs along the Mid­ light rail system. Ground was broken for Fort Worth by 1996 and later to the airport. America Mall. There will be 21 stops, in­ the 20-mile, 21-station starter line in cluding a Victorian-style trolley station February andseveral contracts are well with fountains synchronized to music at underway. The present project dates from Los Angeles Government Plaza. Future destinations of 1988 when the voters in the 14 cities that the trolley will include a riverfront loop make up the Dallas Area Rapid Transit BLUE LINE BUILDS: The Los Angeles­ and a restored Central Station. District (DART) rejected a bond issue to fi­ Long Beach Blue Line LRT celebrates its nance a 90-mile heavy rail system. A new second birthday this month and is doing scheme emerged, promiSing a 60-mile quite well, thank you. By April ridership San Francisco light rail system and 32 miles of commuter had reached 33,700 weekday with 22,900 rail. That plan was approved. on Saturdays and 19,700 on Sundays. The GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: The bid for Now under construction are the most April riots in south Los Angeles damaged construction of streetcar tracks and over­ expensive parts of the starter line: a 3.5- ridership a little : May ridership averaged head on the Market-Castro extension mile twin-bore deep-level tunnel costing 31,300 and was beginning to climb again. came in $140,000 under estimate, and $87 million on the northern section and Bus patronage suffered a greater blow, at work should be under way by the time an $18.7-million bridge over the Trinity least in the worst-hit areas. you read this. Completion is set for early River connecting South Oak Cliff to Last August, rush hour train frequency 1994. Besides the Market Street track, the downtown Dallas. Two at-grade sections increased to every eight minutes from 10; contract covers replacement of the 17th and the LRVmaintenance depot will be today trains run every six minutes. Be­ Street double tracks (to provide a connec­ abuilding later this year. cause of platform constraints, trains are tion to the car barn) and a terminal loop The starter line begins at Fair Oaks limited to two cars. via Noe and 17th to Castro. Park in North Dallas, proceeds downtown The heavy-rail Red Line will open its Ifrenewal of track from 11th to Duboce under the North-Central Expressway in initial 4.4-rnile segment in March 1993 in­ proceeds on schedule, the first phase of the tunnel, runs at grade along Pacific Avenue stead of June. Tunneling for the second F line (Castro-East Bay Terminal) could in downtown Dallas, turns south to serve segment from Alvarado to WilshirelWest­ open by 1995, replacing the NO. 8 trolley Union Station, crosses the Trinity River ern is well underway; the tunneling ma­ and, at Corinth, splits into two branches: chine will finish one bore this summer and one to Ledbetter Road in South Oak Cliff then tackle the second bore. The third and the other along the Santa Fe right-of­ segment, a branch to Hollywood along way to Westmoreland in West Oak Cliff. Vermont Avenue, will be tunneled. starting Once the starter line opens in 1996, in 18 months. DART will start work on the rest of the The merger of the Southern California system with final completion projected for Rapid Transit District (bus and Blue Line 2010. A northeastern branchto Garland operator) and the L.A. County Transporta­ BANNED IN NORTH CAROLINA should open by the turn of the century, tion Commission (planner and builder of WAB.HJ.HG: Remove all women and children from viewing area along with the Pleasant Grove line to the rail lines) is set for February 1993. LACTC before showing Ihis tape. Suggest viewer consider watching southeast along the SP right-of-way. By is spending $2 billion a year on transit pro­ video in basement ... this video is filthy! 2010, DART should be operating to subur­ jects and the RTD is the nation's third­ �: Lots at very black coal dust. We're going to take you ban cities such as Plano, Richardson, Irv­ largest bus system. Hopefully the merger deep into the hollars of Virginia's Baby. Dickenson County is the heart of Clinchfield's coal production and it is RICH! ing, Farmers Branch and Carrollton. will end the escalating turf wars between By the time you read this, tenders will BE ONLOOKOUT THE FOR: A virtual non·stop flow of mighty the two agencies. coal trains. See the mines. the workers, the processing plants, have been issued for the initial fleet of 40 Early June saw the first laying of rail on the loading, and a glut of CSX's finest 80·car runs to market. six-axle articulated cars ; ultimately, 120 the Green Line, which at least initially will CAl1IlQH: Giant hopper shakers will rattle the bones of every cars will be needed for the full system. have non-automated cars utilizing a train coal car to unload its cargo. Crush it, scrub it, pulverize h, blend it The tunnel, being built by the S. A. and stow it. Huge bulldozers will shove mountains of processed control system capable of full automation. coal onto tipple conveyers for the ride into silos. DYN·O·MITE' Healy Co., begins near downtown at San To that end, the original Union Switch & HQIE.: This is the money part of railroading. Coal movement is Jacinto Street and extends to Mockingbird Signal TCS contract will go forward. With 40% of all U.S. railroad freight activity. Yes, FOUR out of TEN Lane, where a major station will be located. a November 1994 startup looming, LACTC loaded U.S. freight cars are coal cars, of one sort or another, North of this point the light rail line pre­ has decided to order 15 plain vanilla LRVs, jammed with good old American Black Diamonds. empts the old railroadtrackage once owned as identical to the Blue Line cars as possi­ COAL STORY : A DIRTY MOVIE ... Ye s. But somebody had to do it! by Missouri Pacific and the Katy. In fact, ble. These, along with spare Blue Line much of the DART system is located along AMERICANALTAVISTA: We did it and this video is available to cars, will open the service. Later, LACTC you at your local hobby shop or by ordering direct from former railway lines recently purchas ed. will put out for bid 87 additional LRVs AMERICAN ALTAVISTA. Truth is, women and children will love Ironically, the section of tunnel under which may or may not be capable of au­ it, too. the North Central Expressway originally tomation. �: COAL STORY - The fourth lape in our THIS IS was planned to be in an open cut along­ CLINCHFIELD! series. And believe it or not. coal dust and all, the old Clinchfield and CSX sparkle, shine and glisten right on side the service roads, while the down­ through. town surface trackage was to be in sub­ Memphis .!li.SI: $39.95 with mine job data and more. way. Ifthe McKinney Avenue heritage trol­ ORDER YOUR COPY OF COAL STORY, TODAY. ley is extended downtown, as planned, it THE TROLLEY RETURNETH: While not In color w/sound. All Discounts Apply. NC, ad 6% Ta x. will come very close to (if not link up with) ready for a light rail system, Memphis is S3.00 Shipping rer Ta pe. VIsA/MC or Check. the new light rail line along Pacific Street. preparing for the return of the traditional 1520 Martin st., Suite 202, Winston-Salem, NC 27103 Plans for the commuter rail line have streetcar. Construction has started of a (919) 725-3000 or 1-800-767-6067 been modified. Originally it was to extend 2.5-mile line connecting the Pyramid on from Union Station to the Dallas-Fort the north end of downtown to Beale AMERICAN ALTAV ISTA

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 47 coach. Eventually the line will be extended station now accept $5 bills. The Trolley Vancouver to Fisherman's Wharf. wants to expand that capability to all ma­ The bad news is that the city's budget chines, and to reconfigure so that patrons SKYTRAlN STATION CANCELED : crisis, perhaps the worst in history, One of can buy $4 Day Tripper tickets; currently, dooms the possibility of Muni-funded his­ three planned stations on the Skytrain ex­ these are available only at sales outlets. toric streetcar service over the J line this tension now being built to Whalley has Although all stations are fully accessible summer. Muni and the other Bay Area been deleted. Private developers were to to the mobility impaired, they must be fur­ transit systems will receive 13 percent fund most of the cost of building the sta­ ther upgraded by July 26, 1993, to comply less funding this fiscal year; at the may­ tions on the line but the company pledged with federal law. Among the improvements to the 100th Avenue station in Surrey in­ or's request, Muni must cut its budget by mandated are station ill signs in braille. $31 million. A fare hike from 85 cents to formed BC Transit that it was no longer $1 or higher is inevitable. interested in the deal. Guadalajara

Edmonton Industry LINE 2 ABUILDING: Pile driving has be­ gun for the cut-and-cover portion of light BOMBARDIER EXPANDS AGAIN: A NEEDED EXTENSION: By the end of The rail line 2, running east-west under Av. summer, the final 1.5-mile segment of Ed­ Montreal carbuilder announced the pur­ Juarez-Javier Mina. This line serves the monton's south LRT line should open to chase of the Mexican carbuilder, Concarril. Central Market and the very center of service. This extension crosses the North The transaction was completed in Mexico downtown activity; line 1 skirts the cen­ Saskatchewan River and ends at the Uni­ City for a cash payment of C$27 million tral area and intersects with the new line versity of Alberta, all in tunnel except for plus assumption of liabilities of C$82 mil­ at Benito Juarez station, which was built the river crossing. There will be a pedway lion. Concarril was created by the Mexican with the shell for east-west platforms be­ connection from University station to Hub government in 1954 to build railway low. The 16 red-and-white LRVs on line 1 Mall, making this terminal a major traffic rolling stock. It has built both rubber-tired carry more than 70,000 passengers per generator for the LRT. The C$150 million and steel-wheeled subway cars for the day. Some 28 more Concarril cars will be project is on time and on budget. There Mexican capitol, as well as light rail cars. required for line 2, which hopes to open will be a future southward extension to The firm has been financially troubled in in 1994. Also, officials have discussed or­ Crawford Centre. The river crossing uses recent years; with approval of the Mexi­ dering 100 more trolley buses-perhaps the new Dudley B. Menzies Bridge, adja­ colU.S. trade treaty is likely that Concar­ from Skoda in Czechoslovakia-and an cent to the old Canadian Pacific/road ril/Bombardier may become a low-cost expansion of the TB network which has bridge which once also carried streetcars. competitor for U. S. car orders. been greatly reduced by construction of The 1990 census contained a wake up LRT line 2. call for U.S. transit operators. National Calgary transit ridership grew during the 1980s from 8.6 billion to 8.9 billion. However, Minneapolis LRT MARKING TIME: Calgary's three LRT market share slipped; the percentage of people using transit to get to work lines are still carrying heavy traffic, but due STONE ARCH BRIDGE SAVED: Minneso­ to the recession there are no major expan­ dropped from 6.39 percent to 5.30 percent and the percentage of persons driving ta's legislature has approved purchase of sion projects under way. However, the city the famous Great Northern Stone Arch plans some minor improvements, including alone grew from 64.37 percent to 73.2 per­ cent. Even carpooling decreased. Howev­ Bridge spanning the Mississippi River in rebuilding of track and upgrading of switch­ downtown Minneapolis. The bridge was es on the Seventh Avenue transit mall er, transit was starved for funding during the 1980s and there are signs that funding owned by Hennepin County, which voted downtown, tunnel rehabilitation, and signal to turn the 1883 landmark limestone work. order for 10 new light rail cars could improve in the 1990s. An bridge into a highway in order to receive was put on hold last year, and a further ex­ federal funds for the project. There was a tension of the Northwest line is in limbo. vague promise that the bridge would also Demo cars 3001 and 3002-both a.c. motored­ Chicago eventually be used for light rail, but the are still in daily service in their distinctive state's action will keep autos off the struc­ white liveries even though the one-year FLOOD AFTERMATH: Metra estimates ture. It is said that Jim Hill personally de­ "trial" has long since ended. Scott Haskill that the Flood of 1992 cost it $1.5 million in damage and lost work hours at its 547 Signed the bridge, which was closed to reports in the UCRS Newsletter that their railroad traffic in 1978. return to Edmonton does not appear likely West Jackson site. But interruption to as ETS has low ridership while Calgary downtown subways brought extra busi­ needs every car it can get its hands on. ness to the commuter trains: the Milwau­ - kee North Line reported a 20 percent jump Seattle in business during the flood while the C&NW North Line had a 10 percent in­ FmST LRT ROUTE SELECTED: Metro crease in passengers. Council has chosen the final alignment for the first light rail line and, contrary to ear­ lier indications, it would utilize the trolley

You should have professional San Diego bus subway which already has tracks in help to select the best one. place. The six-mile, $1.1 billion line would ANOTHER NEW LINE OPENS: Servingthe Rail Fan community Installa­ be almost entirely underground and would [ for 15 years, we stock industrial tion of concrete platforms and lighting run east from the downtown sector to quality portable, mobile, and was complete in May at the Santa Fe De­ Broadway, then turn north to the Universi­ home receivers. pot portion of the Bayside extension, and ty District via 15th Avenue NE, Ravenna

WRITE OR CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION. revenue service to the temporary termi­ Boulevard and 1-5 to Northgate. The last nal at the County Administration Build­ 1.5-miles would be on the surface. Fund­ , ing/C Street was scheduled to begin in ing would come mostly from a bond issue SCUTHWES mid-July. The line will be further extend­ to be decided in November. ed to Old Town along the Santa Fe tracks, Th anks to George Krambles, Gena P�.�o�£� �e�o�! �6!2 . ", . to open in 1994, and construction beyond Holle, Ed von Nordeck, Carle Salley, Wheel there, through the Mission Valley, is to Clicks, APTA, Steve Morgan, UCRS, RAIL­ (602) 445-1942 '" '._, .' begin in 1995. WAY AGE, MINNEAPOLIS STAR-TRIBUNE, RTD "It's smart to buy from an FCC licensed technician" Ticket vending machines at San Ysidro and INSIDE TRACK.

48 . AUGUST 1992 Measuring 132 feet long and weighing one and the development of steam power on the Union one-quarter million pounds, the Union Pacific's Pacific from 4-6-0's, 2-8-0's and 2-8-2's up to Big Boys were appropriately named. These articu­ 2-10-2's and even 4-12-2's, shown through film, lated locomotives were the largest and heaviest of photos and animated diagrams. This is followed by their type, and could pull a loaded, 5-112 mile long the development of compound articulated Mallets train on level track. Their tenders carried 28 tons of and simple articulateds such as the Ch allengers. coal and 25,000 gallons of waterj with a heavy train At the apex of it all, you'll meet the Big Boys and a Big Boy could use all of this up in the first half of watch in fascination as these locomotives are ser­ a 57-mile run! Although there were only 25 Big Boys viced and rebuilt. ever built, they ran up a total of nearly 26 million Then sit back and enjoy trackside and cab shots miles in 18 years, hauling billions of tons. of these mighty 4-8-8-4's as they pull long freights It's no wonder, then, why the Big Boys have over Wyoming's Sherman Hill during the fall and continued to be such favorites among railfans. In into the colder months. Spectacular scenery pro­ this Union Pacific Railroad-produced film you'll see vides a fittingbackdrop for these handsome locomo­ tives as they run during their last years in service. This beautifully-produced film, written anddirected Order Line: Check or Money Order by noted Uuion Pacific historian Allan Krieg, is one VisaIMasterCard 800-950-9333 that you'll enjoy watching again and again. #BIGBOY 25 Minutes $19.95 VIIS or BETA 24 Hours A Day

P.O. Box 94911, Pasadena, CA 91109 FAX 818-793-3797 CA LL OR WRITE FOR FREE CA TALOG

Please add $4.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 for each additional tape. Canadian customers add 55.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 fo r each additional tape. California residents please add 8.25% sales tax. All other foreign customers add $10.00 per tape. RIGHT: SD60M 6060 leads the northboundSoo 2458 train past Pence Tower at Momence, III., on July 15, 1990, on the ex­ Chicago & Eastern Illinois UP/CSX/Soo route into Chica­ go. Soo rosters just five of the wide-nose units, Nos. 6058- 6062, which came on line in fall 1989. Mel Finzer BELOW: Two different versions of Burlington Northern SD60Ms are evident as the 9289 and 9206 grace the front of a load­ ed coal train in Wyoming's Powder River Basin in 1991. In the distance, the silos of Arco's Coal Creek Mine. Wesley Fox

50 • AUGUST 1992 1� ______T_ H_E _W__ '_D _E_- _N_O S_E__ER _V O_L_U_T_' O N

OF RAilROADING

ABOVE: Union Pacific has been the acknowledged leader in the U.S. in utiliz­ ing wide-nose locomo­ tives; it boasts large fleets of crew comfort cab­ equipped six-axle units from two manufacturers. The GE-built model, the Dash 8-40CW, is repre­ sented on July 27, 1990, by the 9398, in charge of a Union Pacific mixed­ manifest freight on the No. 3 track at Dale Junction, Wyo. Ronald C. Hill RIGHT: Santa Fe has also ordered crew comfort cab models from both EMD and GE. First on line were EMO's GP60Ms, such as the 116 accelerating a 199 train past the siding at Christie, Calif., on June 2, 1990. Wayne Monger

PA CIFIC RAILNews • 51 - THE WIDE-NOSE REVOLUTION

OF RAILROADING

OPPOSITE PAGE: Union Pacific SD60M 6093, one of the first units which started the Super Cab rev­ olution in American railroading, hauls an eastbound on the Columbia River line a few miles from The Dalles, Ore. Mount Hood dominates the background of the May 1990 photo. Greg Brown ABOVE: Santa Fe 814, 808 and 812-newly delivered Super Fleet C40-8Ws-lead the SCHLA west­ ward through McCartys, N.M., on April 25, 1992. Chris Rought LEFT: Amtrak 500-the class unit of the passenger carrier's fleet of 20 P32BHs-leads a 771 train at Ve n­ tura, Calif., on Feb. 26, 1992. Orig­ inally earmarked for use on the San Diegans, the new GEs have recently been shifted to other du­ ties including Western long-haul trains, the San Joaquins and the Capitols. Tom CarlSL'n

PAC IFIC RAILNews • 53 BV ED RIPLEV

arrirnan versus Hill. Gould against Va nderbilt. The why not? WCL wanted to expand. FRV served a number Katy racing its rivals to the Kansas border to win of paper mills WCL couldn't reach. Since FRV and WCL the right to cross Indian territory. The titanic strug­ parallel each other from Appleton to Fond du Lac, the Hgles between the railroad rivals of the past shaped the in­ two railroads could be combined to achieve operating dustry and, even today, make entertaining reading. savings. If WCL's takeover would tweak North West­ For the most part, that freewheeling competitive spir­ ern's corporate nose, so much the better. it has been squeezed out of railroading by the relentless C&NW was thunderstruck when WCL's coup was an­ and boring pursuit of the profits demanded by institu­ nounced in January 1992. The acquisition of FRV and tional investors, and we observers are the poorer for it. GB&W would make WCL the only railroad serving Colorless and interchangeable MBA's-who would be Green Bay and give it control over rail traffic to 43 of just at home marketing soda pop-occupy the chairs Wisconsin's 50 active paper mills. C&NW's operations once warmed by the fiery corporate giants who built the on the isolated ore lines would become subject to WCL's railroads and had their personal fortunes tied up in their whims. That a bunch of former North Westernites were ventures. Nothing is sacred to today's technocrats. Even doing all this might have been the worst indignity of all. Santa Fe and Southern Pacific, after a century of beating WCL tried to negotiate a settlement of the ore lines is­ each other over the head with sledgehammers, would sue. According to Burkhardt, though, C&NW came back have merged if not for the objections of our federal regu­ with a list of demands, including authority to make rates lators at the Interstate Commerce Commission. and contracts to FRV points, to serve shippers reached by But we are courtside for one conflict in which dol­ both FRV and GB&W (Le., those at Green Bay) and to get lars may not be the only determining factor. The battle trackage rights on WCL's old Milwaukee Road line to between Wisconsin Central and Chicago & North Wausau, replacing a branch C&NW plans to (what else?) Western over the future of Fox River Valley Railroad abandon. Nothing doing, said WCL, and the combatants may be as much about personalities, politics and good entered the ICC arena in late April. old butt-covering as it is about corporate fortunes and No punches were pulled. WCL told the ICC that ship­ that ever-elusive talisman of the public interest. pers loved its customer-oriented service. As for North C&NW once dominated transporta­ Western, WCL produced statistics in­ tion in Wisconsin. Its thousands of dicating that 30 to 40 percent of FRV miles of track in Dairyland were rife shippers had experienced dirty, defec­ with steam locomotives and branchline tive equipment, late arrivals, lost cars passenger trains. Trucks proved better and billing damage in the past at moving milk and cheese, though, and year-and C&NW's on-time record in most Wisconsinites elected to drive the WI-sconsl-n's Wisconsin was even worse. Burkhardt state's excellent highways rather than characterized C&NW's effort to per- buy tickets on the 400. As lumber and petuate this poor service record by ob­ ore reserves petered out, C&NW made taining trackage and service rights no secret of its desire to lop off service, "as an effort to obtain back for noth­ abandon trackage and ultimately exit ing some of the franchise it gladly sold most of the state altogether. Family to FRV for $61 million in 1988." That environment of shrinkage, with C&NW reportedly ran up a quarter­ the resulting buyouts and layoffs, million dollar legal and consulting tab wasn't conducive to career growth for formulating a reply. Monopoly, shrilled North Western managers. In 1987, Soo the North Western response, would re­ Line decided to sell 2,000 well-main­ sult from the WCL-FRV combination. tained miles of Wisconsin trackage Feud No other railroad would serve Green serving the paper industry to a group of Bay, and C&NW could not effectively investors who needed railroaders to serve its ore lines. Furthermore, manage the operation. Many frustrated North Western­ C&NW's hired guns continued, WCL's plan is against the ites, led by V. P.-Transportation Ed Burkhardt, took advan­ public interest because it relies on abandonments to tage of this opportunity to create a new Wisconsin railroad achieve savings , and because GB&W's union employees with a positive mental attitude-the Wi sconsin Central. would not receive the usual six years of continued wages North Western's response to WCL was to dump much under the federal employee protection statute. C&NW ad­ of its Wisconsin investment. C&NW persuaded Itel to vocating employee protection? I would have been less buy the bulk of its Milwaukee-Green Bay lines as the surprised to bump into Billy Vanderbilt wearing a Penn­ new Fox River Valley Railroad in December 1988. Mean­ sylvania Railroad T-shirt. time, the company planned to sell its trackage north of What's really at stake here is North Western's embar­ Green Bay to an employee-led group. The cash flow gen­ rassment over being so thoroughly outmaneuvered by erated by the heavy taconite traffic on these lines, Itel and WCL. C&NW probably isn't highly concerned though, caused C&NW-which emerged from a debt­ about losing the Green Bay traffic-it essentially ran off w laden buyout in 1989-to reverse course and keep them. most of the sanitary paper trade over the past two C&NW didn't seem concerned that the FRV sale had decades as unprofitable, and the 3.2 percent dip in rev­ physically isolated the ore lines. FRV, bound hand and foot enue (as calculated by WCL) that would result from di­ to North Western's connections and car supply, was sure version of the rest can be made up by growing North to remain a friendly connection. The deal, though, was Western's Wyoming coal business. In C&NW's view, the hardly a sweet one for FRV and Itel. During the first three real danger may be that WCL will become the only logi­ years of FRV's existence, Itel paid $21.7 million in interest cal buyer for the ore lines-and thus have the power to I to earn a paltry $1.2 million from the railroad's operation. dictate a price. But the fact that C&NW is being done in North Western apparently didn't consider what might oc­ by one-time members of the family clearly grates. cur ifItel became unhappy with its investment. The ICC may hold public hearings in Green Bay in That happened in 1991, and Itel decided to sell. Look­ September. Try to drop in. You won't see any top hats, ing around for buyers, Itel found WCL eager to take FRV muttonchop whiskers or walking sticks, but it promises I- and sister road Green Bay & Western off its hands. And to be great entertainment in the old-time tradition.

54 • AUGUST 1992 PRN CLASSIFIEDS PRN AD INDEX

RATES: 45¢ a word/40¢ a word for ads running Wo rldwide. U.S. funds only! The Railway Market­ three or more months/$10 per issue minimum. place. Dept. C. 1507 Woodland Ave .. Folcroft. PA A Payment in advance. We reserve the right to edit 19032-1 120. (2 15) 583-8679 345 American Alta Vista ...... 47 all copy and refuse any listings. Ads cannot be RAILFEST '92 Saturday. August 22. San Diego Mod­ acknowledged, nor can proof copies be sent. el Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. An all-day ad­ Closing date: two months before issue date. C venture in railroading. Flea market 8:00-noon; Count all numbers, name and address. Home/of­ Casey Jones ...... 11 16mm color films steam over Tehachapi. GN and fice street address and telephone number must Milw. electrics. SP slim gauge and more. accompany order. Tehachapi footage narrated by engineers who FREE BROCHURE listing retired SP engineer Dick Mur­ ran steamers over the mountain. Pop vote model Interurban Press ...... 2. 9. 10. 13. 55 dock's popular railroad books now on sale. P.O. contest; door prizes. 57 all activities; 52 for flea Iron Horse Video ...... 11 Box 1346P. Ross. CA 94957 335-346 market only. (619) 696-0 199 344-345

RAILFAN TIMETABLES are the essential trackside TRANSIT COLLECTABLES: Tokens. transfers. tickets. l guides. packed with all the information you need cap badges. arm patches. photographs. rule Little Depot ...... 45 for railfanning. Like employee timetables. contains books. slides and many other items. Send 51.00 for all Class 1 mainline and branchline stations. maps. 20-page catalog. O&CB Street Railway Collectibles. o talking detectors. frequencies. freight symbols. sig­ P.O. Box 27822. Omaha. NE 68 127 344-346 nals. helper districts and more. Includes passenger NEGAT IVES/KODAK ORIGINAL SLIDES: 1970s/80s Omni Publications ...... 9 supplement. CALIFORNIA 513.50. NORTHWEST West Coast shortline and industrial diesels. Many (WA/OR/ID) 513.25. SOUTHWEST (AZ/NM) 59.00. now scrapped. repainted. sold or out of business. P (postpaid). Altamont Press. P. O. Box 754-P. No list. approval information LSSAE: RFM. P.O. Box Pentrex ...... Modesto. CA 95353-0754 345 750 Dunnigan. CA 95937-0750 344-345 ...... 8. 17. 44. 49. 56 Plets Express Inc ...... 14 WA NTED: Railroad books. paper collections. cyclo­ REAL CABOOSES and Fairmont Motorcars for sale. pedias. equipment registers. operating manuals. Shoppers send LSASE to: A.S.F.R.R. Equipment Co .. timetables. lanterns. china and railroadiana. Steve P.O. Box 2019. Fairfield. IA 52556. Serious buyers R Botan. 19822A Lexington. Huntington Beach. CA call (515) 472-2020 345-347 Railfan Photographer ...... 16 92646. (714) 962-1126 338-349 SEPTEMBER 4-7, 1992: Santa Fe No. 3751. the old­ Railroad Info Service ...... 6 SP LOCOMOTIVE ROSTER. Computer Database for est 4-8-4 in existence. displayed at the 7th annu­ IBM compatibles. Printed version also available. al To peka Railroad Days Festival Labor Day S 510.00 each. postpaid. SASE for details. Slates weekend. Pam Walstrom. Topeka Railroad Days. Southwest Electronics ...... Products. P.O. Box 4375P. Walnut Creek. CA 94596 700 S.W. Jackson. Suite 707. Topeka KS 66603. 48 343-345 (91 3) 232-5533 345 T CABOOSES, LOCOMOTIVES. Passenger cars. RDC's SYDNEY'S WOODEN ELECTRICS 11x8. 64 pages. and more. Find out what's for sale in the railroad some photos. drawings. Car-by-car history of Trackside Prints ...... 9 industry. (THE REAL STUFF!) 12 months of timely clas­ wood M.U.'s. $15.95. The Map Factory. P.O. Box Traction Prototypes...... 12 sified listings. 530.00 U.S .. 535.00 Canada. 545.00 12629. Seattle. WA 98 1 1 1-4629 345 Trains Unlimited Tours ...... 19

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Interurban Press • P.O. Box 6128 • Glendale, CA 91225

PA CIFIC RAllNews • 55 Wyoming's Powder River Basin may possibly be the last great American rail frontier. In the 1970's, the Burlington Northern and Chicago and North Western Railroads laid trackage into the new mines that were being opened to harvest the low sulfur coal that lies buried under forty percent of the state. Since then, growing numbers of coal trains have been rolling out of the Powder River Basin, headed for distribution around the world. Pentrex capturesthe excitement as these heavy trains move out of the Basin. Helper engines are required to get the loaded trains over White Tail Hill and the north end of the Basin. We'll climb aboard a set of helpers as they give a 14,000-ton train a shove up the mountain. You'll see new General Electric G40-8 locomotives, painted in a darker yellow paint scheme, as they work the coal trainsof the Chicago and North Western. Burlington Northern coal trains are headed by a great mix of newer and older generation locomotives. Heavily ballasted mainline now runs where no rail­ road existed twenty years earlier. The 136-pound rail is laid on concrete ties to support the weight of train after heavy train. Wyoming's wide open spaces provide a dra­ matic and ever-changingbackdrop as we witness the non­ stop action of Powder River Basin Coal Trains. PEN-PRB 90 Minutes $39.95 Across Ma rias Pass Stretched against the stunning backdrop of Glacier National Park, Burlington Northern's transcontinental mainline climbs up and over the rugged Rocky Mountains. One scenic splendor after another unfolds as long freight trains struggleup the mountain pass. The grandeur of the mountains is almost overwhelming aswe explore the line fromWhitefish, Montana to points east of Browning. You'll see trains snake their way through the tunnels and along the banks of the wild, middle fork of the Flathead River. Train after train rumbles through forests of aspen and larch decked out in glorious fall colors. After crossing over the high bridges and through the famous snow sheds, the trains work hard up the pass to crest the summit. Marias Pass takes on a different look on the east slope. Wild, desolate country with ever-present mountains marks the high plateau. You'll see trains cross over Two Medicine Bridge and struggle upgrade through Grizzley. The solitude of Spotted Robe is broken as you watch a heavy grain traingrind its way up the grade. Check or Money Order Order Line: Burlington Northern and Mother Nature combine to make this stretch of railroad a place to be visited time and VisaIMasterCard >r� 800-950-9333 time again. No matter how often you've been here before, VHSor BETA 24 Hours A Day you won't want to miss this vision of magnificent Marias .P Pass. PEN-MARIAS 90 Minutes $39.95 P.O. Box 94911, Pasadena, CA 91109 FAX 818-793-3797 CA LLOR WRITE FOR FREE CA TALOG Please add $4.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 for each additional tape. Canadian customers add $5.00 shipping per order, plus $1.00 for each additional tape. CA residents please add 8.25% sales tax. MN residents please add 6.5% sales tax. All other foreign customers add $10.00 per tape.