SANTA FE'S RACE TRACK:

-FOCUS: JEFFERSON CITY, MO. AND SHERIDAN, WYO. -LAST WORD: CALIFORNIA COMMUTER LINE SALE-WHO WON? -IDAHO IMAGES Subscribe Today 10 Passenger Frain Journal' from the editors of PACIFIC RAILNEWS .

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8 1 �����n ��:i�o���t�e ���� line change David P. Burton

24 The Valley Line: 1970-1992 The long journey from CMStP&P to WC, from squalor to success

Andrew S. Nelson

36 Focus Wyoming: Sheridan The echoes of CB&Q ring loud and clear in this BN town

Michael W. Blaszak

38 Focus : Jefferson City Railroading in the shadow of the state capitol

Randy Woods M.D.

A Road 462 train crests Irma Hill on the Wis­ 50 Images: The Gem State consin Va lley line on Sept. 21, 1985. Glen Kwarciany There's more than just potatoes in Idaho

PACIFIC RA/lNEWS and PACIFIC NEWS are registered trademarks of . a California Corporation. I DEPARTMENTS I PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree EXPEDITER 38 FOCUS MISSOURI EDITOR: Don Gulbrandsen 4 NEWS EDITOR: Carl Swanson 6 UNION PACIFIC 42 BURLINGTON NORTHERN ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Michael Falk 8 SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES NORTH WESTERN CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elrond G. Lawrence 44 & EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Dick Stephenson 10 TRANSIT 46 REGIONALS SHORT LINES ART DIRECTOR: Katie Danneman 12 SANTA FE 47 ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Tom Danneman 14 CENTRAL 50 IMAGES OF RAILROADING ADVERTISING MANAGER: Richard Gruber 16 SOO LINE 54 THE LAST WORD CIRCU LATION MANAGER: Bob Schneider 17 AN EPITAPH FOR THE SOO 55 PRN ADVERTISING INDEX © 1992 INTERURBAN PRESS 36 FOCUS WYOMING 55 PRN CLASSIFIEDS Mac Sebree. President/CEO Jim Walker. Senior Vice President Don Gulbrandsen. Vice President

COVER: The QNYlA cruises westbound on Santa Fe's race track-the Crookton line ARt... change-near East Perrin, Ariz., on July 26, 1991. This is ATS F's hottest train; not only is � it powered with a generous 5 horsepower per ton, but it also sees all the high greens it can handle, often running around slower trains on the line change. David P. Burton

PAcmc RAn.NEWS (ISSN 8750·8486) is published monthly by Interurban Press (a corporation), 1741 Gardena Ave., Glendale, CA 91204. Second- postage paid at Glendale, CA 91209 and additional mailing of­ fices. POSTMASTER: Send adelress changes to: PACIFIC RAn.NEWS, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 830 (U.S.) for 12 issues, S58 for 24 issues. Foreign add S6 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 RAn.NEWS 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. AD VERTISING RATES: Cont ct Interurban Press, P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, Wl53187; (414) 542-4900. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscription problems and inquiries caIl: (800) 899-8722. a One of the highlights of this year's National Railway Historical Society convention in San Jose was a stunning assault of Altamont Pass by Union Pacific 3985, part of a July 22 excursion to Stockton. Other highlights included a steam doubleheader down the Coast line pulled by former SP engines 2472 and 4449, a two-train circle trip around San Francisco Bay and an SP 4449-hauled excursion to Sacramento. Erik Blasko

MORE TRAINS FOR ORANGE ment, including Desert Storm al Clean Air Act, which made COUNTY: On July 27, the Or­ SD60M 1991, F-units BN-l and low-sulfur coal from mines in ange County, Calif., Trans­ BN-2, and EMD 120, the first the western United States portation Authority announced BL20-2 demonstrator. The more attractive to utilities. SP that two more round-trip com­ BL20-2, a 2,000-h.p. branchline provides rail service for 18 muter trains will begin to oper­ , has attracted con­ mines-l0 in Colorado and ate between Oceanside and siderable attention from BN eight in Utah. Los Angeles late next year. An which sees the model as a pos­ To answer demand from z additional six trains will be sible replacement for its first Eastern utilities, SP expects to z phased in by 1995. generation power. There will haul some 500,000 tons of coal Looking ahead to the new be three demos of the model to a rail-barge transfer facility service, aCTA will place a $6.9 built at Electro-Motive's La at St. Louis this year, in addi­ million order with General Mo­ Grange, Ill., plant. Sadly, there tion to all-rail routes. tors for three new , is a possibility these units may In addition to growth in do­ paid with Measure M funds. be the last built at the historic mestic markets, SP plans to aCTA is asking Southern Cali­ La Grange factory. With Gener­ haul about 2.2 million tons of fornia Regional Rail Authority al Motor's London (ant.) facility export coal to users in Asia for a first increment of 10 pas­ handling locomotive orders, the and Mexico this year. senger coaches, funded with Chicago-area plant is redun­ In a related item, SP saw a state rail bonds. The first of dant. GM has already sold 30 45 percent gain in cross-border these new Metrolink cars will acres of property at La Grange traffic (to a level of 74,000 cars) go into service in September to an adjacent gravel company to Mexico during the first half of on aCTA's existing commuter and apparently the remainder 1992, compared to the first half train, replacing CalTrain of the facility sits on gravel re­ of 1991. The railroad credited coaches being recalled for use sources that are in demand. the gain to its newly minted in Northern California. Mexico Group, which has 15 SP TRAFFIC GAINS ... AND sales representatives in Mexico. BL20-2s LAST LA GRANGE LOSSES: This year, Southern On the downside, SP re­ UNITS?: During the Lincoln Pacific will almost double the cently lost a hotly contested (Neb.) Haymarket Days in late amount of coal it carried only General Motors traffic contract June, Burlington Northern dis­ four years ago. The railroad at­ to rival Santa Fe. The GM con­ LLI played quite a bit of equip- tributed the gain to the Feder- tract to haul new automobiles

4 • SEPTEMBER 1992 to California and the South­ west is expected to be worth $50 million per year to AT&SF. The loss followed a string of SP marketing successes, including retention of a $100 million Sea­ Land contract and SP's win­ ning of a contract to haul Chrysler automobiles.

WC JOINS FORCES WITH J.B. HUNT AND SANTA FE: Wisconsin Central announced on Aug. 3 that it joined the growing team of trucking giant J.B. Hunt by offering dedicated intermodal service from north­ eastern Wisconsin to Texas, Arizona and California in con­ junction with current Hunt partner Santa Fe. To handle the new service WC has added a second pair of Green Bay­ Chicago intermodal trains A locomotive consist of note was recorded leading CP System train 505 at Grand Rapids, Mich., on July 18, which work directly into 1992. Trailing are EMO S070 demonstrators 7001 and 7000, being delivered from GM in London, Onto Out AT&SF's Corwith Yard. The front are CP 471 1-the only Caterpillar reengined M636-Soo S060 6606 and CP Alco 4705. The six-axle AI­ trains now operate out of the cos have been showing up with some regularity on the Chicago-bound Rai/runnelS of late. J.P. Baukus Jr. Oakland Av enue intermodal fa­ cility in Green Bay, but if the can National Convention in Sept. 1: North Little Rock­ CLEANING UP AFTER THE Fox Valley & Western acquisi­ Aug. 15-21. The en­ Van Buren, Arkansas Railroad SPILL: The Wisconsin Depart­ tion is approved, the service gine's tentative post-conven­ Club excursion. ment of Natural Resources said will be shifted to Fox River Val­ tion schedule is: Sept. 2: VanBuren-Parsons, several thousand fish and ani­ ley's North Yard. Aug. 22-23: Houston-San Mistletoe Railcar Co. excursion. mals representing 24 species Antonio-Fort Worth, Gulf Coast Sept. 4: Parsons- died as a result of a June 30 UP STEAMS FOR THE RE· Chapter excursions. City, Smoky Hills Railway Mu­ Burlington Northern derailment PUBLICANS: In mid-August, Aug. 27-28: Fort Worth-Dal­ seum special. Deadhead to five miles south of Superior Union Pacific's 4-6-6-4 Chal­ las excursions. Topeka. (see August Expediter). lenger 3985 will operate nu­ Aug. 29-30: ­ Sept. 5-7: Topeka Railroad Three tank cars fell from the merous excursions on the Longview-North Little Rock, Days display. 50-foot-high Nemadji River southern plains in addition to Longview Greater East Texas Sept: 8-10: Deadhead Tope­ bridge when the westbound an appearance at the Republi- Train Society excursions. ka to Cheyenne. train derailed. The accident re­ leased a benzene-based chemi­ cal in the river, triggering "a significant fish kill," according to a Wisconsin DNR report. Rough fish such as carp and redhorse accounted for most of the losses, although an indefi­ nite number of game fish, in­ cluding muskellunge, northern pike and walleye also died. Some damage to river bank vegetation was noted, but it is not clear if there will be any lasting impact to plant life. While this incident was less damaging than last year's Sacramento River derailment, public scrutiny of railroads is at an all-time high thanks to the disaster at Cantara .

PORTLAND SEEKS LRV BIDS: At an Aug. 6 press conference, Portland, Ore., officials an­ nounced they are seeking bids for 32 low-floor vehi­ cles. Twenty-four of the vehi­ cles will be used on the new West Line and eight will be Things are heating up in Southern California as the October start-up of the Metrolink system used to ease overcrowding on approaches. On July 9, 1992, Metrolink F59PH 85 1, coaches 101-102 and cab car 602 were noted west­ the existing East line. Bid open­ bound at Chatsworth en route to filming for a commerical promoting the new service. Look for a complete ings will be in April 1993, with report on the new system in the October issue of PACIFIC RAILNEWS. Don R. Flynn cars to be delivered in 1995.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 5 UNION PA CIFIC

eastern Washington. As approved by the ICC, UP will abandon 66 miles of this branch line, but it will be the middle por­ tion of the 98-mile branch. UP will still operate trains to Yakima from Kennewick, but these trains will utilize trackage rights over Washington Central from Gib­ bon to a new interchange track at Granger, 25 miles east of Yakima. UP will retain the section of the branch west from Kennewick to Richland Junction, plus the eight-mile Richland Spur. Wash­ ington Central will have trackage rights over this section. An abandonment petition has been filed by UP for nearly 46 miles of the for­ mer Rock Island east-west Sun Belt main line in southeastern . The sec­ tion of railroad became MKT's Branch in 1980 and joined the UP after the Katy merger. A few years ago, 147 miles of the Shawnee Branch from EI Reno, Okla., east through Oklahoma City to McAlester, Okla., was leased to Ki­ amichi Railroad for operation. UP now wants to abandon the easternmost seg­ ment of the branch extending from Union Pacific's summer-only Wooley Valley ore train passes Mountain Grain's Alco switcher McAlester to Wewoka. This section of rail­ as it departs Silver Bow, Mont., on July 6, 1992, running empty hoppers from the Stauffer road includes 22 bridges in excess of 50 chemical plant to the Wooley Valley phosphate mine near Idaho Falls. Kirk Petty years old and crosses the flood plain of the Canadian River. operated over the parallel SP main line In eastern Illinois, UP has applied to More Garbage For UP? through downtown Modesto. UP will build abandon the 42-mile Westville Branch, two new connection tracks for the rerout­ plus the five-mile Jamaica Industrial Utilizing its experience in moving the ed trains to get on and off of the 22 miles Lead. The actual length of track to be to Gilliam, Ore., SEGL doublestack of trackage rights over SP rails. At Lathrop abandoned is 32 miles (Villa Grove-West­ solid waste train for Waste Management, to the north, UP will put in a connector on ville), as the final 10 miles to Danville, IlL, Union Pacific is lobbying governmental the east side of the UP-SP crossing so that are over Conrail trackage rights. The Ja­ bodies in Southern California to be al­ UP trains running "westbound" from maica Industrial Lead splits off of the lowed to bid on a trash hauling contract. Stockton can go directly onto the SP and Westville Branch at Sidell Junction and The proposal UP is offering involves Utah become "eastbound" trains toward runs north to Jamaica. Railway and the East Carbon Develop­ Modesto. On the south side of Modesto The ICC has given approval to UP to ment Corp. of East Carbon City, Utah. This where SP and TS cross, UP will build a abandon the northern six miles of the 10- development company has received all of connector track on the southeast side of mile Kearney Industrial Lead branch line the permits to open a 2,400-acre landfill the crossing. Trains going to and from from Kearney, Neb., north to Riverdale, Neb. and recycling facility outside of the old Tidewater Southern trackage will have to coal mining town of East Carbon City. cross over the diamond on SP tracks be­ The facility was expected to open in Au­ fore swinging off onto UP rails. Oregon Branch Notes gust, but UP officials point out that it will While the object of the pressure on the take two or three years to get a trash train two railroads from the City of Modesto was The 45-mile Heppner Branch in Oregon is operational. This long lead time is due to to get all trains off of the busy Ninth Street currently being operated with a twice­ the ever-present opposition in some of the street trackage, there will still be UP trains weekly train starting from The Dalles on on-line communities to having someone operating down Ninth Street once per day. Tuesday and Thursdays. This local departs else's trash moving through their town. If In order to keep the interchange between The Dalles and runs east 59 miles to Hepp­ UP is successful in landing a contract, Utah UP and Modesto & Empire Traction open, ner Junction where the train begins the Railway would be added to the list of rail­ UP trains will have to come north from the trip south over the branch to Heppner and roads running doublestack trains. SP-UP connection at the south end of the Kinzua Lumber Co. mill. Summer is the Modesto, over the long wooden Tuolumne time to catch this train, as it is not allowed River bridge and onto Ninth Street to get onto the branch before 3:30 p.m. This is Tidewater Southern Project Moves to the M&ET connection. This proposal the same train that used to serve the Con­ Ahead will allow UP to abandon nine miles of don Branch to the west, but there has not Tidewater Southern main line from mile­ been a train to Condon for over a year. Union Pacific and Southern Pacific have fi­ post 21 at Escalon to milepost 30, a point A portion of the 84-mile long Joseph nally reached agreement on a joint reloca­ just north of where the street trackage Branch in eastern Oregon was the object tion project for trains through the city of curves off of Ninth Street. of a combined UP/Bureau of Land Man­ Modesto, Calif., and have submitted a agement clean-up effort. Nearly two plan to the ICC for approval. Under the weeks of work in June removed many tons plan, through trains on UP's Tidewater More Abandonments Pending of discarded railroad items from the banks Southern Railway that now operate via of the Wallowa River, which is being stud­ Escalon and down Modesto's Ninth Street Some clarification is necessary regarding ied for possible inclusion in Oregon's State (to the frustration of city residents) will be abandonment of the Yakima Branch in Scenic Waterway system.

6 • SEPTEMBER 1992 was the Seattle to Gilliam, Ore., dou­ Topeka Depot May Be Saved blestack solid waste trains. This train is required to operate even during a rail The former UP passenger depot in Topeka, PACIFIC RAIL· strike according to the contract with NEWS Kan., was partially gutted by an arson fire Waste Management, Inc. on March 29. Though the fire was con­ UP Chairman Drew Lewis and 50 other tained to the baggage area of the depot, top officials won the right to split a bonus NEWS STAFF vandalism has severely damaged the rest pot of $15 million on June 23. This is a re­ of the interior of the building. In spite of sult of the "Strategic Incentive Plan" for this, leaders of the annual Topeka Railroad the top level executives that was set up News/information submissions: If you would like to share items on any of the topics listed below, please Days festival are attempting to save the in April 1988. It was on June 23 that UP contact the appropriate columnist at the address list­ depot, renovate it and use it as the center­ common stock had averaged $50 per ed for each section. NOTE: Do not send photos to piece of this annual festival. share per day for 60 days straight, setting the columnists. In June, inspectors from a local engi­ off the bonus plan. neering firm were trying to determine if In a follow-up to last issue's report on renovation of the depot was structurally American President Lines' search for a lo­ RAILROAD COLUMNISTS possible. Funds for this study were ob­ cation to put a new super container ter­ AMTRAK/PASSENGER-Dick Stephenson tained through the National Trust for minal, the Port of Los Angeles is now in 1595 E. Chevy Chase #20, Glendale. CA 91206 Historic Preservation, and matched by a the lead position. This port and APL have AT&SF-Elson Rush grant from the Topeka Railroad Days. agreed upon a new five-year lease that P.O. Box 379. Waukesha. WI 53187 The railroad has already stated that the gives more money to the port, provides BURLINGTON NORTHERN-Karl Rasmussen building could be donated to Topeka incentives to APL based on increased vol­ 11449 Goldenrod st. NW. Coon Rapids. MN 55448 CANADA WEST-Doug Cummings Railroad Days. This group is also inter­ ume and clears the way for talks on es­ 5963 Kitchener SI.. Burnaby. BC V5B 2J3 ested in purchasing an adjoining eight tablishing APL's new super terminal in C&NW-Michael W. Blaszak acres so that the annual festival would Los Angeles. 211 South Leitch Ave .. La Grange,lL 60525 have a permanent site on a location near Latest units converted into "B-units" COMMUTER-Dick Stephenson an active railroad. by UP are the following: ex-MoPac SD40- 1595 E. Chevy Chase #20, Glendale. CA 91206 2s 4116, 4133,4134,4136,4217,4219, D&RGW-Richard C. Farewell 9729 76th Ave .. Arvada. CO 80005 4223, 4239,4242 and 4287. As of early Ju­ w. ILLINOIS CENTRAL-David J. Daisy Yellow Shorts ly, a total of 28 out of the projBcted 108 746 N. Bruns Lane Apt. A, Springfield. IL 62702 units were converted into B-units. MEXICO-Clifford R. Prather Like all other Class 1 railroads in the Thanks to Mi chael Blaszak, Chris Fry, P.O. Box 925. Santa Ana. CA 92702 U.S., Union Pacific was shut down nearly Steve Kalthoff, Curt Howell, Bill Ma ltby, REGIONALS-Dave Kroeger entirely during the June 24-26 national Ken Meeker, Michael Kiriazis, George 525 6th Ave .. Marion. IA 52302 SHORT LINES-Robert C. Gallegos rail strike. The only train that operated Cockle, FLIMSIES, NORTHWEST RAILFAN and P.O. Box 379. Waukesha, WI 53187 on the entire UP system during the strike Un ion Pacific Corporation. SOO LINE-Karl Rasmussen 11449 Goldenrod st. NW, Coon Rapids. MN 55448 SP/SSW-Joseph A. Strapac P.O. Box 1539. 8ellftower, CA 90707 TRANSIT-Mac Sebree P.O. Box 6128. Glendale. CA 91225 UNION PACIFIC-Wayne Monger Two Great 1300 Southhampton Rd. #214. Benicia. CA 94510 CONTRIBUTING TRANSIT COLUMNISTS New Videos Robert Blymyer. Chris Cucchiara. Don Jewell. Richard R. Kunz. Matthew G. Vurek Steam! Great Smoky Mountains Railway FOCUS CORRESPONDENTS Enjoy a scenic journey on a great American Mike Abalos. Greg Brown, Rich Farewell. Paul steam engine through the sparkling valleys Fries. Dave Gayer. Steve Glischinski. Wayne Kuchinsky. Carl M. Lehman. Scott Muskopf. Dan and luscious crests of the Great Smoky Pope, Ken Rattenne, Dick Stephenson Mountains. 1 hour. $39.95.

SUBMISSIONS: Articles, news items and photographs The Lonesome are welcome and should be sent to our Wisconsin edito­ Pine Special rial office. When submitting material for consideration, Include return envelope and postage if you wish it re­ Ride the cab and chase from Kingsport to turned. PACIFIC RArLNEWS does not assume responsibility for the sale return of material. Payment is made upon Appalachia through Natural Tunnel, see a publication. coal transloader in action, and lots more! EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Submit all photos, article sub· 1 hour. $39.95. missions and editorial correspondence to: PACIFIC RAILNEWS P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, WI 53187 Purchase both tapes (414) 542-4900 (414) 542-7595 FIRST STEAM IN 40 YEARS: #1702 and receive a 15% discount! FAX: chugs up the 4.2% Nantahala Mountain BUSINESS ADDRESS:Address grade to Topton and Red Marble. Offer good through October 31. 1992. all correspondence reo garding subscription and business matters to: Interurban Press P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225 (818) 240-9130 1-800-767-6067 FAX: (818) 240-5436 (919) 725-3000 MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscrip· Or. send check to: Martin Street, Suite Winston-Salem, 1520 202, NC 27103. tion problems and inquiries call: $3 Shipping Per Tape, NC add 6% Sales Tax (800) 899-8722

PACIFIC RAILNews • 7 SOUTHERN PA CIFIC LINES

Southern Pacific's eastbound 1 LBCXT (first Long Beach-CSX/New Orleans trailers) doublestack train rolls off the massive bridge over lake Amistad near Del Rio, Texas, on June 29, 1992. Just two weeks afterthis scene was recorded the Sunset Route was tied up for two days when a westbound stack train derailed and tore out a bridge near Sanderson, Texas, 137 miles west of Del Rio. Chip Sherman

ture for upgrading to passenger stan­ paint shops of Liberty Rail Services, an in­ SP Offers Track for Commute Trains dards. (In fact, only the Martinez-Brent­ dependent contractor located inP ueblo, wood segment is presently freight-only.) Colo.,wearing SP red-and-gray. The Geep In mid-June, SP formally offered 70 miles Whether this proposal will eventually had just run through Burnham Shops in of trackage northeast of Oakland for use in come to pass is still open to question, but Denver for repairs prior to being dispatched operating commute trains to a BART con­ the idea is well worth considering. to Pueblo; look for more D&RGW units to nection at West Oakland. The route would meet a similar fate in upcoming months. be Y-shaped,with the base at Oakland and a split at Martinez. One line would First D&RGW Unit Repainted then continue east and southeast to Brent­ Bridges Damaged in Two States wood, while another (the present Cal-Pa­ We've received the first confirmed report of cific line to Sacramento) would serve com­ a former Denver & Rio Grande Western be­ A planned "controlled burn" on June 3 ad­ mute trains as far as Fairfield. ing repainted into Southern Pacific's speed jacent to the tracks at milepost 75.3 be­ The track is already in place and lettering scheme. On July 15 , 1992, former tween Tracy and Lathrop,Calif., turned into wouldn't require a tremendous expendi- D&RGW GP40 3086 emerged from the an uncontrolled fire, engulfing 450 feet of a

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8 • SEPTEMBER 1992 nearby SP trestle. The crew of a Tracy/ land) is dispatched from a single office. northwest of downtown Austin near the Stockton turn came upon flames 15 feet Another smaller facility has been installed junction of highway 183 and Farm-Market high and four fire trucks were called out at­ in Houston; it is likely that sometime in 1431. A leisurely trip to Burnet allows riders tempting to douse the structure. By 6 p.rn. the next few years the entire system will time for lunch in this pleasant hill town that day the bridge had been written off, be dispatched from Denver. while the train is turned and serviced. and plans were drawn to replace it with cul­ SP chose to use PC-type work stations verts and fill. Train service was rerouted via with large color screens, rather than a the Mococo Line to Martinez with some de­ "war room" big screen. Touch screens are Another Tradition Bites the Dust lays encountered. By June 9 the new struc­ extensively used, and the new system of­ ture was placed in service. fers links to TOPS and the crew calling In response to a continuing high level of A July 12 derailment at Sanderson, in network. Even non-CTC territory can be employee injuries suffered as a result of southwest Texas, tore out a half mile of viewed; DTC block assignments and re­ accidents getting on and off moving equip­ track and collapsed a bridge on SP's Sun­ leases are recorded onto PC screens so ment, management is investigating a new set Route. The lNSLBT (first Norfolk that dispatchers have a visual record of policy which would effectively prohibit em­ Southern-Long Beach trailers) was west­ blocks, if not the actual movements. ployees from getting on or off moving bound when eight articulated dou­ equipment. Union Pacific. BN, CSX, NS and blestack cars left the tracks. Amtrak's Amtrak all have similar rules-and have westbound , following Belt Railroad of Chicago and SP seen a dramatic reduction in personal in­ closely behind the lNSLBT, was forced to juries as a result. (Your reporter, once a return to San Antonio. SP forces mobi­ Southern Pacific's vaunted "Chicago en­ switchman for UP in Los Angeles during lized quickly and had the line open by try" actually ends at Joliet, whereupon SP summer vacation, can remember sprinting midnight on July 13. trains take to Illinois Central rails for their after a moving cut and having to practice last lap into the Windy City. Coming out, broken-field running over switches and SP calls upon Belt Railroad of Chicago to ties just to catch those errant cars.) Media Special actually make up its westbound trains. The BRC switches out pigs and container On June 9, SP operated its "New SP" train cars for SP trains, using, when possible, line to Mexico Might Be Rerouted as a media special on a round trip be­ SP locomotives and cabooses. For instance, BRC builds the CHKCM tween Oakland and Sparks. The train's SP and the Mexican government are inves­ for Kansas City, a manifest which operates purpose was to raise the media's percep­ tigating the possibility of rerouting track­ every other day. The Blue Streak, which tion of SP. Eastbound, the train operated age around Nogales (on the Arizona-Mex­ runs daily, is the primary conveyor for GM as a deadhead, returning with various ico border) to free land for commercial de­ members of the print media. GP60s 9727 auto parts and assembled automobiles, velopment in this booming border commu­ running all the way to Gemco (Van Nuys) and 9728 led a hi-cube boxcar, an insulat­ nity. The plan would entail about 12 miles in the San Fernando Valley northwest of ed box, a cushion box, a covered hopper of trackage-probably including a new Los Angeles. Another important train is and a DTTX single-well doublestack con­ helper district since this neighborhood is SSW's CHOAP, running through to Oak­ tainer car. Following the demonstrator far from pool-table flat. The Mexican au­ land with containers and autos. In each freight cars (many in "Golden West Ser­ thorities appear to be taking a new look at case, SP doesn't even see the train until it vice" colors) were power car 295, baggage the present border choke points and con­ is handed off to them by BRC. 298, diner 290, lounge 289, and official sidering some well-planned engineering to SP's current dispatcher's office in cars Utah, California and Kansas. assist the flow of trade. Springfield, Ill., is due to close by Sept. 6, Thanks to R.C. Farewell, David M. when dispatching on this line will be Kim ball, Dennis A. Smith, Steve Sm edley, moved to Denver's Transportation Center. Beaumont Helpers Replaced J.R. Knoll, Paul Bearer, Eddie Sand, The only manned tower left will be the Robert Sarberenyi, Colorado Zephyr and The first operational result of the Burnham Chicago & Illinois Midland crossing in John B. Charles. "Reseal" locomotive overhaul program is Springfield. At Joliet, SP shares a yard with the release of almost two dozen six-motor Illinois Central. SP trains actually enter EMD units to West Colton for assignment Chicago via IC as far as C&A's Argo Tower, to the critical Beaumont Helper Pool, thus where they switch onto the rails of !HB to releaSing GP60s for service on the point of attain BRC's Clearing Yard. intermodal trains. Some interesting consists reported lately The EMDs are much better suited for on the Chicago line include the second sec­ mountain slogging in helper service. With tion of BTCHM (Bloomington-Chicago Mani­ the repaired EMDs in service, the pool will fest) on June 21 with EMDs 6347 and 788, be better served and SP will obtain more D&RGW 5516, AT&SF 8125 and red-and­ monthly mileage from the expensive new yellow B30-7 7878. The next day's train fea­ four-motor locomotives. A preliminary list tured SP 6827 and BNs 6372, 8034 and 6318. of units fell into our hands, but it is bound to change as the weeks go by. As of June at reen 10, these 23 units were planned for Beau­ Steam Service Begins with 786 Bay & Western's mainline and yard mont Hill helper duties: SD40E 7328 and action. Including a cab ride on RS- 7346; SD45E 7402, 7412, 7425, 7426, 7437, The saga of former T&NO 2-8-2 786. 20 #306 & Caboose #101. Plus a 7445, 7492, 7499, 7507, 7509, 7528, 7533, chronicled over the past few years in this look at the connecting RR's of: BN, 7534, 7554 and 7557; SD40T-2 8326, 8374, column, has reached a climax. Steam pas­ CNW, WC, FRV and the ELS. 8498; and SD45T-2-2 9259, 9342 and 9386. senger trains are running again over for­ SPECIAL INTRODUCTORY OFFER! mer SP trackage west of Austin, Texas. 1';' Hours· VHS· Color On June 27, the Austin Steam Train As­ 33 • 95 Live Audio . Narration New Dispatching Center sociation operated its first test run with re­ S Reg. $38.95 Offer expires 10/30/92 stored Alco 2-8-2 from the Austin area west Plus $3.00 S/H - WI Residents add 5% sales tax While not as spectacular as the Union Pa­ (and uphill) to Burnet and back. Regular ser­ cific bunker in Omaha, SP can boast of its vice (one trip per day on Saturdays and Sun­ own train dispatching center in Roseville. days only) is scheduled to begin on July 25, For the first time in its history. the entire but the first few weekends are already sold ;PPLETst;ExiRisr; 5,OOO-mile Pacific Lines (the territory west out. Trains depart from Cedar Park (once of Ogden and El Paso and south of Port- known as Whitestone), about 23 miles P.O. BOX 217 • A WI 54720

PACIFIC RAllNews • 9 TRA NSIT

1700 South, 2100 South, 3300 South, 3900 Sacramento Delta Centerl South, 4500 South, Murray (at 6300 South), UP Depot Midvale (at Center Street) and Sandy (at MAJOR EXTENSIONS PLANNED: / 9000 South). Articulated LRVs would be The 20- D State Capitol year Transit Master Plan calls for massive o Mormon Temple purchased. UTA buses today carry 60,000 riders a day; the light rail line is expected expansion of the light rail system. An en­ to attract 26,000 daily patrons. tirely new line will extend from downtown An early federal grant of $20 million is to Elk Grove, either along the UP (ex­ sought to purchase the UP right-of-way, Western Pacific) main line, or along 1-5, and a part of the railroad's Provo Subdivi­ swinging southeast at Florin Road, along Calvine Road, and turning south along the §' sion not heavily used; most UP freights SALT 2100 South ply the parallel D&RGW main line. Main­ SP Stockton line to Elk Grove. A decision -� on the route is expected this year. cIS line traffic to Southern California uses an 1-80 As previously reported, both ends of the LAKE e. 2700 South entirely different route, leaving SLC in a D. westward direction before turning south current line will be extended soon. The III CITY 3300 South near the town of Tooele. UTA would pro­ WattlI-80 line willget an extension to Ante­ vide necessary freight service on the ex­ lope Road, but this willactually split offa mile west of the WattlI-80 terminus, creat­ 3900 South UP line, probably late at night. In addition to the rail line, the expan­ ing two branches. Eventually the Antelope sion program includes additional buses, Road line willreach Roseville. The Butter­ more frequent service daily and the re­ field line willbe extended to Sunrise and sumption of Sunday service, and more eventually to Folsom. There also will be a park-and-ride lots. Just to prove that what future branch, north along Sunrise to Green­ � goes around, comes around, planners fully back Lane, site of major shopping centers. In the longer term, well into the 21st N expect the light rail system to be extend­ ed, sometime after the turn of the century, Century, there might be lines serving the north to Ogden and south to Provo. That airport, the city of Davis and southeast would re-create two well-known Utah in­ along the old Central California Traction terurban lines: the Bamberger from Salt Co. right-of-way to Calvine Road Lake to Ogden, and the Salt Lake & Utah, Late this year work will start on two from Salt Lake to Provo (and beyond). Both new stations on the Butterfield Line; at lines disappeared four decades ago. 39th Street and 48th Street planning is un­ Sandy der way to convert four major diesel bus SANDY lines to trolley coaches. San Jose 10600 South LIGHT RAIL-COMMUTE LINK ESTAB­ Kansas City LISHED: TO PROVO Amtrak took over the Peninsula commuter trains July 1 and simultaneous­ RAIL PLANNING GETS SERIOUS: Kansas ly extended most trains to the Tamien sta­ City Area Transportation Authority and Salt Lake City tion, two miles south of the Cahill Street the Federal Transit Administration have terminus. At Tamien there is a convenient begun a detailed study to determine RAILS FOR THE WASATCH FRONT? Vot­ transfer platform to the light rail line. Two whether Kansas City needs and can afford ers this fall will decide the fate of an ambi­ commute trains a day each way were ex­ a light rail system. A major community de­ tious plan to build a 15-mile light rail line tended further south, to Gilroy, providing cision will be called for sometime in 1993. from downtown Salt Lake City to Sandy an all-rail method for commuters to reach KCATA wants to build a $70 million along the Union Pacific Railroad_ On the downtown San Jose. light rail loop connecting River Market and November ballot will be a proposal to hike The San Jose city ballot measure to in­ Crown Center, along Grand and Main the state sales tax by a quarter-cent which crease taxes to fund construction of a ma­ streets. The ATA has funding for the local would raise $15 million per year in match­ jor league baseball was defeated share of this loop, but it might not be vi­ ing funds_ Congress has tentatively com­ in June, ending plans for a light rail spur able without major extensions. mitted to a federal grant of $151 million if to serve it. The most likely extension would be the referendum is approved. Officials are still arguing over the exact south from Crown Center along the old The Utah Transit Authority, which in routing of the proposed Vasona Corridor Country Club streetcar right-of-way (alter­ the last 20 years has grown from a small light rail line, which would extend toward nately along Watkins Drive) to 90th or be­ agency operating 90 buses to today's re­ Los Gatos. Mainly it will follow the old SP yond. The streetcar line ended at 75th and gional system with nearly 500 buses, branch, but there are plans to have the was abandoned in 1957, although there would operate the line. Planning is well trackage turn north from W. San Carlos was a lightly patronized extension to Dod­ along, backed by the concerned state and Street to loop in front of the Cahill Street son with a branch to the Pratt & Whitney in­ regional agencies. commute station, in the space occupied dustrial complex. This right-of-way is most­ Starting downtown at Delta Center, the by a taxi stand. Only one- or two-car ly intact, because it was used for freight double-track LRT would use major city trains would fit the tight loop, so to ac­ switching until sometime in the 1970s. streets (which in Salt Lake are unusually commodate future crowds at the neigh­ With this line in service, future routes wide) to 13th South Street, jog to the UP boring sports arena, a tail track with ca­ could serve the Kansas City International right-of-way, and utilize this major rail line pacity for 3 three-car trains is planned to Airport and the Sports Complex all the way to the southern terminal at turn northeast on to Autumn Street from south of Independence. 10600 South Street, south of the Sandy city the depot. Local rail boosters have their fingers center. The route parallels 1-15 and busy The Vasona Corridor and depot track­ crossed. K.C. presently has a weak bus State Street which comprise the major re­ age depend on voter approval in Novem­ system and an ailing inner city, and some gional transportation corridor. ber of an extension of the current half-cent of the old major transit corridors are obso­ Station sites outside downtown include sales tax for transit. lete. Therefore Kansas City may not be as

10. SEPTEMBER 1992 fortunate as its cross-state rival, St. Louis, hope to expedite construction of this major end BART terminal under the airport's which will soon open a light rail system. line as one antidote to area economic woes parking garage. It also would be cheaper after the Los Angeles riots. than building a "peoplemover" link to the outside terminal, he said. Los Angeles San Joaquin Valley NO ONE CAME TO THE PARTY: LACTC San Diego opened bids for 15 additional LRVs for the RURAL LIGHT RAIL? Kern, Maricopa and Green Line on July 10, but no companies Taft counties, at the southern edge of Cali­ GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS: San Diego Trol­ submitted conforming bids. The small fornia's agricultural San Joaquin Valley, ley revenue service was extended July 3 number of units is the problem. Officials have formed the Interagency Fixed Guide­ past the Santa Fe Station to the County expect spirited bidding for the larger order way Passenger System Consortium. Along CenterlLittle Italy Station. This marks the of 87 cars due for tender later this year. with the Golden Empire Transit District first use of the switchwork at the elaborate Meantime, CTC may negotiate with St. (GET), they will study possible light rail double-track wye in front of the AT&SF Louis for the 15 cars; that city could tack corridors. John Dyer, ex-general manager station along Broadway. Work has already 15 units on to the current order of 31 from of the RTD in L.A., is their consultant. started on the further extension along the Duewag and lease them to Los Angeles Santa Fe right-of-way to Old Town. San until needed back home in a few years. Diego County will soon have title to that Why ask for only 15 cars? Because the San Francisco AT&SF track; the railroad and regional offi­ Green Line needs 33 cars and the other 18 cials announced agreement on a $500 mil­ will come from surplus Blue Line units. SUBWAY SPEEDUP: The Public Utilities lion buyout of Santa Fe's Surf Line and oth­ There probably willbe a Green Line ex­ Commission approved a $52.7 million con­ er major Southern California trackage. tension on its east end, from the Studebak­ tract for a computerized control system to The recession has caused a dip in trolley er Road terminus to a connection with a handle 45 light rail trains per hour through ridership, and to save money, the seven­ commuter rail station on the Santa Fe the Market Street subway, compared with minute peak period headway on the South about two miles away in Norwalk. Both ele­ 23 now. The PUC also okayed an $8 million Line has reverted to a 10-minute headway. vated and subway options willbe studied. deal to rehabilitate 15 second-hand PCC It was revealed that last year's farebox re­ A draft environmental impact report on cars from Philadelphia to operate on Mar­ covery rate had worsened to 75.2 percent, the Blue Line spur from downtown L.A. to ket Street surface tracks to replace trolley down from above 80 percent in 1990. How­ Exposition ParklUSC has been released. coaches from downtown to Castro Street. ever, even 75 percent is extremely high by Tracks would be built on the east side of Market Street Railway car 798 returned industry standards, and the Trolley has Flower Street from the present Long to Muni after rebuilding at the Deuel Voca­ probably not lost its title as the most cost­ Beach line turnoff at Washington Boule­ tional Institute in Tracy, Calif. The volun­ effective light rail system in the nation. vard, continuing south to Exposition teer Market Street Railway group will fin­ Th anks to W. Bruce Ha slam, Cameron Boulevard and west to Vermont. This ish rehabbing the car and put it into Beach, Don Jewell, Powell Groner, KANSAS should be built in the mid-1990s. Later it tourist service. It is the only surviving ex­ CITY STAR, Matthew Vurek, WHEEL CLICKS, could be extended all the way to Santa ample of the MSR's "California Comfort Charles Vercelli, Wa yn e Monger, MB TB, Monica along the old PE/SP "Air Line" Car, " a series home-built by MSR in the LACTC and SCRRA. which the LACTC bought. late 1920s and early 1930s. The major easternextension of the Red Local NIMBYs are fighting Muni's plan Line subway from Union Station is to be to construct a high-level platform and GUATEMALA STEAM ADVENTURE called the Orange Line. Several alternative pocket tracks at 19th Avenue and San alignments are being studied, but plans boil Francisco State University. This facility FEBRUARY 3-13, 1993 down to two major routes : along Brooklyn would be needed to extend the J line to 575 miles behind 3 foot gauge Baldwin Avenue or along Whittier Boulevard. Both SFSU and truncate the M line at the same charted steam through the Sierra Madre lines would terminate in Montebello near place. At present, most service on the J **********HIGHLIGHTS********** Atlantic Boulevard. The Brooklyn option line still ends at 30th Street even though *8 SPECTACULAR CHARTER TRAINS WITH STEAM would diverge from Red Line track about 50 the extension was finished a year ago. 'PRESIDENT'S PRIVATE OPEN OBSERVAT ION CAR *3.7% GRADES IN THE SIERRA MADRE feet from the east end of the Union Station State Sen. Quentin Kopp has come up *RUGGED MOUNTAIN RAILROADING subway platform and continue in tunnel all *20 MASSIVE TRESTLES with a cheaper plan to extend BART to the *LOOPS, S CURVES AND TUNNELS the way. The Whittier Boulevard option San Francisco International Airport. He *PHOTO RUN-BYS *CAB AND ROOF RIDING would go through the Red Line yard with a advocates building a $300 million single­ *WORKSHOP VISITS surface station at the First Street bridge, track BART loop connecting the terminal *$2,195 INCLUDING AIR FROM MIMII climb up on aerial structure north of Fourth to a BART station outside the airport Write or call for brochure Street and curve east, over the L.A. River, grounds. This is much less than the esti­ TRA INS �:;I(��I-����1748 before diving back into subway. Planners mated $475 million cost of building a stub- UNLIMITED, TOURS P.o. BOX 1997, PORTOLA, CALIFORNIA 96122

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 11 ELSON RUSH SA NTA FE

proceeds from state rail bond sales, which are allocated by the California Transporta­ tion Commission, to pay the purchase price. As of mid-July, SCRRA had not yet applied to the CTC for such funding. Ap­ provals from Santa Fe's board, its mort­ gage trustee and the Interstate Commerce Commission will also have to be obtained. Following the sale, SCRRA (under its trade name, Metrolink) and North County Transit District plan to commence com­ muter service over most of the purchased lines and the San Bernardino Subdivision. From Union Station to Pasadena, the Pasadena Subdivision is expected to be converted to a double-track light rail exten­ sion of the Long Beach-Los Angeles Blue Line, while from Claremont east this line will be combined with former SPlPacific Electric trackage to form a through Los An­ geles-San Bernardino commuter train route. Santa Fe and SCRRA have agreed to hold their pending ICC dispute over com­ muter access to the latter trackage in abeyance awaiting further negotiations. Plans for Orange County service are more definite. Amtrak's Orange County Things get busy at Bodega (N.M.) siding on July 5, 1992, as B40-8W 504 waits in the hole for 5045 Commuter train may be extended from San 540 1 and its westbound intermodal train. The single track east from Belen through Abo Canyon Juan Capistrano to Oceanside in October is a choke point on Santa Fe's mostly double-tracked Chicago-West Coast main. Chris Rought 1992, and it should receive Metrolink equip­ ment at the same time. In 1993 this service Bernardino Shops north of the main line, will formally join the Metrolink network. Santa Fe, SeRRA Reach Tentative Line which Santa Fe is closing. SCRRA plans to Long term, SCRRA plans to run 18 daily Sale Accord convert this property on the east end of the L.A.-Capistrano round trips and an undeter­ shops to a commuter train staging yard. mined number of trains between Riverside Santa Fe announced on June 18 that it and Santa Fe would grant SCRRA the right to and Irvine. Three new stations (at Mission eight transportation agencies acting under use part of the Cajon Subdivision as tail Viejo-Laguna Miguel, Tustin-North Irvine the umbrella of the Southern California Re­ track for access to and from this yard. and Orange) willbe constructed on the San gional Rail Authority have signed a non­ Santa Fe would keep the A and B yards Diego Subdivision, plus a station at Buena binding term sheet covering the sale of at San Bernardino and all other freight Park on the San Bernardino Subdivision. 340 miles of rail lines and easements, plus yards and related facilities. Under the Santa Fe agreed to end existing restrictions additional property, for $500 million. The term sheet, Santa Fe would retain track­ on passenger train use of the existing Irvine announcement was anticipated, as negoti­ age rights over the lines to be sold to pro­ station with the sale, and all Amtrak and ations between the parties had intensified vide local service to all freight customers. commuter trains are expected to stop there in recent months. However, through freight traffic would be beginning in September. Under the term sheet, Santa Fe would rerouted from the Pasadena Subdivision to In San Diego County, NCTD plans to op­ convey the following trackage : the Pasade­ the San Bernardino Subdivision. The erate commuter trains between Oceanside na Subdivision (San Bernardino-Los Ange­ Pasadena Subdivision currently sees six to and San Diego and to convert the Escondi­ les via Pasadena) ; the Redlands Sub (San eight westbound freight trains a day, but do Subdivision into a light rail line. These Bernardino-Mentone); the San Jacinto Sub few eastbounds run in deference to the trains will not be part of Metrolink. The (Highgrove-San Jacinto); the Harbor Sub 2.2 percent grade from Mission Tower to segments of the San Diego Subdivision be­ (Redondo Junction-Watson) ; the Olive Sub Pasadena (and the lack of usable sidings). tween Fullerton and San Juan Capistrano (Olive Junction [Orange] -Atwood) ; the San To accommodate this additional traffic, and between Oceanside and San Diego Diego Sub (Fullerton-San Diego); the Es­ Santa Fe plans to double-track the single­ eventually will be double-tracked. SCRRA condido Sub (Oceanside-Escondido) ; and a track segment of the San Bernardino Sub has no known plans to start commuter ser­ portion of the San Bernardino Sub from between West Riverside and Lambert vice on the Harbor Subdivision. Mission Tower to Redondo Junction. Santa (28.7 miles) and install a third main track Santa Fe will use the cash generated Fe would retain title to the San Bernardino at selected locations like Fullerton at a by this sale to pay off some of its $1.8 bil­ Subdivision between Redondo Junction cost of about $80 million, to be paid by lion in corporate debt. and San Bernardino, but SCRRA would ob­ SCRRA (in addition to the $500 million tain an easement for operating commuter purchase price for the lines). SCRRA' s trains over this trackage. member entities also would waive Santa New Freight Schedules The sale includes a number of stations Fe's existing obligation to contribute $45 and former station sites (Azusa, for exam­ million to the cost of the 1987-90 Fuller­ In connection with the rerouting of Dallas ple). At San Bernardino, the former Los An­ ton-San Diego rail replacement project. traffic described in our last column, Chica­ geles Division office building, which hous­ The sale is expected to proceed in three go-Dallas train 165 was abolished effective es the Amtrak station, would be sold, along phases, with closings in December 1992 June 9. The Chicago departure of train 185 with all property south of the main line to and March and June 1993. Apparently no between the same points was moved up and including the "short way" wye just decision has been made regarding which from 9 p.m. to 6: 30 p.m. The running time west of Mount Vernon Av enue. Also includ­ properties will be included in each closing. of this train was reduced by an hour and 45 ed in the sale are 65 acres within the San The sale is subject to SCRRA obtaining minutes, largely because a pickup at

12 . SEPTEMBER 1992 Gainesville, Texas, was eliminated. Train cific, it could amount to 60 containers a day. Amtrak's San Joaquin service from Santa 185 is now scheduled to arrive in Dallas at On the other side of the ledger, CSX In­ Fe's Fresno-Stockton line to SP's. SP argues 11 p.m. the day after its Chicago departure. termodal's Sea-Land Service subsidiary that one of the rail bond propositions Northbound from Dallas, trains 513 and announced in June that Southern Pacific passed by the voters in 1990 mandates 563 were abolished. Train 581 now carries had won the competition for a new multi­ this reroute, specifically providing funds three manifest blocks from Dallas to year contract to handle Sea-Land's for the upgrading of SP's line. The cash­ Gainesville in addition to its intermodal 200,000 yearly container movements. San­ strapped SP, of course, wants its track up­ traffic (including a Houston TOFC block ta Fe had tried hard to win that traffic, graded at public expense. In SF's corner which is also set out at Gainesville). Its worth an estimated $100 million in annual are cities like Modesto which want Amtrak running time was cut by four hours and 30 revenues, away from SP. to serve their downtowns. Santa Fe, by minutes. Train 581 now departs Dallas at Santa Fe and Chicago & North Western contrast, wants to keep the 3: 30 a.m. and arrives in Chicago at 9:30 have secured a contract to move corn and their reliable incentive payments to it­ a.m. the next day. syrup from Cargill's Eddyville and Cedar self. The Santa Fe line between Fresno and Train 425 (Newton-Temple) is handling Rapids, Iowa, plants to six California desti­ Stockton doesn't require new rail or mas­ traffic to Cleburne for shippers on the nations and Phoenix via Kansas City. Traf­ sive rebuilding for continued passenger south end of the severed Dallas Subdivi­ fic volume will top 2,000 carloads a year, service, and Caltrans is therefore inclined sion, while train 305 (Kansas City-Temple) most of which is new business to Santa Fe. to keep Amtrak on Santa Fe rails rather moves carload traffic for Dallas proper in a By improving switching service to Cargill's than spend the money needed to bring SP block set out at Gainesville. Traffic be­ Stockton, Calif., facility, Santa Fe won back up to passenger-train standards. tween south Dallas Sub points and the some business it had lost in 1991. Caltrans hopes to increase San Joaquin West is moved to and from Cleburne by lo­ frequency beyond the present three trains cal freights and road switchers. Trains 535 a day. To encourage the state to keep oper­ (westbound) and 555 (eastbound) handle High Plains Turmoil ating these trains on the present route, this traffic daily except Mondays between Santa Fe sent Caltrans a proposal in June Cleburne and Temple, where it is blocked Heavy rains in Texas and Oklahoma inter­ for capacity improvements permitting the for movement on east-west trains. fered with the 1992 wheat harvest and re­ operation of up to six daily San Joaquins Last month we mentioned the discon­ duced the quality of the crop due to re­ each way. Four extensions of second main tinuance of Chicago-Houston trains Q­ tained moisture, according to shippers. As line were recommended- Jastro-Shafter CHHO and Q-HOCH. Northbound Q-HOCH a result, the harvest was a disappoint­ (.12miles ); Shirley-Conejo (12 miles); was replaced b'J train 533 from Pearland ment. Santa Fe's new 15-car rates from Merced-Fluhr (11 miles); and Walnut-Duffy (Houston) to Kansas City, connecting with wheat country points to Gulf of Mexico (seven miles). With this spirit of coopera­ train 331 from Kansas City to Belt Railway ports moved relatively little grain because tion, Santa Fe is optimistic that San of Chicago's Clearing Yard. Southbound Q­ the moisture-laden kernels had to be Joaquins will be running up and down its CHHO was superseded by Clearing­ mixed with drier stored wheat at domestic rails in the Big Valley for years to come. Kansas City train 133 and Temple-Houston points to meet export specifications. Most Th anks to Starpacer, O. R. Bixler and train 565, with traffic between Kansas City of the wheat that did move went to do­ . and Temple moving on other trains. mestic flour mills on different rates. The On May 12, trains 971 and 961 were two-day national strike on June 24-26, abolished. In their place, train Q-illCH de­ coming in the middle of the Kansas har­ parts Richmond Mondays through Satur­ vest, didn't help matters as some eleva­ days at 11 p.m. for Chicago, arriving at 4 tors were forced to divert movements to p.m. the third day. Train Q-FRCH leaves trucks in order to keep the wheat flowing. Chicago Fresno (Calwa) Tuesdays through Satur­ While Santa Fe continues to negotiate days at 2 a.m., arriving in Chicago at 3: 15 the sale of its Kansas branch lines to Am­ Raillan p.m. the second day. erail, there is widespread speculation in the grain belt that the sale will never be Timetable consummated because recent rail traffic J.B. Hunt Traffic Growing trends have been so negative. Santa Fe perhaps unwittingly bolstered this con­ Ente Studio proudly announces the Santa Fe and Conrail began moving J.B. ventional wisdom when it placed many of release of Chicago Railfan Timetable Hunt truck traffic between the East Coast the branch lines, including the Engle­ #1, effective May 1, 1992. The and California on July 1. J.B. Hunt an­ wood, H&S, Wichita, Little River and nounced in May that Conrail joined its rail­ Larned subdivisions, on its System Dia­ Chicago Railfan Timetable is a handy road distribution network, which includes gram Map in late June. This is the first reference source and is an indispens­ Burlington Northern as well as Santa Fe. step toward formal abandonment of the able tool showing mainlines and This new Hunt business segment is pro­ lines under the Interstate Commerce Act. branches. Railroads included in the jected to generate 670 loads a month to Santa Fe officially maintains that putting compendium include Amtrak, start, but Santa Fe hopes the business will these lines on the map is just a formality. AT&SF, BRC, BN, CR, CC&P, C&�, grow to 1,825 units a month by mid-1993. According to employees, Santa Fe is CSS&SB, CSX, EJ&E, GT, IC, IHB, Incidentally, use of the Quantum name developing a contingency plan to operate for the J.B. Hunt-Santa Fe service is fad­ some of the branches with two-person lVlETRA, NS, SOO, SP, UP, WC, and ing. Hunt is now marketing the service di­ crews if, as anticipated, the carrier reach­ WICT. rectly, and the Quantum trailers are being es a reduced-crew agreement with the The Chicago Railfan Timetable is relettered for Santa Fe. United Transportation Union covering the available for $20 Postage-Paid from: More business for Toledo, Peoria & former Eastern Lines, and to abandon the Ente Studios, Dept. C, P.O. Box 568 We stern's Remington, Ind., intermodalfacil­ rest of them if the Amerail sale does not ity (built by Santa Fe in 1983 when it owned go through by Sept. 1. Maspeth, NY 11378-0568. TP&W) is expected from Subaru Isuzu America, which operates a vehicle assem­ NY-NJ-CT residents must add appropriate sales tax. bly plant down Interstate 65 a few miles Santa Fe and SP Battle Over San south of Lafayette. Santa Fe and TP&W suc­ Joaquins . Coming soon New England cessfully handled an 11-container test Railfan Timetable #1 and Kansas movement of auto parts fromLos Angeles Two railroads fighting to get more passen­ City Railfan Timetable #1. Send to Remington in June, and a 60-container ger trains? That unlikely scenario is unfold­ SSAE for a free catalog listing other movement was planned for August. IfSanta ing in Sacramento, where California bu­ Fe wins this business away from Union Pa- reaucrats are deciding whether to reroute available titles.

PACIFIC RAllNews . 13 ILLINOIS CENTRA L

at IMX to do their own pick-ups and set­ ceived damage to its nose. Units 6105 and SP to Buy IC Intermodal Terminal outs of intermodal traffic. 6123 derailed with only minor damage. The Tallahatchie District is operated by Illinois Central's IMX intermodal facility in track permit because it is still non-sig­ southwest Chicago is scheduled to be sold Dispatching Changes Take Effect naled track. All of the passing sidings, in­ later this year or early next year to South­ cluding the one at Money, are equipped ern Pacific, currently this biggest user of Effective at 3:01 p.m. April 15, 1992, con­ with hand-throw switches. Normal proce­ the facility. IC is planning to build a new trol of the manual interlocking at Tolono, dure for train crews in this area calls for intermodal facility at Markham Yard in Ill., was transferred to the IC train dis­ the first train at a meet to stop, while the Homewood, , to handle its north/south Ill. patcher (desk No. 2) at the IC Homewood, crew aligns the switch so the other still­ business. Current plans, once the scrap­ Ill., Operations Control Center. moving train does not have to stop. Had ping of the two closed humps yards is fin­ The IC Train Director (d ispatcher) willdi­ CHJA arrived a little early and been wait­ ished, are to convert one of the hump rect movement, with the assistance of the ing for NOME, the siding would have been yards into a new intermodal facility. The Kensington and 67th Street Leverman, be­ already lined up for NOME and may have remaining Markham Yard property will be tween Homewood and 21st in Chicago. The prevented a derailment. Even so, the sold for industrial development. leverman at Bridgeport, under the direction quick thinking of NOME crew keep any­ SP is already the primary user of the of the dispatcher, willdirect the movement one from being killed or seriously injured. IMX facility. Southern Pacific clerks are of all trains between Fort Wayne Junction now on duty in the IC yard office along­ and the Panhandle on the Joliet District and side IC clerks. Belt Railway of Chicago between 21st Street and Ash Street on the IC System Shorts crews use SP power to do SP's switching Bridgeport District. The leverrnan at Cor­ at IMX and for delivering SP trains that with, under the direction of the dispatcher, IC has been adding to its lOO-ton covered terminate at BRC's Clearing Yard to the willdirect movement of trains between hopper fleet by leasmg more hoppers. Dur­ IMX facility. Southern Pacific trains run­ Panhandle and Argo (m ilepost 15.3), on the ing June and July freshly painted white ning between Chicago and St. Louis over Joliet District and between Ash Street and hoppers with IC initials and car numbers SP's ex-GM&O line and IC's Joliet line stop Belt Crossing on the Bridgeport District. were spotted in unit grain trains in central Illinois. Also, a large number of covered hoppers owned by co-ops in Iowa have THE R·G·S STORY Another Head-on Collision been leased and relettered by IC. IC unit grain trains are now a colorful mixed-bag On June 11, 1992, at 8:12 p.m., two IC trains of different covered hoppers ... This sum­ met head on at Money, Miss. As the Chica­ mer IC has been movmg a large amount of Volume I go-Jackson, Miss., CHJA-10 (headed by finished steel products southbound in OVER THE BRIDGES RIDGWAY TO TELLURIDE GP40R 3127, GP11 8714 and GP10 8086) C&NW and EJ&E gondolas (usually spot­ 549 Photos, 416 Pages was preparing to meet New Orleans-Mem­ ted in groups of 10 to 15 cars ... During Volume II phis NOME-11 (led by ex-BN SD40-2s 6137, May and June, Comail and Santa Fe SD40- TELLURIDE, PANDORA And The MINES ABOVE 6105 and 6124), the crew of the NOME ra­ 2s and other SDs occasionally worked out dioed that they were experiencing braking of Benton, Ill., in unit coal train service ... problems with the train. The crew of CHJA All classification that was formerly han­ stopped their train and got off the locomo­ dled at Markham is now being done at tives just after they had passed the south Glenn Yard or at Champaign. Much of IC's end of Money siding. NOME hit CHJA at interchange traffic received from other rail­ about 20 mph; remarkably all crewmen roads is being pre-blocked for IC points. avoided serious injury. The three units on Th anks to Ch uck Speriak and Dennis the CHJA were destroyed, and the 6137 re- Smith.

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were noted during that period as well. After a short lull, the movement of grain in unit blocks picked up again on Soo during June. Several 390 and 392 trains were operated between St. Paul and Chicago, including an unusual move­ ment on the 27th, when a 104-car 392 ar­ rived at Humboldt Yard behind a quartet of 4400-series GP38-2s. This power was swapped for the traditional pair of SD60s (6024/6020) for the balance of the trip to Chicago. Not often considered a strong market­ ing opportunity, Soo has participated in the handling of several military equipment trains in 1992. A recent example occurred on June 14, with No. 212 ordered out of St. Paul to handle 58 loads and one empty for interchange with IC in Chicago (via IHB). A similar move may have taken place one week later, as SD40-2s 768 and 779 were employed to move a No. 212 out of St. Paul about noon time. Symbols 218 and 219 previously used for such moves have been restricted to the Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor recently.

St. Paul Yard Upgrade Progresses A Sao Line 202 train passes Brook Park, Minn., en route from the Twin Ports to the Twin Cities on BN's Seventh Sub on June 20, 1992. This line hosts virtually all trains between the Minnesota rail Construction aimed at improving the oper­ centers as Sao and C&NW have garnered trackage rights over the BN route. David P. Burton ating efficiency of the former Milwaukee Road St. Paul yard continues, with the re­ Owen (junction of the Superior and Twin cent completion of a new pedestrian over­ More Detours on Wisconsin Central Cities lines in the "old" Soo days). Mani­ pass to access the hump tower from the fest train 202 and unit grain train 396 op­ employee parking lot adjacent to U.S. 61. The combination of another strike on CSX erated south from Superior to Junction As part of this activity, relocation of power and a serious derailment on BN forced City, thence over the former Milwaukee and communication lines to the west side Soo to operate several detour moves in Road Valley Line to home rails at New of the yard has been completed. Grading late June and early July. The nationwide Lisbon, Wis. The operation of symbol 202 for the proposed new departure track 1A rail shutdown June 24-26 forced Soo and into Milwaukee and Chicago was most (located between main line 2 and yard CP to reroute a total of 13 trains via WC, unexpected. track 1) should begin shortly. between Duplainville, Wis., and Sault Ste. Clarifying previous reports, the recent­ Marie, Mich. A total of nine eastbound ly approved reconstruction of the tunnel 500/502/504 movements were handled Soo Moves Case, UPS Traffic beneath the Detroit River will not allow via this routing, while all four westbound movement of doublestack containers on trains were operated with the symbol Soo and NS collaborated to move $10 mil­ Railrunner trains. This project will facili­ 505. Due to the ban on large six-axle loco­ lion of J.1. Case combines from East Mo­ tate movement of auto racks through the motives crossing the St. Marys River at line, TIL,to Portsmouth, Va., for export in bore, but will force CP Rail to use NS as a the Sault, CP and Soo power was kept in early May. The unit train of machinery de­ "friendly" connection between CP (D&H) a captive pool between that point and parted the Case plant on May 1, with Soo in Buffalo and Soo trackage in Chicago. Chicago. Trains were operated on WC SD60 6062 leading the valuable entourage. In late June, CP moved a trainload of with a CP management employee and a The train arrived in Portsmouth 10 days salvaged lightweight continuous welded WC pilot. ahead of schedule and so impressed Case rail from Canada to the former Milwaukee A variety of Soo SD40 and SD40-2s were officials that two future unit trains will be secondary main across northern Iowa. used on the detours, mixed with CP sisters operating, thus terminating agreements The 27-car string of modified CP gondo­ such as the 5408/5539/5577/5617/5743. with trucking companies. las was operated via the Twin Cities as One notable pure CP set found M636s 4708 In anticipation of rail labor problems in symbol 792. The trainset was noted be­ and 4711 bracketing SD40 5508. To move late June, Soo operated a number of tween Mason City and Charles City, the international trains across the St. "test" trains between Chicago and Min­ Iowa, in early July after spending some Marys River, CP used C424s, such as the neapolis in early June to evaluate the dead time at Soo's welded rail facility at team of 4221 and 4228. movement of priority UPS trailer traffic. Wabasha, Minn. The derailment of BN train 142 at the Such trains were assigned the symbol 429 Nemadji River crossing south of Superior, and received expedited handling. One Wis., on June 30 necessitated several such movement took place on the 9th, Operations: CP SD40s Working Grain other detour moves over WC during the with SD60 6049 handling a 20-car train, Lines first few days of July. Manifest trains 200 following closely behind the schedule of and 201 operated between Superior and No. 425 (Ford train). A tracks ide observer Soo continues to operate a quartet of CP Withrow, Minn., via Owen, Wis. At least reported that half the consist was UPS SD40s in grain train and local freight ser­ one grain train, 376, also used this route, trailers. With BN shut down for parts of vice in eastern Iowa and southern Min­ running around at the long siding in three days in late June, a couple of 429s nesota. The 5500-series units reported

16 • SEPTEMBER 1992 last month are recent backs hop' graduates and should be reliable power for Soo in the coming months. A group of 11 CP SD40s is reportedly stored at Bensenville awaiting placement into Soo service AN EPITAPH FOR THE 500 when traffic volumes warrant. Soo has doubled the frequency of trans­ fer runs operating between St. Paul and Humboldt Yards in the Twin Cities. This o railfans outside of that group of Division , and Gateway, former Soo move is aimed at providing better service 1 ,200 loyalists who are members of its Southern Division). CP's Intermodal for local customers and connecting sched­ Thistorical and technical society, the Soo Freight Systems unit, based in Toronto, ules. The morning job originates out of Line has always been a humble, unas­ has responsibility for rail operations Humboldt and handles WC interchange suming working man's railroad. Its mod­ east of Thunder Bay and includes D&H, and local industrial cars. The afternoon est physical plant and rolling stock have Canadian Atlantic Railway and some counterpart makes the turn out of St. Paul epitomized the Scandinavian virtues its former Soo intermodal operations. and forwards Winnipeg cars for No. 561 as founding fathers espoused. These tradi­ Logically, most former Soo depart­ well as additional local industrial cars (in­ tions go back to 1883, when the "old ments will be aligned with Heavy Haul, cluding MN&S traffic). Soo" (or Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault while the intermodal terminals will be The operation of four patrol assign­ Ste. Marie) was incorporated. Not much managed by IFS. ments on the River Division between St. changed when the "new Soo" was What will the impact of this restruc­ Paul and La Crosse, Wis., has greatly in­ formed on New Ye ars Day 1961, when turing be on former Soo operations creased the level of service provided to the two other CP fledglings (Wisconsin and equipment identification? The Soo customers on this busy piece of railroad. Central and Duluth , South Shore & At­ Line corporate identity will be limited to As of early July, single 4400-series GP38- lantic) were brought into the fold by legal, financial and contractual obliga­ 2s were assigned to each of the jobs merger. The next 24 years saw slow, but tions only. Reporting marks on equip­ (Hastings, Red Wing, Wabasha and unimpeded improvements to the rail­ ment will continue to carry Soo deSig­ Winona patrols). Way freights 216 and 217 road, including such notable events as nation; however, whenever possible, provide connecting service between these the adoption of Wally Abbey's white-Cor CP Rail System and Heavy Haul-U.S. jobs and ferry power to St. Paul for servic­ gray) and-red paint scheme and the nomenclatures will be employed. ing as required. Somewhat remarkably, purchase of connecting carrier Min­ As previously reported in PRN. con­ Nahant-St. Paul locals 222 and 223 are still neapolis, Northfield & Southern in 1982. tact with customers and the general operating, despite the 13-week loss of A subsequent unsuccessful effort to pur­ public was switched to the "CP Rail traffic from the Ford plant in St. Paul. Ford chase the Twin Cities-Kansas City Spine System" heading in May of this year. train 425 is also still in operation, although Line from the Rock Island trustee in 1982- Use of the Soo corporate emblem has most of the train consists of empties for St. 1983 led to the eventual purchase of been discontinued, with CP Rail System Paul and points west. the remaining assets of Milwaukee signs installed at key facilities. Except Road in early 1986. for units to be disposed of within two The acquisition of the "hulk" of the years, all former Soo motor vehicles will Equipment Shorts Milwaukee empire seven years ago set be equipped with emblems stating CP the hourglass running for the inevitable Rail System no later than Dec. 31, 1992. The first of three CP rebuilt Geeps, GP9M demise of the Soo as a separate entity. The current white-and-yellow color 1512, arrived in St. Paul on June 13. After The sale or lease of lower density lines schemes will not be changed. arriving on No. 560 from Winnipeg, the to such roads as the new Wisconsin As far as rolling stock is concerned, venerable Geep was sent to Shoreham for Central, Dakota, Missouri Va lley & West­ the traditional Soo paint schemes have FRA modifications, including the "clean ern and Twin Cities & Western made been discontinued. When minor paint­ cab" package, relocated handrails and a the resulting property attractive to ing is required as part of repair work, modified anti-climber. The unit was spot­ Class 1 carriers. After reviewing propos­ the existing scheme may be retained. ted on the Northtown Transfer with four als made by U.S. competitors, majority A new nomenclature and paint Soo units on June 17. Sisters 1511 and owner CP Rail determined that a pur­ scheme for both locomotives and 1513 arrived on Soo early in July, with chase of the outstanding 44 percent freight cars will be developed during FRA modifications made by CP forces in interest in Soo would be a prudent ac­ 1992 . A temporary decal for locomo­ Canada ...As of late June, Soo held tion. The recent relaxation of trade bar­ tives will be developed in the near fu­ roughly 50 units at Shoreham, including riers between the United States and ture, to be applied on the cab be­ eight classified as stored serviceable, in­ Canada has served to vindicate CP neath the road number, that clearly cluding roster anomaly SD40B 6450 ... management. After a short-term dis­ states the CP Rail System relationship. The bevy of BN SD40-2s on Soo in April traction with improving the physical In all other facets of corporate iden­ was apparently not on lease, but equaliz­ plant of the Delaware & Hudson, CP tity, it is clear that CP wants to make a ing horsepower-hour credits ...CP's cur­ appears ready to fully integrate its vari­ clean break with the past and strongly rent plan to become the "master" re­ ous rail subsidiaries into a true North emphasize the system concept. Thus, it builder of SD40/SD40-2s may ultimately American rail system. is appropriate that we who chronicle impact Soo's fleet of GP40s. CP plans to the history of contemporary rail opera­ overhaul 30 MLW six-axle units this year, Heavy Haul-U.S. tions make a similar commitment to a extending their lives for another few system-Wide philosophy. Effective with years. More secondhand SD40-2 acquisi­ Earlier this spring, CP announced to the October issue of PRN. we will dis­ tions may spell doom for the banditized employees that usage of the "Soo" continue the Soo Line column in favor fleet of Geeps ...After years of neglect, name would be discontinued immedi­ of a CP Rail System column which will another caboose has been repainted into ately, as Soo would be now operated cover news from both the U.S. and the solid maroon scheme, this being car 57 as part of its Heavy Haul unit, based Canada, including news from all for­ noted in St. Paul on June 23. The scheme out of Va ncouver, B.C. Heavy Haul has mer constituent roads. Readers with has been improved with white stripes on responsibility for all operations west of news from all geographical areas and the top and bottom of the carbody, as well Thunder Bay, Ont. . and will have eight functional aspects of the system are as the top of the cupola. divisions, six in Canada and the two urged to send that information to me Thanks to Burt Arneson, Mike Blaszak, newly renamed deSignations in the at the address listed on page 7. Mike Cleary, Bill Cornell, Fred Hyde, Pete U.S. (Heartland, former Soo Northern -Karl Rasmussen Johnson, Jesse Kottner and Mark Zaputil.

PACIFIC RAllNews • 17 I SANTA FE'S RACE TRACK: the summer temperatures hover around 120 degrees while 10 degree horseshoe curves and grades that required helpers. Flagstaff may be in the 60s. In the late 1950s, Santa Fe Railway started work on a Santa Fe's northern Arizona trackage is the railroad's main major line change around this segment to speed up its al­ artery into California and it is all double track. East of Ari­ ready-fast route into California. December 1960 saw the zona, at Belen, N.M., the Santa Fe splits and goes in different first trains use the $19.3 million trackage. From the west directions, with one line taking the northern mountainous end at Crookton the new right-of-way takes the double­ route over Raton Pass and the other taking the less-taxing track main to the northeast, away from it's original align­ southern route to Clovis. In West Texas this latter route ment and the up-and-down run through Ash Fork Draw. branches yet again, sending tracks to Kansas City, Fort Worth The result is a beautifully engineered, steady 1 percent up­ and Houston. At Barstow, Calif. , 168 miles west of the Col­ hill grade all the way to Williams orado River, the Santa Fe also splits. One line goes to North­ Traveling eastward from Crookton, the tracks go first to ern California and the other to Southern California. But in Ari­ the north of Horse Trap Mesa and by Eagle Nest Mountain, zona all the traffic is squeezed through one main line much where the two Eagle Nest crossovers are located. At Eagle like the center of an hourglass. Not only is this line busy, but Nest the rails enter Kaibab National Forest and the align­ with the elimination of Seligman as a crew-change point a ment swings to the right in a five-mile curve until the tracks few years ago it is one of the longest and most demanding are going due south. At this point is located one of the two stretches of trackage on the railroad. Crews now go from detectors on the line change. (The other detector is in the Needles all the way to Winslow, 292 miles. Williams Valley just west of Williams Junction.) After going For most of the route the right-of-way is on or near its orig­ south for a few miles the tracks swing back to the east inal roadbed, but west of Flagstaff, between Williams and around the south side of Double A Knoll. The two Doublea Seligman, there once was a real problem area-Ash Fork (pronounced double A) crossovers are located in this area. Draw. At 5,250 feet, the town of Ash Fork is 1,630 feet lower The terrain around Doublea is quite rocky and is dotted with in elevation than Williams, just 19 miles to the east. But 23 numerous flagstone quarries. rail miles west of Ash Fork, at Seligman, the elevation is 100 After leaving the Doublea crossovers and the quarries, the feet higher-and between the two towns, at Crookton, the tracks turn to the northeast and onto the southern edge of tracks get up to around 5,700 feet. From Crookton, the old the Coconino Plateau, briefly leaving Kaibab National Forest. alignment took the rails eastward down to Ash Fork, then The right-of-way then sweeps back to the southeast around forced trains to endure a rugged climb to Williams marked by Coxcomb Hill and back into the forest and twists through a

20 . SEPTEMBER 1992 NTA FE­ ROOKTON LIN CHANGE

TO PHOENIX MAP BY DAVID P. BURTON ANO TOM DANNEMAN

LEFT: With the notable landmark of Coxcomb Hill providing a backdrop, Santa Fe's original 5040 leads a 368 train west past the West Perrin crossovers on a warm July morning. David P. Burton RIGHT: The snow on the ground of this March 1986 photo gives away the 6,000- foot elevation, as a real mixed­ bag of power leads a boxcar­ heavy freight off the line change at Williams Junction. Bruce Perry

series of gentle curves en route to Williams Junction. The was completed the two main lines between Williams and East and West Perrin crossovers are on each side of Cox­ Ash Fork were on two different alignments. The newest of comb Hill and there are several photogenic locations be­ the two is now the Peavine while the original 1800s align­ tween this point and the Williams Valley. ment was abandoned. Remnants of the old main line can As a result of the line change, the town of Williams is still be seen in places along Interstate 40. now served by a branch-Santa Fe's so-called Peavine The Crookton line change is vastly different from the rest of line-that uses the original main line to Ash Fork before Santa Fe's line through western Arizona. It is a modern main turning south to Phoenix. For the hearty soul, a drive along line with deep cuts and high fills throughout its entire dis­ this branch can be very interesting. The railway runs at tance. With super-elevation on all the curves it has no speed least two trains a day on this line. The crew that takes the restrictions through the entire 43.7 miles. With four sets of westbound train (from Winslow to Phoenix) down to Ash crossovers in the 40-plus miles it is a dispatcher's dream-an Fork brings an eastbound right back. Before the line change area where dispatching plans can easily change, and often do.

PACIFIC RAILNews . 21 ABOVE: Santa Fe's premiere train, the eastbound QLANY, passes East Crookton at the point where the old line to Ash Fork turned to the east (at lower left in photo). BELOW: A 368 train races westward at East Crookton; the former crew­ change point of Seligman lies just eight minutes ahead. RIGHT: With its dynamics screaming, C30-7 8155 enters Williams, bound for Phoenix via the Peavine line with a load of new automobiles. Three photos, David P. Burton

Each pair of crossovers consists of an an east and west pines and junipers. Wildlife-especially deer, elk and ante­ crossover located about two miles apart. The line change is lope-is abundant. Most of the Crookton race track is acces­ all CTC (two main tracks) so the railroad can run fast trains sible for photography thanks to an extensive network of around slower ones on this stretch-and frequently does. An­ dirt roads, many of which should be traversed only in good other practice the dispatcher employs in this area is swap­ weather and with a high-clearance vehicle. This looks like ping crews on two trains going in the same direction. He will very desolate country until you sit by the tracks for a while take the crew off of a slow train (maybe a 718) and put it on a and begin to notice a steady stream of cars and trucks trav­ hot one (possibly the 199 or a Q train)-thus prevent crews eling to and from nearby ranches and quarries. Near Dou­ from "dying on the law. " blea there is a lot of mining activity. This area produces Santa Fe normally cooperates with the wishes of rail pho­ most of the flagstone for the western United States; there tographers by running a lot of trains through northern Ari­ are quarries just south of the right-of-way and many signs zona in daylight hours. If you're driving into the area from prohibiting removal of the stone. California along the Santa Fe main line listen to the PBX The west end, by West Crookton at the U.S. 66 overpass, channels (160.260-160.335): You may get lucky and get a line­ has the worst road but that's where most people seem to up from the dispatcher. Every few hours the track foreman start their exploration of the Santa Fe main. A better alterna­ calls the dispatcher, who will run through a list of eastbound tive is an excellent cinder road that comes out of the west and westbound trains. Unfortunately, there is very little talk end of Williams and goes northwest to Doublea. There is also on the line change because the CTC signaling is lined up by a decent dirt road going north out of Ash Fork that will get the dispatcher and the trains just go back and forth between you to either West Doublea or East Eagles Nest. the north track and the south track as required. The Santa Fe road channel for the area is 160.935 and the The landscape around dispatcher will refer to it as Seligman East. Take your longest the line change is lenses and be prepared for all kinds of weather. A good strat­ breathtaking. At egy is to use Williams as a base of operations. Williams offers the east end are lodging and restaurants and is also the home of the steam- fir and pine trees powered Grand Canyon Railway. of the national forest. The west end is high plains with pinon

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Wisconsin Rapids, Mosinee, Rothschild, Brokaw, Merrill and Oct. 6, 1970, and No. 202 bowed out the following day, end­ Tomahawk. Needless to say, the Valley was (and still is) heavy ing over 90 years of passenger service on the Valley. with pulpwood, sheet pulp, chemical and finished paper traffic. At the time, the Valley was one of the few lines in the Milwau­ MILWAUKEE FREIGHT OPERATIONS kee's empire that made money, but little was reinvested in its physical plant. The line from New Lisbon had received its last Although Wausau was the biggest city and the hub of oper­ revamping in the 1950s and by the rnid-1970s was in de­ ations on the Valley, neighboring Chicago & North Western plorable shape. Up until 1967, maximum track speed for handled most traffic in and out of the Wausau area. Milwaukee freights was 40 mph and 55 mph for passenger, but soon after operations in Wausau included car repair, locomotive mainte­ that it was knocked down to 30 mph for freights and 45 mph nance and train dispatching (moved to La Crosse in the 1960s). for passenger, and steadily decreased as the 1970s wore on. The "North End" job (trains 263-272) was scheduled to de­ When the Milwaukee declared bankruptcy in Dec. 1977, 78 out part at 5:30 a.m. if going the 47 miles to Heafford Junction, or of the 91.6 miles between Wausau and New Lisbon was slow­ at 1:30 a.m. if going the 75 miles to Woodruff (usually only order trackage with speed in most places 10 mph. once or twice per week). Number 263 picked up its train at The hub of the Valley was Wausau, the base for switch West Yard, 1.2 miles west of Wausau and set out cars at Mer­ jobs, wayfreights ("patrols" in Milwaukee lingo), time freights rill. At Tomahawk the interchange was made with Marinette, and the remnant of what was the North Wo ods Hiawatha. Tomahawk & Western, which served a large paper mill south­ By 1970, the last year for passenger service on the Valley, west of Tomahawk, the largest shipper on the north end of trains 202-203 were coach-only affairs, usually operating with the Valley. At Heafford Junction, 5.7 miles north of Toma­ an F -unit and one to three coaches. Number 202 left Wausau hawk, interchange with Soo Line was made as well as setting at 1 :01 pm and headed south for New Lisbon and a connec­ out pulpwood empties and picking up pulpwood loads. tion with the Afternoon Hia wathas. Once connections were In 1972 the 27.8 mile Heafford Junction-Woodruff segment made at New Lisbon, No. 203 headed north and tied up in of the Valley was abandoned. Because this trackage was built Wausau in the early evening. over swampy areas, spring thaws played havoc with a soft When the Milwaukee discontinued both Afternoon Hi­ roadbed that had already suffered years of deferred mainte­ awathas in January 1970, 202-203's Wausau departure time nance. The only significant traffic on the line was pulpwood was moved back to 10:30 a.m. to coincide with the arrival of out of Hazelhurst and Woodruff (also a connection with the both Morning Hiawathas in New Lisbon. This scheduling C&NW), and hauling pulpwood by rail in Wisconsin was fast lasted less than 10 months as No. 203 made its last run on becoming an unprofitable venture.

26 . SEPTEMBER 1992 LEFT: Milwaukee's North End job (train 463) rolls north toward Tom- ahawk in July 1985, just six months before the 500 Line takeover. The bridge crosses Lentz Creek, just north of Wa usau. Glen Kwarciany RIGHT: Derail­ ments were a common occur­ rence on the Valley in the 1970s thanks to deferred maintenance, as evidenced by GP38-2s 350 and 363 on the ground at Roth­ schild in May 1979. R. Klos, collec­ tion of Glen Kwarciany BELOW RIGHT: The North End trundles up the Va lley through Merrill with the standard pair of U23Bs up front and a bay window caboose on the rear end. The date is May 1978 and this part of the line is still four years away from rehabilita­ tion. Robert Welke

In 1979 the Valley between Tomahawk and Heafford Junc­ tion was abandoned. In past years, Heafford Junction provid­ ed a connection between Milwaukee and Soo passenger trains. After passenger service ended, Soo and Milwaukee continued to interchange freight traffic, but as the 1970s un­ folded, it became uneconomical to preserve and maintain the route for the few cars interchanged between the two roads. Back in Wausau, the morning yard switcher classified the day's time freight. Cars for Wausau's local industries were the afternoon work for this crew as well as building the "Brokaw Patrol" that left Wausau around noon and worked a west­ bound turn to Wausau Paper's Brokaw Mill. In the early afternoon, a second yard switcher went to work. Among other things, this job built the "Mosinee Patrol." The Brokaw Patrol dropped its cars in Wausau Yard and tied onto the Mosinee Patrol and headed eastbound, working at Schofield (Drott Crane), Rothschild (American Can, later Wey­ erhauser), Weston (Wisconsin Public Service power plant and Wausau Homes) and Mosinee (Mosinee Papers) with an occa­ sional trip to Junction City for a connection with Soo Line. At Mosinee, the train corralled any cars headed south into Mosi­ nee Yard to await pickup by eastbound 272 (Nos. 263-272 were renumbered 400-401 during the late 1970s). As the 1970s progressed, traffic in Wausau disappeared, eliminating the need for two yard switchers. The lone switcher handled all local work, including the circus-style piggyback ramp located south of Henrietta Street Yard. Number 272 was scheduled to depart Wausau Monday­ GOODBYE ALeO, HELLO EMD Saturday at 4:30 p.m. After departing Wausau, the 272 stopped as needed to pick up cars, and usually met the Mosi­ In 1946-47, Milwaukee Road took delivery of 18 RSC-2s (the nee Patrol at either Mosinee or Weston. Pickups for No. 272 at Milwaukee preferred the lighter axle loadings of the RSC-2s Wisconsin Rapids were collected by a switcher that worked as opposed to RS-2s and the last four 989-992 had steam the "Rapids " area, including paper mills in Port Edwards and generators for passenger service) that subsequently Nekoosa. South of Wisconsin Rapids, work was rarely done dieselized the Wisconsin Valley Line, one of the first lines to since little industry and few people populated the remaining go completely diesel in the Milwaukee Road's system. The 50 miles to New Lisbon, a mostly straight and level run RSC-2s lasted about 20 years, handling both passenger and through cranberry bogs and marshes. Nighttime train 263 freight trains along with the patrols until they were re­ worked westbound on the Valley, retracing 272's path after placed by RSD-5s, RS-3s (some RS-3s were retrucked with passing through New Lisbon around 9:30 p.m. Blunt trucks off of retired S-2s in 1963 as their original Until 1967, time freights were made up and broken down trucks went to EMD for use under new Milwaukee GP30s) by a switcher kept at New Lisbon with mainline freights pick­ and RS-2s in the late 1960s and early 1970s. GP9s and F­ ing up cars bound for points east or west. After 1967, the time units began to appear around 1967 and worked the Valley freight crews ran through New Lisbon and terminated at along with the Alcos for over nine years. Generally, an RSD- Portage, 43 miles to the east. 5 and an F-unit handled the North End and the RS-2s and

PACIFIC RAILNews • 27 RS-3s worked the Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids yard jobs. returning to the Midwest in the late 1970s) until the GP38-2s Because of light rail in Merrill, an SW1 was assigned to han­ became the norm on the time freights. dle chores there. The time freights were usually handled by RSD-5s and RS-3s with an occasional GP9 before F-units COAL AND REHABILITATION bumped the Alcos in 1967. The end for the Alcos came in the spring of 1976 when the The mid- and late 1970s were the darkest hours on the Milwaukee Road retired its Alco fleet. The units were taken Valley line because of its rotting physical plant-all brought out of Wausau one at a time on the time freights, bound for on by the financial collapse of Milwaukee Road. The situa­ the scrapper. In their place came additional SW1200s, GP9s, tion with crews consistently dying on the road prompted Mil­ "GP20s, " (GP9s given 645E power assemblies and upgraded waukee Road to extend yard limits north from Wausau to to 2,000 h.p.), Milwaukee's newly acquired GP38-2s delivered Brokaw and south to Mosinee so switch crews could "dog in 1972 and 1974, and five U23Bs delivered in 1973. The catch" road trains. Doing this prevented the Milwaukee from GP20s and U23Bs both worked the time freights periodically having to call a new road crew to retrieve freights and hav­ (the U23Bs were sent west shortly after their delivery before ing to pay them a full day's wages; the extra expense was

28 • SEPTEMBER 1992 LEFT: Crossing a northern Wisconsin wetland near milepost 119, GP30 707 and GP9 4223 lead No. 17 toward Tomahawk, and ultimately Ash­ land, on July 3, 1987. Andrew S. Nelson ABOVE: F9A 125A and RSO-5 570 lead an eastbound North End train under the U.S. 51 overpass in Merrill in July 1975. As evidenced by the track, this part of the Valley was sinking further and further into the roadbed. Glen Kwarciany

something the nearly destitute Milwaukee could not afford. Lisbon-Wausau segment. The rehabilitation was completed by It's hard to believe, but coal located located 1,000 miles summer 1981 and Weston ill received its first train of Powder from Wisconsin was paramount in saving the Valley. In the River Basin coal that November. Not surprisingly, train crew mid- 1970s Wisconsin Public Service decided to build a third morale increased as track speed was raised from 10-15 mph to power plant (300 megawatt Weston III) next to its existing fa­ 49 mph, and no longer would crews be seen playing cards on cility at Weston. But there was one logistical hurdle that the control stand during their runs to alleviate the tedium. needed to be cleared before Weston III could go on line : How While the south end of Valley had been completely rebuilt, to get on average two 10,000-plus-ton trains of Wyoming coal there was still some question as to the fate of the Wausau­ per week from New Lisbon to Weston over a line laid with 90- Tomahawk segment; for some time the Milwaukee had pound jointed rail resting on rotting ties? The only practical thoughts of abandoning the line north of Brokaw and surren­ answer was to rebuild the Valley from the ballast up. dering its share of Tomahawk traffic to Soo Line. After receiv­ Starting in 1979, with state and federal monies, the Milwau­ ing a loan from the state and from local shippers, the Milwau­ kee replaced 90-pound rail with 115- and 131-pound mainline kee revamped the 41.6-mile route. This part of the Valley was relay rail, replaced thousands of ties and reballasted the New rehabilitated during 1982-83 with portions of the route re-

PACIFIC RAILNews • 29 LEFT: In September 1986, C&NW 5050 7002 waits for a mainline crew to board at New lis­ bon and take the Soo 285 train-Weston III empties-back to St. Paul. The shack is all that's left of the once-busy junction; the pas­ senger station, the enginehouse and the coal­ ing tower are all gone. Andrew S. Nelson RIGHT: Wa usau-Bensenville train 246 crosses the Eau Claire River shortly after getting on the road in July 1985. 500 power is already evident on this train, which was Milwaukee's haul-ev­ erything-south job out of the Va lley. Glen Kworciany INSET RIGHT: By summer 1986 500 GP38-2s had nearly replaced their Milwaukee counterparts on the Valley-three of the 4400- series units lead the 246 train past Junction City on Aug. 15 of that year. Andrew S. Nelson

layed with 100-pound welded rail, thousands of ties replaced, Rapids, Mosinee and Weston before tying up in Wausau in the new ballast dumped and the entire route resurfaced, bringing early morning. The Milwaukee's new system also made effi­ track speed up to 30 mph in most places. cient use of motive power. Later in the morning, No. 247's pow­ er, usually three or four GP38-2s, was divided between A REBUILT AND MORE EFFICIENT VALLEY Wausau-Tomahawk train No. 463 and train No. 472, the Rapids Patrol, and the Wausau yard switcher (annulled in 1984). Mon­ Predictably, the tons/mile rating increased dramatically with day-Saturday, at around 7 a.m. No. 463 departed northward to the advent of the Weston III coal trains. Twice a week Burling­ Tomahawk and connection with the MT&W, working both ton Northern handed a coal train from the Black Thunder Mine Merrill and Brokaw on the trip up. Once the connection was to the Milwaukee Road at Ortonville, Minn., usually led by com­ made and lunch eaten, the crew headed to Wausau as No. 462, binations of SD40-2s, U30Cs or C30-7s. The Milwaukee then for­ working Merrill and Brokaw again on the trip south. warded the train east through St. Paul to New Lisbon. A crew Monday-Friday No. 472, the Rapids Patrol, headed south off the extra board in Wausau deadheaded south by auto to around the same time No. 463 headed north, handling cars at New Lisbon to meet the loads. A Portage pool crew or a St. Paul Rothschild, Weston, Mosinee and Wisconsin Rapids. Number crew then turned the loads over to the Wausau crew and dead­ 472 arrived in Rapids in the late morning, made its inter­ headed east to Portage using the same auto. The Wausau crew change with Soo, C&NW and GB&W and handled cars out of took the loads to Weston and once the train was unloaded (it Great Northern Nekoosa's mills in Port Edwards and Nekoosa. usually takes WPS eight hours to unload a train) either the same Once its work was done, the Rapids Patrol would head north crew that brought the loads up or a new crew off the extra as the 473, working Mosinee, Weston and Rothschild as need­ board took the empties back to New Lisbon. At New Lisbon, ed. At Wausau, the power off of both Nos. 462 and 473 was as­ the Wausau crew turned over the empties to a crew bound for sembled for No. 246, which took the day's assemblage south, St. Paul that had deadheaded west from Portage by auto. thus completing the cycle started that morning. In November 1984, Chicago & North Western snared part Starting in the summer of 1985, Soo and the Milwaukee of the coal contract from BN. Instead of two BN trains per swapped several locomotives to promote the upcoming merg­ week it was one C&NW and one BN. C&NW usually routed er. Soo 4400-series GP38-2s started showing up on Nos. 246- its trains north from Council Bluffs, Iowa, to St. Paul, where 247 and consequently Nos. 462-463 and Nos. 472-473. By late they were turned over to the Milwaukee. Initially, power for 1985, it was becoming more difficult to find pure lashups of these trains ranged from C&NW SD40s, SD40-2s, GP50s and Milwaukee power on the Valley. Soo wide-vision cabooses al­ SD45s to UP SD40s, SD40-2s, U30Cs or C30-7s before they so nearly supplanted the Milwaukee classic bay windows . were replaced by C&NW SD50s and SD60s. Currently, BN supplies all of the coal to Weston III. 500 LINE TAKES OVER After the 1979-83 rehabilitation, Milwaukee Road stream­ lined its operations on the Valley. No locomotives were as­ The last Milwaukee Road train to ply the Valley was a We­ signed to the Wausau roundhouse, the Merrill switcher was ston III coal train off the C&NW in St. Paul. Number 284, with annulled in 1983 because the North End could easily do Mer­ C&NW power, tied up in Wausau Yard late on Dec. 31, 1985. rill work without dying on the law before reaching Wausau, It left the following day as Soo train 285 as the Milwaukee and the patrol based varyingly out of either Wisconsin Rapids Road had ceased to exist at 12:01 am on Jan. 1, 1986. or Wausau was finally based in Wausau. Aft er Soo Line officially took over, not much changed in Monday through Saturday, Wausau-Bensenville train No. the beginning, except for the Wausau operator answering 246 (there was a system-wide train renumbering after the radio calls as "Soo Line operator, Wausau. " Soo GP38-2s and March 1980 embargo and the Milwaukee became a timetable Milwaukee GP40s gradually became more common on the north/south system) was scheduled to leave Wausau at 5 p.m. Valley, nearly supplanting Milwaukee GP38-2s, which were and head southward for the main line at New Lisbon, making reassigned to other points on the "new Soo" system. Trains pickups at Wisconsin Rapids with additional stops at Weston 246-247 still handled traffic between Wausau and and Mosinee on Saturdays. At New Lisbon, 246 headed east Bensenville, Nos. 462-463 still operated as a turn between toward Portage after a scheduled 9:30 pm meet with 247's Wausau and Tomahawk, and Nos. 472-473 were still run­ train heading for Wausau. Once in Portage, 246's crew laid ning as the Rapids Patrol, though 472 began to handle more over until the next day's 247. tonnage after the Soo takeover. On its trip to Wausau, 247 made set-outs at Wisconsin When Milwaukee Road and Soo Line were separate enti-

30 • SEPTEMBER 1992 ties, Soo traffic bound for Wiscon­ nulled. The 246-247 and 462-463 sin Rapids was handled by trains jobs were replaced by two trains, 27-28 operating between Rapids No. 15-16, and two crews to handle and Marshfield. Soon after the Soo traffic between Stevens Point and takeover, 27-28 were annulled be­ Tomahawk. One crew handled 15- tween Marshfield and Wisconsin 16 on its Wausau-Tomahawk turn, Rapids and reestablished between closely following 462-463's old Stevens Point and Marshfield. The schedule, tying up in Wausau in the 27 met 472 in the morning at Junc­ late afternoon. A second crew then tion City and gave up its cars bound for Rapids by shoving left Wausau in the late afternoon/early evening with No. 16's them through the west leg of the wye at "JO" (a railroaders' train for Stevens Point, utilizing the previously little-used east moniker dating back to the telegraph era when stations had leg of the wye at Junction City to reach the Marshfield Subdivi­ their own identification codes) and onto 472's train. This ar­ sion for the trip into Point. Number 16's crew then returned rangement lasted until February 1987. with No. 15's train for Wausau early the following morning. Traffic between Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point was HERE COMES THE LAKE STATES handled by trains 13-14 using one crew. Number 14 left Rapids in the early evening and headed north for Junction Drastic changes in operating patterns came in February City where it pulled clear of the north switch on the west leg 1987 when the Soo formed the Lake States Division. The Lake of the wye on the Valley and then backed onto the Marshfield States was Soo Line's initiative to turn pre-merger Soo routes Subdivision before continuing east for Point. Number 13 re­ in Wisconsin and Upper Michigan (the ex-Milwaukee Road turned early in the morning, again backing through the west Green Bay-Milwaukee route and the Valley were also includ­ leg of the wye at "JO" before continuing to Rapids. Any traf­ ed) into a profitable operation and help restore services cuts fic bound for Wisconsin Rapids was routed through Stevens caused by rerouting all Soo Chicago-Superior/Twin Cites/Por­ Point via a connection between trains 16 and 13. Consequent­ tal/Noyes traffic to the former Milwaukee Road main. ly, this new operating pattern left the Valley south of On the Valley, trains 246-247, 462-463 and 472-473 were an- Necedah with only Weston III coal trains (C&NW negotiated

PACIFIC RAILNews • 31 For the first few years on the Wisconsin Central it was uncommon to find lashups of three or more units wearing WC paint, but on June 23, 1990, L1 1 had three units in WC maroon-and-yel\ow-GP35M 40 12, GP30 715 and GP35M 4011-05 it ascended Irma Hill on its way to Tomahawk. Andrew S. Nelson

trackage rights over the Milwaukee between South Necedah THE WISCONSIN CENTRAL REAPPEARS and Wisconsin Rapids in 1976 and then quit both its routes into Wisconsin Rapids because of poor track conditions). At 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 11, 1987, the Lake States Division-and Power on the Valley also changed dramatically after the the Valley Line-became the property of Wisconsin Central Lim­ Lake States startup. Gone were ex-Milwaukee GP40s and Soo ited. And with this sale came near chaos on the new WC. The GP38-2s, replaced by Soo GP30s, GP35s, GP9s and occasional computerized car tracking system in Stevens Point went dOwn, ex-Milwaukee GP20s. Watching trains roll over the Valley resulting in the WC losing track of cars everywhere, many of was a throwback to the mid-1960s. which were bound for customers on the Valley. And to further Track speed was reduced from 49 mph to 40 mph be­ aggravate the situation, WC found itself critically power short. tween Rothschild and New Lisbon so that it was consistent The SD45s WC had planned on using at the startup (the union with the rest of the "old" Soo. Soo Line's philosophy differed lawsuit blocking the sale was dropped) were on short-term from the Milwaukee's: It didn't matter so much when a train lease until late December 1987 and early 1988. arrived, just so it arrived. This practice was borne out of Without the SD45s WC had to scramble to augment its fleet several wrecks the Soo had in the 1970s on what was then of ex-Soo GP30s and GP35s, ex-Milwaukee SDL39s, and ex­ 50 mph trackage. MoPac GP35Ms. It leased several GP9s from Soo and GP35s In June 1987, Soo trains 17-18 between Stevens Point and from Conrail. WC was so desperate in late December 1987 that Park Falls, which had originally operated via Marshfield, it leased Green Bay & Western's RS-27s for a few days, result­ Spencer and Prentice, were rerouted over the Valley via Junc­ ing in a never before/never again GP301RS-27JSDL39 1ashup on tion City and Tomahawk, over MT&W trackage rights be­ L18 out of Wausau (By the way, "L" on WC stands for local and tween Tomahawk and Bradley, then over the east-west line "T" stands for through train). Incidentally, that RS-27 was the between Bradley and Prentice. The western terminal point first Alco on the Valley since April 1976, when the last Milwau­ was moved from Park Falls to Ashland and trains 20-21 be­ kee Road Alcos left for the scrapper. tween Park Falls and Ashland were annulled. Initially, service on the Valley was tenuous, especially This also altered operations in and out of Wausau. Trains north of Junction City. The Wisconsin Rapids area had its 15-16 became solely the Wausau-Tomahawk turn with cars to troubles, too, with getting new crews acquainted with the and from 15-16's trains being handled by Nos. 17-18 between area and getting cars in and out of Rapids to meet their con­ Wausau and Stevens Point. Number 17's Wausau-Ashland nections. WC served the Valley north of Junction City with section left Wausau in the late afternoon after No. 16's arrival two trains, L17 between Stevens Point and Tomahawk and from Tomahawk. Number 16's cars were then added to No. L18 for the return trip. The only problem with these two 18's cars brought down that morning from Ashland, which trains were their erratic schedules: L 17 left Stevens Point, ran departed for Stevens Point around 5 p.m. Upon No. 17's return to Tomahawk (including a side trip to Bradley via MT&W to Wausau, the Tomahawk and Ashland cars were separated trackage rights), laid over for eight hours in Tomahawk, and for their respective trains . This pattern would remain intact then returned to Stevens Point. This arrangement did not until the next upheaval in operations came on Oct. 11, 1987. bode well with customers, especially the paper mill at Toma- -

32 . SEPTEMBER 1992 N

TOMAHAWK RAILWAY

THE VALLEY LINE hawk. For years the connection between MT&W ROADS (NOT ALL SHOWN) and Milwaukee Road/Sao was made in late OTHER RAILROADS morning/early afternoon. But with WC's plan, Ll7's arrival time in Tomahawk varied widely from day-to-day, and consequently so did 118's departure. This erratic schedule also affected WC's Ashland-Bradley trains L15-L16 and the Rhinelander-Bradley local, L0910, because L17- L18 connected with those trains, too. If WC wanted to regain lucrative paper mill traffic lost GB&W TO by its predecessors, it had to change the way it GREEN BAY served its customers on the Valley ...which it soon did. There was also an additional factor that caused problems for the new Wisconsin Central ; most WC crews where unfamiliar with the terri­ tory they worked. When Sao bought and then merged with Milwaukee Road, most Milwaukee Road employees went with Sao Line. But when WC bought the Lake States, many former Mil­ waukee Road and Sao employees were wary of going to work for a non-union railroad. Many of those employees either relocated somewhere on the Sao, or took the company buyout-employ­ 500 TO ees who had either worked on the Valley or on TWIN CITIES the Sao out of Stevens Point for many years, leaving the WC with many train crews unfamil­ iar with the territory they served. The chaos that affected WC's general freight operations in its early days did not affect the Weston III coal trains. One of the stipulations of 500 TO the sale to WC was that Sao retained trackage MILWAUKEE MAP BY TOM DANNEMAN rights to run its own trains with its own crews between New Lisbon and Weston-all these

PACIFIC RAILNews • 33 LEFT: In the early days of Wisconsin Central, GP35M 4004 leads a leased Conrail GP35 on the front of the L18 in Wausau on New Year's Day 1988. BE­ LOW LEFT: A trio of BN units get their air as they ready to depart with train 287, Weston III empties. After a south­ ward trip to New lisbon, the train will enter 500 trackage for a run west to the Twin Cities. RI GHT: Back when L 17IL 18 handled all the ge neral freight traffic north of Junction City, trains were often long. On March 18, 1988, the L 18 stops in Schofield so the power can cut off and run light to Rothschild to make a pickup without blocking several grade crossings. Three photos, Andrew S. Nelson

trains needed was a track warrant from the WC Stevens Point er crew works the "Rapids Shuttle" during the evening, han­ Dispatcher West to get from New Lisbon to Weston. WC has dling work on the west side of Rapids and Consolidated Pa­ been trying to wrest the contract away from Soo Line, and pers. In the late afternoon/early evening, L14 goes to work to even ran one train for Weston III over the old Soo main take the day's offering from Rapids to Stevens Point. Once its through Chippewa Falls and Marshfield to Junction City then connections are made in Point the crew returns as L13, usually north on the Valley. arriving in the late evening. With the impending sale of the Late in 1987, WC based L17/L18 out of Wausau using a Green Bay & Western to WC subsidiary Fox Valley & Western, north crew and a south crew. The north crew was called at 8 WC could even further its dominance in Wisconsin Rapids. p.rn. Sunday-Friday, did the local work along the way and pro­ vided a consistent connection with the MT&W and with FOLLOWING THE VALLEY L15/L 16 and L0910 in Bradley before returning to Wausau the next morning. The south crew was called seven days a week You have a variety of choices on any given day for catching at 8 a.m. and took L18 to Stevens Point and returned to action on Wisconsin Central's Valley Subdivision. State Trunk Wausau with L17 in the late afternoon or early evening. Highway (STH) 80 takes you north from New Lisbon to WC rearranged operations on the north end of the Valley Necedah (only Weston III coal trains use this part of the Valley again in November 1988, a pattern Sub). At Necedah, you may also catch that remains intact. L17/L18 were an­ either of the two C&NW freights that nulled north of Wausau and L16 was exercise trackage rights between extended to Wausau rather than South Necedah and Wisconsin Bradley, eliminating crew layovers at Rapids, ADWRA (Adams, WiS.-Wis­ both Ashland and Bradley. Wausau's consin Rapids) in the wee hours of north crew takes a longer run with the morning and WRADA in the late L 15 over former Soo trackage west of afternoon or early evening. STH 80 Bradley to meet L16 (usually in the parallels the line north from Necedah Prentice area), now based out of into Babcock. At Babcock take STH Mellen, Wis. L15 and L16 swap trains 173 east to County Trunk Highway and return to their respective bases. (CTH) G just west of Nekoosa and This also eliminates the need for then follow CTH G to STH 54, which Wausau's north crew to work the takes you into Port Edwards and Wis­ MT&W interchange in Tomahawk as consin Rapids. WC instituted two new trains to han­ At Rapids you have two locals dle Stevens Point-Tomahawk traffic, L ll/L 12. working during the day, the Rapids Commercial and L 74/75, L 11 is usually called at 3 p.m. at Stevens Point, runs to and the Shuttle works during the evening. If you follow Tomahawk, drops its train, picks up cars off the MT&W, and L 74/75 south to Port Edwards or Nekoosa, be on the lookout heads back to Stevens Point, usually arriving about 11 p.m. To for the Georgia Pacific Alco S-6 switchers and former MT&W keep L17 from running heavy with L15's traffiC, Lll forwards NW2. In the late afternoon, L14's crew goes on duty and dou­ cars for L15 and drops them at West Yard in Wausau for L15's bles its train for Stevens Point, usually departing Wisconsin crew to pick up later. Lll also works the Wausau Papers Rapids between 4-6 p.m. and arriving back in Rapids before Brokaw Mill on Saturdays as there is no L15 and L12 makes midnight . WC is realigning its route through Wisconsin pickups from the mill at Rothschild on its way back to Point. Rapids so Consolidated Papers can expand its operations Wisconsin Central also expanded its operations in the Wis­ along the Valley Sub's right-of-way. The new route will split consin Rapids area. L 74/75 goes to work in the morning to han­ to the southwest from the Valley just north of Rapids and con­ dle interchange with C&NW and GB&W and then heads south nect with the joint WCI C&NW yard. From there, WC shares to handle mill traffic at both Port Edwards and Nekoosa. The trackage with C&NW to the junction with the Valley Sub Wisconsin Rapids "Commercial" job handles the work at Con­ northwest of downtown. solidated Papers in Rapids (work won from GB&W in 1989), If you're following L14 or a coal train north take STH 34, usually spending the better part of theday at its duties. Anoth- which is within sight of the tracks, to CTH M, north of

34 • SEPTEMBER 1992 Rudolph. Rudolph is located on one of the two stiff climbs on Street intersection, turn right and head for the tracks if you the Valley Sub and while the westbound climb doesn't usual­ wish to shoot at the former Milwaukee Road passenger depot ly tax general freights, it does cause problems with 13,000 to made famous by the Wausau Insurance Companies ads. 14,000-ton coal trains. If a crew's train is power short, or if the If you wish to shoot at WC's West Yard on the north side of weather is inclement, they can bet on either doubling the hill Wausau (L11 drops cars for L15 here), turn left off of Sixth or getting a shove from a job working in Rapids. Take CTH M Street onto Wausau Av enue; continue west to the grade east to CTH G and turn left to parallel the tracks north into crossing at the north end of the yard. Junction City. If you want to see all the trains the Valley Sub Heading north out of Wausau, Sixth Street becomes CTH W, has to offer, plus those plying the Marshfield Sub, then Junc­ which plays tag with the Valley north to Merrill. CTH W ends tion City is the place to be. On the Valley Sub L18 heads at STH 64 just east of Merrill, and a left turn west onto STH 64 through in the late morning/early afternoon (earlier on Satur­ takes you into Merrill and closer to the tracks. Follow STH 64 days & Sundays) with the crew returning with L 17 later in through town until the intersection with CTH K and hang a the day. L 11 usually follows right behind L 17 sometime after right and head north. The tracks cross CTH K four times be­ 3:30 pm. L13 and L12 usually roll through Junction City after tween Merrill and the intersection with CTH J. Turn right onto 10 pm. There are also two loaded and two empty Weston III CTH J and head east for the grade crossing at Irma and the in­ coal trains per week, too. Westbound on the Marshfield Sub, tersection with U.S. 51. Irma is the crest for both the eastbound you usually see T03 (Stevens Point-Superior) and T05 and westbound grades that make Irma Hill. If trains are heavy (Stevens Point-Twin Cities) in the late afternoon. Eastbound enough, or underpowered, they sometimes double the hill. on the Marshfield Sub you usually see T06 (Twin Cities­ Head north from Irma on U.S. 51 until the intersection with Stevens Point), T04 (Superior- Stevens Point) and L70171, the Bus. 51 south of Tomahawk and hang a left. Bus. 51 parallels Medford Turn. If trains are running normally, Junction City the tracks most of the way into Tomahawk. Once in Toma­ can be busy place in the late afternoon and early evening. hawk, turn left onto West Spirit Avenue, which takes you to the From Junction City take U.S. 10 east through town to CTH WC yard and Tomahawk Railway's yard (new name given to o and then head north. At the intersection with CTH H, turn Marinette, Tomahawk & Western after it was sold to Rail Man­ east on CTH H and continue to the intersection with STH 34. agement Systems in 1992) a few hundred yards to the west. Take STH 34 north through Dancy and over the Wisconsin Wisconsin Central uses Track Warrant Control on the Val­ River bridge at Knowlton. Just west of the STH 34/U.S. 51 in­ ley, so there is a good deal of radio activity between trains tersection, turn north onto Old Highway 51 and head for and the Stevens Point Dispatcher West. WC's road frequency Mosinee. At Mosinee the tracks parallel the right of way west of Stevens Point is 161.295 and the yard frequency used north through Weston to Rothschild. in both Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point is 160.260. Continue on Business 51 north through Schofield to While several of the locomotives that made this line unique Wausau. Once in Wausau, stick with Bus. 51 (Grand Ave .) until are now gone and many smaller on-line customers have disap­ Bus. 51 splits (Grand Ave. becomes Sixth Street at this point) in peared, the Valley is now in better shape than it was in 1970. front of the Marathon County Courthouse. Make a hard right Maroon-and-gold WC units (green-and-white SD45s, too) wheel here onto Forest Street, which will take to the north end of paper traffic up and down the Valley, and Burlington Northern Wau sau Yard. Power off of L17 will lay over here until L15's 9 SD40-2s, SD60Ms, C30-7s and Oakway SD60s drag coal trains p.m. call, and L16's power will over until 118's 8 a.m. call. between New Lisbon and Weston. The Valley may have lost Heading north from Wausau Yard, backtrack on Forest some of the backwoods charm it had under Milwaukee Road Street to Sixth Street and head north from there. At the Grant ownership, but it is still a great place to watch trains.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 35 THE PAST IS PRESENT IN

irections from downtown to picture Bill reclining on a bench on the locomotive facility : Drive the long wooden porch as he north on Main Street a couple watched cowboys and Indians try Dof blocks past the streetcar. Take a out for his show in the shadow of right on Fifth past Buffalo Bill's home the Bighorns. The historic inn was and the . Turn left preserved from the wrecking ball in at the old wooden depot (not the 1965 and remains open to the pub­ newer brick one). Drive past the lic, though just as a museum. wooden railroad cars and caboose to Kitty-corner from the Sheridan the turntable, and you've found it. Inn is the Burlington's original two­ Vestiges of railroading's past story wooden depot and office, now abound in Sheridan, a pleasant privately owned and preserved in community of 11,000 nestled on the authentic CB&Q station red paint north slope of the Bighorn Moun­ and white-on-black station signs. A tains in north-central Wyoming. quarter-mile or so north is a fasci­ They emphasize the close ties that nating line-up of ancient wooden have existed between Sheridan and rolling stock, including a coach, its railroad ever since the Chicago, three boxcars and a caboose. The lo­ Burlington & Quincy completed a line into TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY cals hope this historic equipment, repre­ town on Nov. 26, 1892. As a result of the MICHAEL W. BLASZAK sentative of a century ago, will be restored Burlington's entry, according to historian someday as an adjunct exhibit to the Inn. Richard C. Overton in his excellent The old depot was moved north across Burlington Route: A History of the Fifth Street when the new station was Burlington Lines (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., built in 1912. This building has also been 1965), "ranches turned into farms, coal sold by the railroad and now houses an mines were opened, more people went in­ antique and crafts mall featuring shops to stock-raising, and the economy in gen­ with names like the Turquoise Lady. Of eral reached a new and higher level. " course, it's open for inspection as well and Walk into the Sheridan Inn, at Fifth and contains a fair number of railroad artifacts. Scott near the tracks, to experience the In between the new station and the old best Sheridan had to offer travelers a cen­ stands Burlington 4-8-4 steam locomotive tury ago. This block-long wooden hostelry, 5631. Its roster mate, the 5632, became fa­ built by the Burlington in 1893, was home mous in the 1960s as the star of the to William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody, the Burlington's steam excursion program un­ famed Wild West showman of the late 19th der President Harry C. Murphy. Unfortu­ and early 20th centuries. The desk nately, it was later torched in a Chicago counter, fireplace and cigar case in the scrapyard. The 5631, by contrast, has sur­ lobby are all original, and it's not hard to vived the years since the demise of steam

36 • SEPTEMBER 1992 TOP: Boasting a massive concentration of horsepower on the head end (five SD60Ms trail the two GP39Ms), BN's 266 train rolls eastbound through Sheridan in May 1992. BOTTOM: The green of 1970s-vintage BN SD40-2 7823 contrasts with the red of pre­ SHERIDAN, WY. served 1890s-vintage CB&Q Sheridan depot. To Huntley, MT

in excellent cosmetic condition. Local rail­ fans will tell you that the locomotive is BURLINGTON NORTHERN mechanically sound as well and could be steamed up with a minimum of effort. I've ROADS (NOT ALL SHOWN) had enough experience with steam RIVERS restoration to doubt that, but the thought of a Burlington locomotive steaming again on home rails is certainly enticing. Sadly, there's no longer a roundhouse in Sheridan to shelter an operating steamer, as CB&Q successor Burlington Northern has razed that building, though the turntable survives. The tie-treating plant which Burlington once ran here is closed too. Otherwise, freight operations continue at an intense pace. (Passenger service, provided by Omaha-Alliance-Billings trains 42 and 43, ended in the late 1960s after a bitter regulatory struggle.) The reason is coal. While most of the coal traffic out of the Powder River Basin bypasses Sheridan, a few trains run north­ west through Sheridan to the former North­ ern Pacificmain at Huntley, Mont., then east. More importantly, Sheridan serves as the operating base for BN's service to the open-pit mines at Decker, Mont., just across the state line. Decker is served by a 22.6- mile branch off the BN main from Dutch, 8TH ST. t-' Wyo ., eight miles east of Sheridan. The pri­ Vl mary customer of the Decker mines is De­ UJ 0 troit Edison, which began burninglow-sul­ � fur coal from Decker in 1976 under a 26- 5TH ST. year supply contract. DE routes this coal t-' from Decker to Dutch to Sheridan to Hunt­ Vl 0:: ley, then east on the former NP to Superior, L.U u.i Wis., where the coal is transloaded to lake I- > Vl « => boats for movement to southeastern Michi­ u z gan. About three coal trains a day in each « 0 direction operate through Sheridan to and 0:: UJ from Decker, along with intermodal and I manifest freight schedules. Vl All BN freights change crews at Sheri­ t-' KROE LN. dan. The modern yard office is located at Vl the north end of town, just below the Inter­ z � � state 90 overpass. Generally, several loco­ « o� -'0 motives can be seen laying over in the yard 2 => OVlu or at the engine facility. Radio communica­ Z \..9 tions are frequent, assisting the train­ BURKITI watcher with advance warning of move­ t-' t-' Vl Vl ments and information on train numbers. Z >- ::::i 0:: ii: Ifyou tire of the historical backdrops 0:: Z 0:: around Fifth Street, the eastward curve « « « u u u south of the new station is a good photo lo­ cation, as is the lightly used overhead G) YARD OFFICE bridge a mile east of 1-90. A short trip north BN YARD on Highway 338 will take you to Decker, ® where coal trains can be spotted awaiting ® ENGINE SERVICE loading or crews outside the mines. That trolley car? Sheridan once had a ® TURNTABLE trolley line from the CB&Q station to down­ ® OLD CB&Q STATION town, about a mile distant. The green car is SHERIDAN INN (1893) preserved on the grounds of the Best West­ ® ern Sheridan Center Motor Inn on Main (j) CB&Q NO. 5631 Street, though it does look a little odd sit­ MAP BY MICHAEL BLASZAK NEW CB&Q STATION AND TOM DANNEMAN ting on ordinary freight car trucks. ®

PACIFIC RAllNews • 37 RAILROADING AT THE MISSOURI CAPITAL

TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RANDY WOODS M.D.

ABOVE: With the ocated on a bluff overlooking the provides most of the action on Missouri state capi­ Missouri River, the state capitol this important St. Louis­ tol dominating the building dominates the skyline of Kansas City corridor. UP's background, LJefferson City, Mo. However, it is the fleet of freights includes four MoPac-painted sights and sounds beneath this monument daily expedited "Z" trains as GP15 1722 waits for that will capture the interest of railfans well as three tri-weekly dou­ duty in the Jefferson since here lies the double-track main of blestacks. Six locals patrol City yard on a cold, the Sedalia Subdivision and a large yard the rails around the capital foggy night in that provides a steady stream of rail activi­ city during weekdays and February 1992. ty. Amtrak, Union Pacific and Cotton Belt RIGHT: Retracing the some work weekends as route of the Eagles, are the players in this railroading theater needed. Two "East" locals run be­ Amtrak's eastbound where a variety of spectacular backdrops tween Jefferson City and St. Louis skirts can be found as the drama unfolds. while two "West" locals make a simi­ the bluffs along the Union Pacific acquired this trackage lar connection to Kansas City. There Missouri River on through its merger with Missouri Pacific in is also a turn job to Sedalia and a Jan. 14, 1992, as it 1982 and Cotton Belt was granted rights switching operation which serves in­ makes its way to­ over the line as a result of this agreement. dustry in the area. Numerous coal ward St. Louis. With up to 25 trains a day, Union Pacific trains and new traffic diverted from

38 • SEPTEMBER 1992

Subdivision hugs the bluffs along the Mis­ the Carthage Sub have resulted in a recent TO increase in activity on the Sedalia and Riv­ souri River and a short hike from the yard KANSAS er subdivisions. Frequent general manifest can lead to some scenic photo locations. CITY freights are responsible for most of the re­ River Junction (milepost 128), located about maining UP volume over these rails. three miles west of the yard, is the meeting Southern Pacific (Cotton Belt) remains point of UP's River and Sedalia subdivi­ busy on this line, averaging around eight sions ; both lines lead to Kansas City. Am­ TO trains per 24 hours. In addition to the trak and most westward freights travel over KANSAS CITY famed Blue Streak Merchandise, there is the Sedalia Sub, while eastbound freights regular container traffic and several gener­ from Kansas City typically utilize the River al manifest trains . SP also runs a weekly Subdivision. River Junction is on the out­ coal train to Union Electric in Labadie, Mo. skirts of Jefferson City and can be reached An interesting sampling of Southern Pacif­ by either Highway 179 or Boonville Road. ic, Cotton Belt and Rio Grande locomotives Two other good photo locations near serve as road power on SF's various Jefferson City are the large railroad through trains. Amtrak provides passenger service to the capital city four times daily. These trains are responsible for a surge in rail ac­ tivity in the area near the times of their ar­ rival. The westbound Kansas City Mule is first into Jefferson City with a 10:18 a.m. scheduled stop at the station. Less than two hours later, the eastbound Ann Rut­ ledge is due at 12: 15 p.m. During this time freights on the main line must work in and out of sidings to make room for Amtrak. It is common for Union Pacific and SP traffic to arrive at the yard a few minutes before or after passenger train movements. In the evening congested conditions usually re­ turn as freights maneuver around the eastbound St. Louis Mule, scheduled for 6:40 p.m. and the westward Ann Rut­ ledge due each evening at 7:40.

RAILFANNING THE CAPITAL CITY

The magnificent sight of trains traveling along the main with the capitol building towering above is only the beginning of what Jefferson City has to offer. Just northeast of the capitol, one of the historic buildings at Jefferson Landing serves as the Amtrak station and it is a favorite site for trainwatchers. About 200 yards down the line, the old Missouri Pacific depot­ (milepost 125) is located at the intersec­ tion of State and Monroe. It is now owned by Union Pacific and both UP and South­ ern Pacific trains change crews here. The long yard is seven or eight tracks wide through most of its distance and it often holds motive power for local jobs. Veering off from the west end of the yard is a wye leading to industrial trackage in the city. Heading toward Kansas City, the Sedalia

40 • SEPTEMBER 1992 JEFFERSON CITY, MO.

UNION PACIFIC ROADS

bridges over the Moreau Riv- er (milepost 120) N and Osage River (milepost 117). To access the Moreau River bridge head east from the yard on U.S. Highway 54/63 and travel to the Troop F Highway Patrol station and turn north. This road soon turns to gravel and leads to the bridge about one mile away. To reach the Osage River bridge continue three miles farther east on Highway 54/63 and take J Highway to Os­ age City where the bridge is located. MAP BY RANDY WOODS AND TOM OANNEMAN With four distinct seasons, Jefferson City has an ever-changing variety of attrac­ tions. During spring, school children take the train to visit the capitol while the flow­ ers are in bloom. In the summer, watching trains roll along the river bank is a relaxing way to spend an evening. Autumn brings brilliant color to the bluffs along the main line and many tourists take weekend trips on Amtrak to Hermann, Mo., and its Octo­ berfest celebration. During winter the for­ mer "Route of the Colora do Eagle " lives up to its name as rail passengers with a sharp eye frequently spot bald eagles along the river. Regardless of what time of year it is when you visit Jefferson City, you are sure to be pleased with the scenic wonders and exciting rail action that can be found along the banks of the wide Missouri.

LEFT: An eastbound Southern Pacific/Ameri­ can President stack train powers past the state capitol and the Jefferson City depot in March 1992. RIGHT: Negotiating one of two scenic bridges in the Jefferson City area, Union Pacific's MENPZ crosses the Osage River on a sunny January 1992 afternoon.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 41 BURLINGTON NORTHERN

and early August. The renumbering scheme for units 1500-1511 should be as follows : 1763, 1741, 1746, 1751, 1989, 1923, 1980, 1920, 1799, 1774, 1783 and 1869. At this writing, the other 38 units scheduled for this program include all six GP5s and five GP18s remaining on the roster, as well as the following 27 GP9s: 1703, 1706, 1728, 1734, 1745, 1747-1749, 1752, 1758-1760, 1787, 1836, 1839, 1851, 1860, 1878, 1896, 1900, 1910, 1914, 1942, 1951, 1960, 1961 and 1966. It should be noted that some of these units are ser­ viceable and may be replaced by other GP9s should failures occur prior to the scheduling of the final units at Boise later this fall. As far as the VNf.Vprogram is con­ cerned, the 11 SD9s shipped to Paducah earlier this year willrebuild to slugs, classi­ fied as TEBC-6s and willbe numbered in the 6289-6299 series. SD38-2s 6260-6263 willbe designated as SD38Ps (as parent for slug service) and will be augmented with seven sisters to be constructed from SD35 shells. Units 6264-6270 willbe converted from the following: VNf.V 2600/SRR 3096, An empty WISX hopper train rolls past the Mobridge line cutoff, east of Te rry, Mont., on July VNf.V 2601/SRR 3099, VNf.V 2602/SRR 3085 26, 1992. The junction leads to the former CMStP&P route across South Dakota that BN intends and CSX units 7436, 4515, 4516 and 4512. to acquire to ease crowding on the ex-NP route used by the 9245 in this photo. Carl Swanson

leased until Aug. 31, 1991, but were ex­ Corporate News Briefs Shrinkage of the lease Fleet tended until June 1 of this year because of delays experienced with the rebuild pro­ After years of engineering studies and After five years of sustaining its locomo· gram. That agreement was extended until environmental controversy, it appears tive fleet through long-term lease agree­ the end of June, at which time BN had that a decision on the Tongue River coal ments, BN has decided to phase out such hoped to receive its initial batch of connection line may be made shortly. The arrangements as of mid-1992. The 50 EMD GP28Ms. With the expected one month de­ proposed 122-mile shortcut between (former CR) GP38-2s had originally been lay beyond that date, all serviceable units Decker and Miles City, Mont., could cut ------which had been stored earlier this year 15 percent off the average trip to Mid­ (except for a few SD9s) were returned to western utilities. May 29 was the last day service in late June. Power pools were fur­ for interested parties to file their posi­ ther strained in early July as the ten 6300- tions with the ICC ...With the demise of series SD40-2s obtained from EMD this Burlington Resources' Glacier Park land spring were parked. As of July 5, 26 EMD development subsidiary, BN has decided GP38-2s and seven EMD SD40-2s were to market 200 acres of the former BN yard stored at Northtown, pending return to and shop facilities at Hillyard (Spokane) their owner. It appears that SD60s 8300- to prospective shipping interests ...BN VIDEO PRODUCTIONS 8302 will be retained by BN until a further has announced plans to abandon 66.83 Steam Returns to Prince George decision is made on the acquisition of more miles of former Camas Prairie trackage lo­ high horsepower units for the coal pool. cated between Spalding and Grangeville, Three steam locomotives take a passenger The lease on GATX SD38-2s 1237-1245 will Idaho ...As speculated in PRN earlier train on a 1,200 mile, five day trip from expire on Nov. 30, 1992, and likely will not this year, BN signed an agreement with Vancouver to Jaspar then on to Prince be renewed. CC&P on May 18 to acquire the west­ George and back to Vancouver. ward track from Portage to East Steam on B.C. Rail's Dubuque, Ill. BN has further agreed to Squamish Subdivision Focus on Rebuild Program maintain and control both main tracks, with CTC, power crossovers and track re­ Come on board The Royal Hudson No. Details on the 1992 MK Geep rebuild pro­ habilitation scheduled in the future ... 2860, hear the sound of No. 3716 and gram are now available, projected to in­ BN has leased 35 acres from the Lincoln watch Ex CN No. 6060 on the point dou­ clude 50 units from primarily bad order (Neb.) Airport Authority as a storage yard bleheading with No. 3716. "carcasses." Forty of the Boise rebuilds for American-built Hondas being shipped will be classified as GP28Ms and will be from Ohio to Pacific Northwest dealers. Each tape approximately 70 minutes no nArration numbered in the 1500-1 539 series. The last The lease runs through January 1993 and Lots of informative literature 10 units in the program will be classified can be extended on a monthly basis $34.50 one tape plus $3 00 postage. as GP28Ps and will serve as mothers for a thereafter ...After two years of waffling $60,00 both tapes plus $4 .50 postage group of slugs to be constructed at a later BN has announced that its planned move VISA or money order. S.C residents 6 percent pst. date. The GP28Ps will be numbered in the of dispatchers from McCook, Neb., is off IRON HORSE VIDEO PRODUCTIONS 1590-1599 series. As of early July, the first (for now, anyway). Various proposals R.R. 3, Site 6, Compo 10 ' Prince George, S.c. V2N 2J1 12 units were on the shop floor at MK and called for 36 dispatchers to move to other (604) 962·7737 should be delivered to BN during late July offices in Springfield, Lincoln and Al-

42 . SEPTEMBER 1992 liance ...It appears likely that CN will dite the movement of coal traffic and re­ fest business compelled BN to reinstate expand its Voluntary Coordination Agree­ quires the construction of two bridges. symbol 110 between Pasco and North­ ment with BN to move transcontinental town ...BN had another ugly confronta­ Canadian freight in and out of Toronto tion with a tornado near Pleasant Dale, via the U.S. Reportedly, initial service will More Trash Rolls in Washington Neb., on June 15, with 24 of 110 cars of an include two trains each way per day, AA015 coal train blown off the tracks. with a gradual expansion up to five each Tonnage on BN's "trash trains" between way when the new tunnel at Port Seattle and Roosevelt, Wash., has grown HuroniSarnia is complete and dou­ dramatically in 1992. Trains 93 and 94 Motive Power: SD60MAC Order in Fu­ blestacks can be operated ...Despite have handled 5,300 containers (117,400 ture? lower traffic levels in the Pacific North­ tons) during the first four months of the west, BN is looking at ways of cutting year, compared with 7,500 tons handled Tests of the SD60MACs have impressed BN transit times across Idaho and Washing­ for the last six months of 1991 ...BN and officials thus far and it is rumored that an ton. Possible ideas include replacement CC&P are operating a joint coal train from order may be in the offing for 1993 to re­ of trackage on the former GN alignment Rochelle, Wyo., to East Dubuque, Ill., with place SD40-2s which come off leases. between Spokane and Sandpoint, Idaho, the interchange made at Council Bluffs. SD40-2s 6753-6772 and C30-7s 5500-5509 as well as construction of a new tunnel BN symbols these trains RC394/395, with have been withdrawn from service pending and trackage over the old NP Stampede the coal dumped at the Mississippi River return to their lessor, replaced by 23 U30Cs Pass route east of Auburn, Wash. Capaci­ for shipment to power plans ...BN oper­ placed into service atAlli ance, Denver and ty constraints on both the Stevens Pass ated a second ballast train for GTW in Lincoln ...Three more C33-7s (5063, 5087 and Columbia River Gorge routes restrict June, with 88 B&LE hoppers powered by and 5569) have been released from Al­ BN's ability to compete for additional GTW SD40s 590115920 and SD40-2 5931, liance, with 50 to 60 upgrades expected as doublestack contracts. spotted in St. Paul on the 21st. These part of this program. The next three trains have been loaded with waste rock SD40-3s should include units 7259, 7287 from the taconite plant near Shelton Jct. and 7873 ...EMD BL20-2 demo 120 was CTC Installed on ex-FW&D Line on DW&P in northeastern Minnesota ... placed on display during Haymarket Hey­ Manifest symbol 105 has been replaced by days in Lincoln, June 25-27, and was noted BN has begun work to install CTC on its 615 between Spokane and Seattle, with a on No. 162 at Wyanet, Ill., on July 1 ...Me­ busy line between Ft. Worth and Amarillo, second 615 often called to handle through tra F40s up to the 201 have been placed in­ aimed at improving the operations of unit cars from Galveston to Spokane manifest to service on BN, with 13 E-units stored at coal trains and growing intermodal service 195. Train 111 now operates as No. 631 14th Street Yard in Chicago as of mid-May. between Texas and the Northwest. between Everett, Wash., and Vancouver, Th anks to Mike Bartels, Mike Blaszak, In Wyoming, work is well along on the B.C. Intermodal train 91 now operates Tom Carlson, John Carr, Bill Cornell, construction of a second main track be­ from Houston to Portland, allowing BN to Chris Fry, Larry Gholson, Mike Kiriazis, tween West Walker and Bill on the Pow­ eliminate train 11 between Spokane and Glenn Lee, THE MIXED TRAIN, Swen Nelson der River coal line. This work will expe- Portland. An increase in eastbound mani- and NORTHWEST RAILFAN.

This program features the cam­ time machine era artistry of such prominent rail­ will transport you fans asDoc Blackburn,Bill Janssen, back to the greattraction era, Truman Hefner, and Vic Uzoff, plus when the Illinois Terminal reigned maps, graphics,and stillphotos 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, this greatvideo and the footage dates back asfar as fe atures 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 VIS8I MasterCard Alton Limited cars - even the mean­ In stock fo r immediate delivery dering Alton-Grafton railbus!

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 43 CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN

C&NW doesn't own a direct route between Omaha and Des Moines (the former Rock Island main, now Iowa Interstate, served this market), the trip took 4 Y2 hours one way, or almost twice as long as driving In­ terstate 80, but virtually all of the passen­ gers agreed the train was a lot more fun. C&NW crew members donned 1940s-era passenger uniforms for the occasion. Envirodyne Engineers, Inc., of Chicago was selected on June 17 to perform a $1 million engineering evaluation of potential high speed rail corridors between Chicago and Milwaukee. The study is being funded by the Federal Railroad Administration, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Wisconsin Department of Transporta­ tion. Envirodyne will take a look at three ex­ tant rail corridors: C&NW's Kenosha Subdi­ vision, C&NW's New Line Subdivision and Soo's C&M Subdivision. Wisconsin Central's Chicago Subdivision will be studied as an alternate route for freight trains. The re­ searchwill focus on potential operation of conventional trainsets at speeds of up to 120 mph, cutting transit times to 60 minutes from Amtrak's present 96-minute schedule. Even though most C&NW GEs have been repainted, some units wearing "Pentone yellow" are A finalreport is due by early 1994. still roaming the rails. On July 25, 1992, an empty coal train with one such GE trailing negoti­ The U.S. Senate's Commerce Commit­ ates the roller coaster profile of the Wyoming coal fields just north of Douglas. Tom Danneman tee on June 16 approved a $22 million, three-year program to help states finance expanded Amtrak operations. Sen. Charles C&NW Gordon Connection Completed Council Bluffs Diesel Shop to Close Grassley (R.-Iowa) took credit for includ­ The new connection between the North North Western announced on July 2 that it ing Iowa on the list of states that would Western and Wisconsin Central (ex-Soo would close its diesel shop in Council be eligible to receive funds if the measure Line) at Gordon, Wis., was completed on Bluffs, Iowa, on Oct. 1. This shop maintains becomes law. The money, if matched by July 9, the same day that WC closed its power assigned to the Wyoming coal line. local contributions, would be used to cov­ purchase of C&NW's 97-mile line between The 64 union members employed at the er the deficit of Iowa's proposed Chicago­ Cameron and South Itasca (Duluth/Superi­ shop, including machinists, electricians and Omaha day train service via C&NW. or). The WC main line was cut over the pipefitters, will be offered transfers to next day, when WC trains began operat­ C&NW's diesel shops at Marshalltown, ing over the C&NW line between Gordon Iowa, and Proviso, which employ 83 and Ore Dock Sets loading Record and North Western's South Itasca Yard. 127 people, respectively. However, North Under the plan adopted earlier by the Western expects a net reduction in employ­ North Western announced in June that its railroads, C&NW trains (primarily Proviso­ ment to result from the consolidation, since iron ore dock at Escanaba, Mich., loaded Itasca manifests PRITA and ITPRA) would some of the displaced employees may not more taconite pellets in March 1992 than begin operating over WC's lines between pack up and move. Heavy locomotive re­ ever before. Tonnage for the month totaled Gordon and South Necedah after the Gor­ pairs and component work are performed at 618,584, far higher than the previous don connection was completed. The plan Oelwein, Iowa, which employs 55 people. monthly record of 358,708 set in 1984. The contemplated that the present crew­ "It just comes down to saving money, " record was something of a fluke, however. change point of Spooner would be elimi­ said North Western representative Leslie Due to the extraordinarily mild winter, the nated. Reportedly, however, C&NW has Cleveland Hague. "A company has to con­ Great Lakes navigation season started ear­ not reached an agreement with the operat­ solidate. It's going to keep happening, ly this year, and Inland Steel's East Chica­ ing crafts regarding elimination of this probably until we have almost every activ­ go, Ind., mill decided to take advantage of crew change. In any event, the North ity we can in Chicago." the mild conditions by starting lake boat Western isn't running PRITA and ITPRA on shipments in March. Still, North Western the WC route via Gordon. Instead, these train crews and dock personnel had to bat­ trains began operating over Burlington Passenger Train News tle some unpredictable "Yooper" weather Northern between Superior and Westmin­ to meet this customer's requirements. ster Street in St. Paul, Minn., and over The fact that parent Union Pacific is a part C&NW's Chicago-Twin Cities main east of owner of the Omaha Royals baseball team there on July 10. led to C&NW's operation of an ll-car pas­ DM&E Negotiating to Enter Chadron C&NW's Hayward wayfreight does use senger special from Omaha to a Royals­ the WC route to reach the North Western's Iowa Cubs contest at Des Moines and re­ Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern said in mid­ now-isolated Trego-Hayward, Wis ., turn on June 7. UP sponsored the free trip June that its Black Hills & Western sub­ branch. Effective July 10, this train origi­ for Royals season-ticket holders and em­ sidiary was negotiating with North West­ nated at South Itasca instead of Spooner, ployees, providing the passenger equip­ ern to purchase C&NW'S practically vacant running south on the joint line to Trego ment and power in the form of SD60M yard, roundhouse and car maintenance fa­ and then up the branch to Hayward before 6271. About 280 fans were aboard; they cilities at Chadron, Neb. In January, BH&W reversing its route. The wayfreight typi­ were joined by the Royals (who lost the agreed to buy C&NW'S trackage between cally has 12 to 25 cars powered by a GP40. game 7-1) on the westbound leg. Because Colony, Wyo., Rapid City, S.D., and Dakota

44 • SEPTEMBER 1992 Junction, near Chadron; the transaction is expected to close this summer. The Chadron facilities are larger and in better condition than the C&NW shop in Rapid City that BH&W will acquire. There has been no progress toward transfer of the Norfolk-Chadron Cowboy line to the state of Nebraska when C&NW quits operating it on Nov. 30. However, DM&E spokesman Lynn Anderson told the JOURNAL OF COMMERCE that his railroad could be inter­ ested in aCquiring the westernmost 75 to 100 miles of this line (probably as far east as the co-op at Merriman), which is where the remaining shippers are concentrated. o Union Pacilic Super Cabs and Sleam I hour 28 min. $39.95 Get acquainted with new EMD SD60M and GE Dash 8·40CW. Renew WILLIAM P. PRICE Bmm FILM STEAM COLLECTION old Iriendships with steamers 844 and 3985. 104 t o t: 55 $39.95 New Coal Train Test Move 3985 60 min. $39.95 Allegheny Rails The Baltimore & Ohio min. o Heavy Freight and Union Pacilic "Big Six" 2-10-2, EM·I 2-8-8-4, P·I d 4-6-2. QI ba 2-8-2, Alco. Challenger 3985 hauls record·breaking 143 APL Doublestack FA Diesels. SandPatch Grade and Cumberland Division. #024 Cheyenne·North Platte. Also Cheyenne·LaSalle. 1040. II : 52 $39.95 North Western began a movement of six 24 $24.95 o Allegheny Rails The Western Mal'{land min. o Union Pacilic's Last Steam Giants min. Decapod 2-10-0. Challenger 4-6-6-4, H-9 2-8-0 , 4-6-2. Potomac trainloads of Powder River Basin coal to 4·8·8·4 Big 80ys, 4·6·6·4 Challengers and 4·8·4 800's in regular 4-8-4, f.7, Alco RS2. Connellsville Main·Elkins Subdivision. 1025 service. 1950's 16mm lootage by Dave Gross. 1038. t hour 22 min. $39.95 Commonwealth Edison's Plaines, ill., gen­ '82 55 $39.95 o Steam o Challenger min. Norlolk & Western Y6 2-8-8-2. Class A 2-6-6-4. K Class 4-8-2 and erating station on June 6. Plaines is locat­ Historic lootage 01 U.P. 3985 in preparation lor restoration. lamous "J" 4-8-4. Ride Powhatan Arrow in 1966. 1035 ed on the illinois Central at Joliet ; the Spectacular 1982 trips in Utah. plus 1981 highlights. 1002 Union Pacitic 'Challenger' 3985 55 min. $39.95 o o Salute To Soldier Summil 60 min. $39.95 Wyoming coal it burns has been delivered See the rebirth 01 this lamous 4·6·6·4 in 1981. including historic Rio Grande power lashed up for high speed and brute power over by Chicago Central & Pacific in recent doubleheader with 8444 to Sacramento. 55 min. 1001 Soldier Summrt on Ihe Utah Division. (1988) 1034 1 54 min. $49.95 2 $49.95 years. The trains originated at Rochelle o Santa Fe's Raton Route hour o The Rio Grande Today hours Modern Santa Fe power against a panorama 01 the Old West! Summer, Fall, Winter Railroading in Colorado Rockies. Ride Californ� Mine and were symboled RMPLC (loads) Action over Raton Pass, Las Vegas Sub, Glorieta Pass. 1042 Zephry and Private Car Yerba Buena. (1982-1986) 1022 o Santa Fe's Seligman Sub 60 $39.95 o 52 $39.95 and PLRMX (empties). min. legend 01 TheRio Grande Zephyr min. "Yellow 80nnets" and "Red merger units" race over the Arizona Excellent documenlary of this famous train including F-9 1577l lasl C&NW delivered the loaded trains to IC Divide between Winslow. Arizona and Needles. Calilornia. 1033 arrival at Denver Union Slalion. 1009 60 $39.95 in the Indiana Harbor Belt yard at Argo, o Santa Fe's New Mexico Main min. o Snow Train: Rio Grande's Ski Special 28 min. $29.95 ill., after which the C&NW power returned The Belen Culoll. Chicago·LosAn geles mainline Irom Clovis to Belen, F-9 15771 glides Ihrough the majestic snow covered Rockies with Rio on the New Mexico Division. 1039 Grande's unique Ski Train. (1984) #017. to Proviso light. IC used its own power for o Colorado's Colorlul Joint Line 60 min. $39.95 the eight to 15-hour round trip between Fealures Burlington Northern Dakway EMD SD-60. Santa Fe 0 trains and Rio Grande freights. #032 Historic 16 mm films of Arthur M. Cox, Jr. $39.95 Filmed 1937·1973 Argo and Plaines (including unloading). o Rails Along the Rockies 60 min. When the empties returned to Argo, Four Seasons 01 Colorado Joint Line action leaturing Burlington o America On Rails (Section 1) 30 min. $29.95 Northern. Santa Fe and Rio Grande . 1031 1938 NRHS "6000 Mile Tour". Midwest Electrics. Sleam passenger C&NW was supposed to have locomotives I 12 $39.95 S.P. Narrow Gauge. 1030 o AssaultOn Snow . hour min. and crew waiting to forward them back to Wyoming & Colorado battles the blIZzard 01 1988. F·Unlls plow snow. o America On Rails (Section 2) 30 min. $29.95 U.P. Rotary 900080 attacks snow west of Laramie. 1027 Chicago Union Station. Midwest Eleclrics. 1948 Chicago Railroad Wyoming. C&NW hoped to secure this fair. Steam passenger. 1036 movement on a long-term basis if the utili­ Rocky Mountain Railroad Club 16mm by Irv August o America On Rails (Section 3) 37 min. $29.95 Midwest Electrics. Steam and Diesel Passenger. 1929 ty found the service satisfactory. 54 $39.95 o Sleam Over Sherman min. New Orleans·San Diego trip. Amtrak. 1037 Journey to the 50's when Big Boys. Challengers. 4·8·4·s and early diesels stormed over Sherman Hill. #011 o Rio Grande ot the Rockies 60 $39.95 Narrow Gauge Classics Short Items min. 2-8-8-2·s on Tennessee Pass. F-9·s assisted by 2-8-8-2·s to Mollat o Excursion To The Thirties 52 min. $39.95 Tunnel. Narrow gauge K-27. K-28, K-36. K-37. 2-8-0 #268. Last Rare Narrow Gauge 8mm films 1937 to 1941 by Richard train on Marshall Pass. 1015 B. Jackson. RGS. C&S, D&RGWW. 1003 C&NW is abandoning a mile of its North 52 $39.95 o The Fifties Express min. o Rio Grande Narrow Gauge in the Fiffies 58 min. $39.95 Chase Cutoff, linking downtown Milwau­ Steam, Diesel, Frt .. Pass. B&O. PRR. NYC, MILW. NKP, WM, N&W, Alamosa to Durango. the Monarch and Framinglon Branches DM&IR. NP. CV. B&M. NH. CN. CPo 1023 kee with the New Line around downtown plus RGS 142. 8mm films by Robert F. Shank. 1004 o 12 $39.95 24 min. $29.95 Silver Rails & Golden Memories I hour min. o A Forties Memory to Butler, between Washington Street and Rocky Mountain Railroad Club excursions 1952-62. D&RGW N. G .. 16 mm films by Billie Bowen after World War II on D&RGW. Lincoln Av enue effective Aug. 4. The line C&S S.G .. Great Western. Pikes Peak Cog .. U.P. 4·8-4 1026. SP and AT &SF. Also RGS. 0& RGW narrow gauge. 1010 o O&RGW Narrow Gauge Freighls 60 min. $29.95 includes an old 230-foot truss drawbridge Archival 16mm 1967 footage by Jim Marcus. Alamosa, o The Milwaukee's Mighty Electrics 40 min. $39.95 Cumbres Pass, Chama. Durango, Farmington (Silent) 1006 over the Kinnickinnic River. See the " Joes" on Pipestone Pass and "80x Cabs" crossing the o $29.95 North Western stirred up protests in Columbia River. Filmed 1965 & 1968. 1028 O&RGW Narrow Gauge Stock Train 60 min. In 1966 Engine 498 & 487 make the run over Cumbres Pass. o The Last Steamers 01 the C& S 52 min. $39.95 Last passenger Kolor Karavan. Jim Marcus (Silent). 1007 June when it posted signs that it would 2-10-2. 2-8-2, 2-8-0 perlorm against a magnificent Rocky Mountain $29.95 clear allvegetation from its right-of-way backdrop. Steam Rotary. 16mm by Dave Gross. 1019 o Rio Grande 01 the Rockies 60 min. 2-8-8-2·s on Tennessee Pass. F-9·s assisted by 2-8-8-2·s to o Diesels On The Union Pacific 60 min. $39.95 along Green Bay Road between Lincoln Av­ Moflat Tunnel. Narrow gauge K-27, K-28. K-36, K-37, 2-8-9 1980's U.P. Diesel action on Sherman Hill including revival 01 DDA40X #268. Last train on Marshall Pass. 1015 enue and Roger Williams Road in Highland "Centennials" 1013 o $39.95 o 60 $39.95 Silver Rails & Golden Memories I hour 12 min. Park, Ill. C&NW bought the right-of-way of Diesels on the Union Pacilic ..The Sequel min. Rocky Mtn. Railroad Club Excursions 1952-62. D&RGW Explore the scenic New Line over Sherman with SD-40·s. and U30·C·s. N.G., C&S S.G . Great Western, Pikes Peak Cog. U.P. 4-8-4. 1026. Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee's Shore Ride the cab of DDA40X 16922. 1014 o 55 $24.95 Line, which adj oins the Kenosha Subdivi­ o I: 57 $39.95 Narrow Gauge Vignelte min. Tehachapi Part The Santa Fe min. 2-8-0 /346 at Colo. RR Museum. Great Freight '79 on C&T with sion, along here after the North Shore aban­ Modern railroading through green Calilornia mountains and over the 0& RGW 1484. Durango & Silverton '82 Winter Excursion. 1005 marvel 01 Tehachapi Loop (1986). 1020 o Rails Across The Summil 28 min. $19.95 doned operations. The property enticed ad­ o 52 $39.95 Tehachapi Part It: The Southern Pacific min. This 1976 Film documentary ollhe Cumbres & Tollec Scenic joining homeowners to plant gardens and Features S.P. trains including the Unit Tank Train. "Daylight" engine Railroad won Cine "Golden Egal Award". 1012 4449 is seen on the Loop in 1984. 1021 o '83 28 min. $19.95 trees, which grew to the point C&NW felt it 55 $39.95 Doubleheader o Diesels West min. D&RGW narrow gauge Iwo·engine Ireight lettered 10 1940's had to do something to improve visibility. Filmed 1979-1981 in Wyoming. Colorado and Utah on Union Pacilic, battle grade on cumbres & Tollec. 1016 Rio Grande and Utah Railway. 1008 The irate gardeners, however, forced the 17 $19.95 o 35 $29.95 o The Sugar Cane Train min Kindig's Diesels min. The Lahaina·Kaanapali & Pacific on the Hawaiian Island of railroad to scrap that plan, and their toma­ Dick Kindig's 16mm diesel·era footage filmed 1971-72. Union Pacific. Maui hauls tourists behind 3 loot 4-4-9. 1018 toes survived the threat undisturbed. Burlington Northern and Rio Grande.l029. C&NW's Spine Line dispatcher took over at Dealers and Direct Visa ' MasterCard ' Discover ' Check ' Money Order control of Soo Line's trackage between Co­ mus and Rosemount, Minn., on June 2. :::. = order toll free :::. = - (800) 448-398 This trackage has a maximum speed of 40 =.-- .== 7 =- or (303) 770-8421 mph, but unit trains are limited to 30 mph. - --= =:VIDEO PRODUCTIONS 53.00 Shipping I lape. SI.OO each Additional Tape. VHS or BETA Thanks to Karl Rasmussen, Mi chael M. is Bartels, Tom Kra wczykowski, THE MIXED P.O. 4593 - P - CO 80155 TRAIN and THE NORTH WESTERN DISPATCH. Box De t E��ewood, .2'lM;!ii*ii1'l�'B·M3;13·tll·jf"'·kiNi� ;m··!!fij '!'t\ilmlf"I'G'Miffii.1e; •

PACIFIC RAILNews • 45 REG/ONALS

3,000 cubic foot covered hopper cars. MRL chose to purchase the cars rather than lease them, which many regionals do. The cars, representing a part of the 1992 capi­ tal improvement program, represent an in­ ------vestment of $4.2 million. ------Carloadings on Montana Rail Llnk were down for the first five months of this year. MRL moved 106,106 cars, down 4.1 percent from 1991. Bridge traffic totaled 70,895 cars, down 10.2 percent due to re­ duced movements of grain. Traffic that originates and terminates on MRL was up nearly 11 percent. Montana Rail Link will participate in the annual Railway Supply Association meeting in Chicago September 20-23. An exhibit with GP 19-1 151 and other equip­ ment is planned.

Iowa Interstate Survives Strike

-. Many regionals depend on the Class ls for ",":,rr.J..!· ' interchange of cars and trackage rights. . !":.. :-; ... - -.: ::--;,...�' ). ' When the Class ls went on strike June 24, it effected everyone, including Iowa Inter­ Repainted Gateway Western motive power is showing a new variation-silver trucks. GP38AC 2048 is the first locomotive wearing the new scheme. The unit was rebuilt at East Sf. Louis state. However, early that morning, train shops, but was repainted by contractor Mid American Car in Kansas City. Sonny Sellers Jr. 012 with locomotives 436, 430 and 484 was allowed on CSX trackage at Bureau, IlL, so it could get in to Blue Island yard in Santa Fe's first quarter report ending in Chicago. Train 011 arrived at Newton, Gateway Western Bridge Reopens March of this year shows that the compa­ Iowa, that same morning, though it could ny moved 15,000 cars on GWWR track­ Gateway Western's Mississippi River not proceed west, due to the C&NW being age-an increase of 60 percent over the bridge at Louisiana, Mo., was reopened shutdown in the Des Moines area. All jobs same time period in 1991. This figure is June 13 after being taken out by a barge on the lAIS, except morning switchers at expected to increase further. in mid-April. This ended detours on neigh­ Rock Island, Iowa City and Newton and boring Class 1 roads Norfolk Southern and the Atlantic "Rover, " were abolished. Burlington Northern. Big Sky Country News Part three of our operations review on That same day, GWWR fans were treat­ Iowa Interstate this month focuses on ed to an eastbound coal train with brand­ Montana Rail Link has started a new unit Newton the central Iowa operations point. new Santa Fe C 40-8Ws 834, 842 and 824 in coke train in conjunction with oil giant A sizable yard and crew change point is the lead. Reportedly, this service is from Conoco. Burlington Northern supplies open­ located there, as is one of the biggest on­ York Canyon Mine to a power plant in the top hoppers for loading at Conoco's Billings line customers, Maytag, which makes St. Louis area. No word yet as to ifthis is to refinery, which are then taken to Missoula. household appliances that are shipped out become a regular train on the GWWR. Oth­ There, a unit train consisting of 50 to 60 in containers. A 7 a.m. switcher works er interesting Santa Fe consists across Mis­ cars is made up, and using run-through Monday through Friday, reassembling souri included SD45-2 5815 leading SD40-2 MRL power, the train moves to West Shore train 011 and working the plant. A 4 p.m. 5206 and C30-7s 8163 and 8164 on an east­ Terminals at Roberts Bank, B.C., where it is job comes on, and works Monday­ bound June 16, and a trio of SF30Cs, 9520, loaded into ships for the Far East. Wednesday-Friday. It makes a Des Moines 9546 and 9513 on an eastbound June 23. MRL is receiving 100 new 100-ton, turn, handling interchange business with

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46 . SEPTEMBER 1992 Des Moines Union (NS and BN) and the leased former CSX four-bay coal cars for this revival comes as somewhat of a surprise C&NW. On Tuesday-Thursday, it works service from GATX. The cars were refur­ since WC had reportedly wanted to sell the the 36-mile Altoona-Pella branch, once bished at BN's Havelock, Neb., car shops. GP30s to Morrison Knudsen or EMD for use part of Rock Island's line into Keokuk, Other new business on WC includes in BN's GP39 rebuilding program-but the Iowa. Major customers in Pella are doubles tack service out of Green Bay to GP30s ancient Alco FA trucks don't make Rolscreen, which makes windows, and Chicago, thanks to the help of BN Ameri­ the units very marketable. Vermeer Manufacturing. ca. Traffic destined to Dallas and Houston With the anticipated takeover of Fox Riv­ In other news, new employee timetable formerly moved on the GB&W to BN at er Valley and Green Bay & Western, some of NO. 4 was issued on June 24, sporting a East Winona. Also, old tires are being GB&W's Alcos have been stored at Green yellow cover. shredded in Fond du Lac then shipped by Bay. Included are 313, 320, 322, 2400 and rail to Otter Tail Power at Big Stone City, 2403-2407. Wisconsin Central is currently S.D., to be burned as fuel. shopping around for motive power to start Wisconsin Central Gets Ore Contract It's time to welcome some classic power up the Fox Valley & Western if, and when back on line. WC sources indicated in early the sale is approved. The railroad is talking Wisconsin Central won a contract recently August that due to the railroad's booming to several sources, most notably Santa Fe, to move 1.6 million tons of iron ore for the business, motive power was in short sup­ which has a fleet of GP39-2s available. next year from the U.S. Steel Plant at Moun­ ply. To alleviate the problem, WC is going Th anks to Michael and Eric Udel­ tain Iron, Minn., to Birmingham, Ala. This to return an unspecified number of its ex­ hoven, Mon tana Rail Link, Allan Hunt, movement is routed DM&IR-WC-CSX, with Soo GP30s to service. Of the 17 units stored Wi sconsin Central, Bill and Kathy WC delivering the ore to CSX in the Chica­ at Stevens Point, 13 are serviceable and Ewinger, Darren Hill, Pete Briggs and THE go area. Reportedly, Wisconsin Central has could see work in upcoming months. This MIXED TRAIN.

SHORT LINES

to operate three days per week on the California Western Sells RS 11 eastern 21 miles of the ex-UP branch line Fort Smith Railroad loses Key Customer from the junction with the UP main line at The "Route of the Skunks " has sold its for­ Ontario through Vale and on to the Eagle­ The Rail-owned 51-mile Fort Smith mer SP low-nose Alco RSll 63 (ex-SP Pitcher plant at Celatom. The 133 miles of Railroad between Paris and Fort Smith, 2936) to Arkansas & Missouri Railroad. railroad west of Celatom is already being Ark., will be losing one of its main cus­ This Kyle-owned railroad now relies upon looked at by a few scrap firms. tomers. (See PRN 344 for details on this two GP9s (CW 64 and 65) for most of the A deciding factor in the decision to cur­ shortline operation.) Tyson Foods had pre­ work, but still rosters a high-hood Alco tail service to the Harney Basin was a viously complained to Union Pacific (for­ RS 11 61 and inoperative Baldwin RS12 55 highway crossing at Crane which has been mer owner and mainline connection of the plus 2-8-2 steam locomotive 45. The CW seriously damaged by recent heavy truck Paris line) about the poor service to its Alco was moved over Northwestern Pacif­ traffic. On its last two runs the crew had to poultry feed mill at Paris due to the condi­ ic on June 21 and 22, then was stuck in walk the train over this crossing due to the tion of the track. Tyson had pressured UP Roseville during the rail strike June 24-26 condition of the track. Rail service to the to pay for needed track work on the short (and was featured on a local TV newscast Harney Basin was first established by UP line, and UP had tentatively agreed to foot reporting on the strike while the reporter in 1929, was cut off by floods in March the bill for the work. In early July, Tyson was mentioning all of the SP locomotives 1984, was reestablished by Wyoming-Col­ tooks matters into its own hands when it shut down at Roseville) before heading orado Railroad in April 1989 and was cut announced that it would close the mill at east to Missouri via SP. again cut in June 1992, possibly forever. Paris due to the increasingly undepend-

Oregon Eastern Va cates West End Another new book from Benchmark Publications, Ltd.

The final train to leave the central Oregon Up Clear Creek on The Narrow Gauge towns of Burns and Hines departed on the morning of June 19 with all loaded and MODELING THE COLORADO & SOUTHERN empty cars from the west end of this rail­ road. The Oregon Eastern Division of \i..\i�'l t-1Il'· ' Up Clear Creek on the Na rrow by Harry Brunk ' Wyoming-Colorado Railroad will continue . I Gauge is the story of the author's ... �. HOn3 model railroad. He based his Union Central and Northern layout on the Clear Creek District of the 3- foot gauge Colorado & Southern Back Issues Railroad that ran from Golden, Colo­ rado, to just beyond Silver Plume. Available This book is not just a "how-to-do­ it" book - it is rather a book of inspiration and motivation reflecting AT ORIGINAL COVER the author's infectious enthusiasm for his modeling and his subject. Up PRICE! Clear Creek is also a history book - modeling the C&S as it was in the Some issues are in limited quantities. 1920s and 1930s required a lot of research. The author not only describes A collection of 54 articles reprinted from the bi-monthly so hurry! For a complete list. send a the railroad and its equipment, but NARROW GAUGE AND SHORTLINE GAZETTE, January self-addressed long (# 10) envelope to: also the houses, churches, mines, and 1980 - January 1989. Including an introduction, layout plan, businesses along the line. layout photo album and index never before published. Whether you are a model railroad­ PA CIFIC RAlLNEWS er, railfan or just curious about the Send your order to: P. O. Box 6128 intimate details of the Clear Creek Benchmark Publications, Ltd_ Canyon area of Colorado, you will P_ 0_ Box 26 • Po stpaid Glendale, CA 91225 $37 25 find something of interest in this book. Los Altos, CA 94023 CA residents add $2.70 Sales Tax

PACIFIC RAILNews • 47 Weyerhaeuser-owned Chehalis Western Railroad, which hauled logs to the Port of Tacoma, has shut down. One of the last empty log trains is shown climbing the L Street trestle at the base of Tacoma Hill as it leaves the city on June 15, 1992. The City of Tacoma is considering a pro­ posal to purchase the line for running excursion trains. Mark Miller able rail service. In its place Tyson is build­ Wells. It was purchased by the City of Min­ MW&E. In 1991 the railroad lost $270,000 ing a new high-capacity feed millalong the eral Wells in October 1989 and is operated and had only $ 100,000 in revenues. The UP siding at Spadra, Ark., 53 miles east of by Texas Transportation Consultants. The city council is rethinking its support of the Van Buren on UP's Van Buren Subdivision. city purchased the railroad to retain and railroad, especially considering the fact attract business. With a $500,000 federal that another federal grant would require grant and a voter-approved $280,000, the the city to stay in the railroad business for The End of the Mineral Wells & Eastern? railroad was rehabilitated and service was a minimum of 10 years. As for industries started. Former UP GP30 701 served as that use the local rail service, the volume The 21-mile Mineral Wells & Eastern, motive power, purchased at "half price" of traffic has been steadily decreasing owned by the City of Mineral Wells, Texas, from UP. In order to keep rail service, the since the city's takeover of the line. is on the verge of being shut down. The city of Mineral Wells was prepared to sub­ Thanks to Ken Meeker, Paul Taylor, line is the former Union Pacific Weather­ sidize the MW&E up to $50,000 per year. John Shaw, Vi c Ne ves, Tom Mo ungovan, ford, Mineral Wells & Western branch By June 1992 the Mineral Wells city the ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE and the which runs from Weatherford to Mineral council was ready to bail out on the FORT WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM.

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48 • SEPTEMBER 1992

ABOVE: Camas Prairie Railroad's Jaypee local climbs out of Orofino and across the trestle at Konkolville in April 1991. UP locomotives and BN cabooses are the current fare for this timber country short line jointly owned by the two railroad giants. W. R. Hooper

50 • SEPTEMBER 1992 ______T______M__ S_ T_A_T_____ I� ______H E G E E OF RAILROADING

RIGHT: Burlington Northern 6779 East takes the water level route across beautiful Lake Pend Or­ eille (pronounced "ponderay") as it departs the Funnel at Sand­ point in July 1991. Lindsay Korst BELOW: Great Northern had a large roster of gas-electric motor cars, one of which is shown pow­ ering a local freight at Bonners Ferry Junction on Aug. 22, 1949. The 2302 was unusual because it had a second engine added, in­ creasing its horsepower to 440; the car was scrapped in 1956. w.e. Whittaker

PACIFIC RAILNews • 51 ABOVE: UP's Kellogg Local treads lightly across the draw­ bridge on Idaho's Lake Chat­ colet on Aug. 1, 1990. Before returning to Spokane the local will stop at Plummer to inter­ change with short line St. Maries River. Blair Kooistra RIGHT: The mighty Snake River is a dominant topographical force in southern Idaho and Union Pacific's main to the Pa­ cific Northwest follows the wa­ terway for much of its journey across the state. On April 10, 1990, an empty grain train crosses the river on its east­ ward trek. Mel Finzer OPPOSITE PAGE: Having left the Spokane -Sandpoint "Funnel" behind, a BN No. 4 train-shown at Naples on July 4, 1991-has taken to the ex-GN High Line. A long trip across Montana lies ahead. Lindsay Korst

52 • SEPTEMBER 1992 THE GEM STAT E

OF RAILROADING

PACIFIC RAILNews • 53 BY ED RI PLEY

ive hundred million dollars. Even in an age when service, made Santa Fe's land worth less than compara­ sensibilities have been numbed by the common­ ble parcels "across the fence," that was just too bad. The place aggregation of zeros, that's a significant public officials ridiculed the suggestion that Santa Fe Famount of money. Californians should know, because in could pull up its tracks and plunk down subdivisions in coming years they will have to pay off bonds in that their place. After all, Santa Fe would have to go straight amount, and millions in interest as well, in order to buy to those same officials to get authority to build the subdi­ Santa Fe's trackage in the southern part of the state un­ visions-that is, if it survived what was sure to be a bru­ der a memorandum of understanding signed in June. tal abandonment battle before the ICC. Are they getting a good deal? Southern California's government agencies had to Historically, railroads were valued on the basis of their compete with the rest of the state for the $2 billion or so earning power-as railroads. Little thought was given to which California voters had authorized the state to raise whether the capital tied up in the railroad could be more through bond sales in 1990. Though state funds would productively deployed elsewhere. As anyone who has re­ be matched by local sales tax money, there was no way viewed a 19th Century 999-year lease can attest, rail­ the state would allow Santa Fe to walk away with a dis­ roads were intended as permanent improvements, arter­ proportionate share of the bond sale proceeds. Even ies of commerce that would flow freely forever. when Santa Fe made what appeared to be a drastic con­ Nowadays, though, it may no longer serve the best cession in August 1991, dropping its offer to $800 mil­ interests of railroads and their stockholders to keep rail lion, its take would still be enormous. The sale price the lines intact. Urban rights-of-way occupy real estate that public entities had in mind was $300 million. The half­ could be developed as offices, factories or homes. In ar­ billion dollar gap between the parties was too big to eas largely deserted by rail-dependent industries, prof­ bridge, and they stopped talking to each other. its from sale or development may dwarf those generated Earlier this year, one of the parties-probably Santa by the occasional switcher trundling down the back-al­ Fe-became frustrated with the impasse and suggested ley track with a covered hopper of plastic pellets and a a compromise. If Santa Fe would ante up more property, gondola loaded with scrap. the agencies could part with more money without losing Now place yourself in the position face. Santa Fe threw the 27-mile Har­ of the eight government entities that bor Subdivision and the 21-mile Escon­ wanted to acquire Santa Fe's Southern dido Subdivision into the pot, along California trackage to operate com­ with a portion of the San Bernardino muter trains. Or across the negotiating Shops, which are being closed. Even­ table in Santa Fe's seat. Do you value Santa Fe's tually, a package of lines and trackage the lines on the basis of their earning rights totaling 340 miles was included power as railroads? Or do you value in the deal. In response, the govern­ them as real estate? ment negotiators raised their price to From Santa Fe's perspective, the California $ 500 million, which apparently answer was clear. By the late 1980s, equaled Santa Fe's last and best offer. when Santa Fe first seriously confront­ That figure didn't include the counties' ed the issue, Southern California real agreement to forgive Santa Fe's out­ estate was ending a decade of incredi­ standing $45 million debt for the pub­ ble appreciation. Ordinary three and Sale: Who licly financed replacement of the rail four-bedroom homes on small lots in on the San Diego Subdivision in 1987- middle-class suburbs commanded 90, or the $80 million upgrading of the $ 300,000, $400,000 and more. With San Bernardino Subdivision (which wealthy immigrants flowing into the Won? was not sold) that would be necessary region, and land use laws restricting to accommodate through freight traffic house construction to below-market being rerouted off the Pasadena Subdi­ levels, no end to the price escalation was in sight. vision. Santa Fe had always expected the public to foot Santa Fe could see that the real estate tied up in its the bill for the latter expense, though. rights-of-way had become extremely valuable. Indeed, On balance, the $500 million sale-which must be re­ the escalating value of land scuttled the planned sale of duced to a binding agreement and survive state the San Jacinto, Redlands and Lucerne Valley branches review-looks like a better deal for the government than east of San Bernardino to California Southern Railroad, for Santa Fe. The public negotiators largely sustained their because the buyer couldn't make enough money run­ position that Santa Fe's lines should be valued as railroads ning freight trains to pay market value for the property. instead of real estate. Ironically, the fact that most of the When Santa Fe placed a $1.3 billion tag on 242 of its lines were in good condition may have worked against Southern California route-miles early in 1991, it could Santa Fe-the lines were maintained because there is a make a logical argument in support of that price. Not only public need for them, and the need depressed the price. had the land under the track become extremely valuable, The result supports the unsettling conclusion that in to­ but most of the track was in good-enough condition to day's market railroads can be worth more dead than alive. permit immediate operation of commuter trains. Santa Fe The agencies, though, might have missed an oppor­ was careful to contrast its manicured mains with the 175 tunity to drive a harder bargain and save almost $100 route-miles Southern Pacific sold the public late in 1990, million in the process. What if they had negotiated to which consisted of derelict ex-Pacific Electric trackage buy Olympia & York's 18 percent stake in Santa Fe when and excess-width right-of-way without any track at all. the financially wracked developer put its stock on the That logic, predictably, failed to sway the government market this past spring? The price 0& Y ultimately ob­ negotiators. Noting that the $ 1.3 billion price exceeded tained for the stock indicates the public entities could the market value of all Santa Fe Pacific Corporation com­ have bought it for a little over $400 million, thereafter mon stock, they derided Santa Fe's offer as a "train rob­ occupying O&Y's two seats on the board of directors. bery in reverse." As they saw it, Santa Fe's lines weren't Would an embarrassed Santa Fe have traded its South­ real estate, they were railroads . If the presence of the ern California lines for the stock, even up, just to get the tracks, and the resulting right the public had to railroad agencies off its board? It's an intriguing thought.

54 • SEPTEMBER 1992 PRN CLASSI FIEDS PRN AD INDEX

RATES: 45¢ a word/40¢ a word for ads running RAILFEST '92 Saturday, August 22. San Diego Mod­ A three or more months/$10 per issue minimum. el Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. An all-day ad­ American Alta Vista ...... , ...."'" .. "" .. ".".,, ...... 7 Payment in advance. We reserve the right to edit venture in railroading. Flea market 8:00-noon; B all copy and refuse any listings. Ads cannot be 16mm color films steam over Tehachapi, GN and . .. . , .. "".. "." ...... 47 acknowledged, nor can proof copies be sent. Milw. electrics, SP slim gauge and more. Benchmark Publications . .. . Closing date: two months before issue date. Tehachapi footage narrated by engineers who C Count all numbers, name and address. Home/of­ ran steamers over the mountain. Pop vote model Crossing Gate ...... , ...... "." .."." .. " ...... 11 fice street address and telephone number must contest: door prizes. S7 all activities; $2 for flea accompany order. market only. (6 19) 696-0 199 344-346 E Ente Studio . .., ."." .. , .. , .. , .. , .., .."."", .", " .., .. "" " ,13 FREE BROCHURE listing retired SP engineer Dick Mur­ TRANSIT COLLECTA BLES: Tokens, transfers, tickets, dock's popular railroad books now on sale. P.O. cap badges, arm patches, photographs, rule G Box 1346P, Ross, CA 94957 335-346 books, slides and many other items. Send S 1.00 for GNP Publications . , . " .. , .. , .. , .. , .. , ...... ,'"." .... , ...... 8 20-page catalog. O&CB Street Railway Collectibles, RAILFAN TIMETABLES are the essential trackside P. O. Box 27822, Omaha, NE 68127 344-346 I guides, packed with all the information you need Interurban Press ...... " . ". " . " . " . " ...... 2 , 15, 47 REAL CABOOSES . "."."...... 42 for railfanning. Like employee timetables, contains and Fairmont Motorcars for sale. Iron Horse Video ...... all Class 1 mainline and branchline stations, maps, Shoppers send LSASE to: A.S.F.R.R. Equipment Co., talking detectors, frequencies, freight symbols, sig­ P.O. Box 20 19, Fairfield, IA 52556. Serious buyers o nals, helper districts and more. Includes passenger call (515) 472-2020 345-347 Original Slideselier, . . . , .. , .. , .. ,", ..."'" .. , .."".,, ....48 supplement. CALIFORN IA $ 13.50, NORTHWEST (WA/OR/ID) $13.25, SOUTHWEST (AZ/NM) S9.00, WANTED: Mt. Lowe memorabilia: Postcards, P ...... ' 14, 43, 49, 56 (postpaid). Altamont Press, P. O. Box 754-P, timetables , photographs, Alpine Tavern/Echo Pentrex ...... 9 Modesto, CA 95353-0754 346 Mountain House souvenirs, etc. Have Mt. Lowe Plets Express Inc, ...... postcards for sale or trade. Paul Pakus, 904 WA NTED: Railroad books, paper collections, cyclo­ Etcheverry St. Ramona, CA 92065-3 116. (619) 789- 5 pedias, equipment registers, operating manuals, 1864. 346-348 Scale Model Supplies ...... ,."." .."." ...... ,46 timetables, lanterns, china and railroadiana. Steve Schrader Enterprises . . , .. , .. ,"'".,"'''".. " ...... ,.8 Botan, 19822A Lexington, Huntington Beach, CA RAILROAD BOOKS AT DISCOUNT. Check our low Simmons-Boardman . , .., .., ..,''''" .... ,''" .. ,,,..... ,55 92646. (714) 962-1 126 338-349 prices. Send LSSAE for list. Railroad Equipment, Southwest Electronics .. , ...... , .... ,"'''".. " ...... ,48 Dept. Q, 725 Fullerton Drive, Turlock, CA 95380. . . . " .., .., ...... 14 LOCOMOTIVE ROSTERS AND COMPUTER DATABAS­ Sundance Publication ...... 346-347 ES. Current SP, SF, UP or 8N rosters with up to 16 bits T WE PROVIDE MAPPING of information on each locomotive. Also available to the rail industry. These Trackside Prints .., .. , ..... , .. , .. , .." .. , .., .." .... " .. , .....48 same U.S. and Canadian maps are available to in IBM compatible computer databases (specify ...... Trains Unlimited ...... , .. ,." .. "."."...... ll diskette size). SlO.00 each, postpaid. SASE for de­ you. Send SASE for price and list to Railroad Infor­ tails. Slates Products, P.O. Box 4375P, Walnut Creek, mation Service, P. O. Box 142, Georgetown, TX W CA 94596 346-348 78627. 346-348 WB Video ., .. ,,,,,, .. , , .... , ... , ..... , ".", ". " .. , .. " .... ,,'.45

______changes in signal and communication technology, maintenance, design engineering and more - even descriptions of significant locomo tives 3rd Edition by and cars. The ever-chang­ !h�t!���:��g ing face of rail passenger John H. Armstrong service is described, as is intermodal traffic. Examinations of the less­ visible elements of the rom the coal-fed "iron horses" industry- administration, that helped build a nation to law, accounting and govern­ f the computer-assisted trans­ ment deregulation - make portation systems in use today. this one of the most the historyof the railroad is told in valuable single volumes of the revised third edition of this background information indispensable resource. New illustra­ available to anyone tions and diagrams help to explain interested in the world of the evolution of the railroad industry: railroading. NOW AVAILABLE $ 26 •95 - -- TO ORDER: PHONE: TOfi Free 800.228-96-; FA XIT: Orders must include VI;; MAtl:On prepaid orders Orders u.s.and in Nebroska 402-346-4300. 8 a.m. -4 p.m. or MASTERCARD Acct. No. and E�p. dote. odd SJ.50for pastage and Canada only. u.s. funds. CST Postage and handling $SOorders or more can be invoiced. handling. AJrchase Delivery in 2-4 weeks. charge is added. FAXPhone 402-346-1783. orders welcome.

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 55 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, 5-1/2 mile long the development of compound articulated Mallets train on level track. Their tenders carried 28 tons of and simple articulateds such as the Challengers. 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 25Big 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 -produced film you'll see vides a fitting backdrop for these handsome locomo­ tives as they run during their last years in service. This beautifully-produced film, written and directed Order Line: Check or Money Order by noted Union Pacific historian Allan Krieg, is one VisaIMasterCard 800-950-9333 that you'll enjoy watching again and again. #BIGBOY 25 Minutes $19.95 VHS or BETA 24 Hours A Day

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