• KCS: LAND OF THE HELPERS STEAM IN ST. LOUIS 11111111111111111111111111111111111111 r ~ WOODEN TRAIN PHONE Carl Loucks ... SELLING RAILROAD TIMETABLES 199 Wayland St., North Haven, CT 06473

SPECIALS OF THE MONTH ... a few of the more than 250,000 items in our stock, We do NOT sell any reprints. All are original railroad issue. You'll learn about railroad operations from these ... THE END OF AN ERA: Public system timetables of the last year of service before Amtrak. B&O/C&O Joint ...... 8 /01 /70 Illinois Central ...... 12/13n o Louisville & Nashville ...... 12/10/70 Milwaukee Road ...... 10 /25n O Missouri Pacific ...... 2/10/70 Norfolk & Western ...... 8 /01 /70 Penn Central (East-West) ...... 3 /03/71 #964 ...... $89.50 R F & P ...... 12/11 /70 Seaboard Coast Line ...... 12/ 11 /70 Southern Pacific ...... 10/20/70 Each timetable ...... $6. Five for ...... $25. All ten for just ...... $40 . EMPLOYEE TIMETABLES: The best way to learn about railroad opera­ tions. Line by line, branch by branch com­ plete details. ATSF-Eastern Region 1989 ...... $12. ATSF-Western Region 1989 ...... $12. CN-Great Lakes 1989 ...... $10. CP -Toronto/London 1988 ...... $12. CNJ -System 1971 ...... $10. CSX - Atlanta 1987 ...... $10. GTWIDT&I System 1981 ...... $9. NS - Eastern Div 1987 ...... $9. NS - Decatur Div 1987 ...... $12. PC - Eastern Region 1971 ...... $9. • Tone/Pulse Switchable • Fully modular P & L E - System 1978 ...... $12 . • Clang-Clang Ringer • Trimmed in Gold Tone Rock Island System 1979 ...... $15. in SOO LINE - System 1987 ...... $12. • Last Number Redial • Headlight lights up in red when use SP - Eastern Region 1986 ...... $10. • Will not scratch table • Well made with finest qualities SP - Western Region 1987 ...... $10. ANY FIVE ABOVE FOR JUST $40. ORDER FORM EMPLOYEE TIMETABLE NAME______STARTER KIT: Ideal for the new collector. Ten employee ADDRESS______,APT .# ____ timetables, hours of interesting reading about railroad operations. One each from the SP , CITY______--'STATE, ____,ZIP ______UP, IGC, SBD,SOU, ATSF, BN, MP, L&N , and GN. o Visa 0 Me 0 Discover 0 AE 0 Enclosed in check or money order All ten for $35.00 Please fill in NO. below for charge orders MAJOR RAILROAD EMPLOYEE TIMETABLES 0000000000000000 You'll receive seven different ETTs cover­ ing various divisions of these major lines. Signature X______Random dates from the 70's and 80's. Choose from: Exp. Date: ______YR. ___ SORRY - NO C.O.D.'S ATSF ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $30. CN ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $30. HOW MANY TOTAL PRICE ICG ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $3Q. U.S. SHIPPING & HANDLING CHARGES L&N ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $30. $75.00 to $150.00 add., ...... $ 8.95 N&W ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $30. I $150.00 to $295.00 add""" .... " ... "" ... $10.00 SP ...... 7 ETTs for ...... $30. OVER $300" "". """" FREE SHIPPING AI. Residents add 8% pi======l ANY FOUR SETS FOR ...... $100. DISCOUNT PROGRAM: Discou nt I OVER $t50.00 DEDUCT to% New Catalogue Issued Monthly l====~ Sent with each order or SSAE Shipping Charges I l====~ Carl Loucks TOTAL ENCLOSED IL... _____--' The Train Station P.O. Box 4923 . .. SELliNG RAILROAD TIMETABLES ... Call or write for our Montgomery, AL 36103-4923 199 Wayland Sr., North Haven, cr 06473 ... FREE CATALOG Phone (205) 240-8537 11111111111111111111111111111111111111 PACIAC RAIL Fro m the H ear t 1 and tot h ePa c i fie NEWS SE 1;EMBER 1990

PACIFIC RAIL NEWS a nd PACIFIC NEWS are regis­ tered trademarks o f Interurban Press, a Ca lifornia Corporation. Steam in St. Louis: NRHS 1990

PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree Four working locomotives wowed fans at this year's national convention EDITOR: Don Gulbrandsen ART DIRECTOR: Mark Danneman 20 Scott Muskopf and Paul Fries ASSOCIATE EDITOR: Mike Sc hafe r ASSISTANT EDITOR: Micha el E, Fa lk CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Elrond La w re nce EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Dic k Stephenson Renaissance on the Golden State Route CONTRIBUTING ARTIST: John Signor PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ray Geyer As the 1990s begin, there's been a revival of traffic on SF's Carrizozo Sub CIRCULATION MANAGER: Bo b Schneider 24 Chuck Conway RAILROAD COlUMNISTS AMTRAK/ PASSENGER-Dick Stephenson 655 Canyon Dr., Glendale, CA 91 206 Kansas City Southe rn: In the Land of Helpers AT&SF-Elrond G . Law rence 908 w. 25th St., Sa n Bernardino, CA 92405 Fighting the grades in the hill country of Arkansas and Missouri BURLINGTON NORTHERN-Karl Rasmussen 11449 Goldenrod St. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 32 Barton and Sarah Jennings CANADA WEST-Doug Cummings 5963 Kitchener St., Burnaby, BC V5B 2J3 C&NW-Michael W. Blasza k I I 910 N. Sherwood Dr., LaGrange Pa rk, IL 60525 DEPARTMENTS D&RGW-Richard C. Farewe ll 9729 w. 76th Ave., Arvada, CO 8CXXl5 4 EXPEDITER 38 CANADA WEST ILLINOIS CENTRAL-David J. Daisy 6 ATC HISON, TOPE KA & SANTA FE 40 REGIONA LS 746 N. Bruns Lane Apt. A , Springfield, IL 62702 8 SOO LINE 41 ILLINOIS CENTRAL MEXICO-Clifford R. Prather P.O. Box 925, Santa Ana, CA 92702 9 SH O RT LINES 43 CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN PRESERVATION-Bri an L. Norden 11 UNION PACIFIC 44 TRANSIT P.O. Box 3012, Industry, CA 91744 17 AMTRAK/PASSEN G ER 46 CITY SC ENE REGIONALS (EASD-George Widene r 7934A N. 64th Ct.. Milwaukee, WI 53223 18 SOUTHERN PACIFI C LINES 52 IMAGES OF RAILROA DI NG REGIONALS (WESD- Allen Meyers 37 BU RLIN GTON NORTHERN 55 PRN C LASSIFIEDS 15056 Binney St.. Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 SHORT LINES-Robert C. Ga llegos P.O. Box 379, Waukesha, WI 53187 PACIFIC RAILNEWS (USPS 862840) is published monthly by Interur­ EDITORIAL ADDRESS: Submit all photos, article submi ssions SOO LINE-Karl Rasmussen ban Press (a corporation) , 1741 Gardena Ave., Glendale, CA and editorial correspondence to: 11449 Goldenrod St. NW, Coon Rapids, MN 55433 91204. Second-class postage paid at Glendale, CA 91209 and ad­ PACIFIC RAI!.NEWS SP/ SSW-Joseph A. Stra pac ditional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: PACIF­ P,O, Box 379, Waukesha , WI 53187 IC RAILNEWS, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale, CA 91225. ISSN 8750-8486. (414) 542-4900 P.O. Box 2268, Huntington Beach, CA 92647 FAX: (414) 542-7595 UNION PACIFIC- Wayne Mong er SUB SCRIPTION RATES: $30 (U.S.) for 12 issues, $58 for 24 is­ 13OJSouthhampton Rd. #214, Benecia, CA 94510 sues. Foreign add $6 for each 12 issues. Single copy $4. 50 post­ BUSINESS ADDRESS:Address all correspondence regarding paid from Glendale office (subject to change without notice). subscription and business matters to : TRANSIT Interurban Press CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Office does not regularly for­ P.O, Box 6128, Gl endale, CA 91225 CHICAGO-Wynne DeCitti (818) 240-9130 LOS ANGELES-Norman K, Johnson w ard 2nd Class Mail and PACIFIC RAILNEWS is not responsible for copies not forwarded or destroyed by the Post Offi ce. Re­ FAX: (81 8) 240-5436 SACRAMENTO-Robert Blym ye r placement copieslPO notifications w ill be billed. Please allow SAN DIEGO-Chris Cucchiara us at least four weeks for any address change. MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: For all subscription problems and inquiries call: SAN FRANCISCO/ MUNI-Don Jew ell 1-800-899-TRACK WESTERN TRANSIT NOTES-Richard R. Kunz SUBMISSIONS: Articles, news items and photographs are wel­ come and should be sent to our Wisconsin editorial office . © 1990 INTERURBAN PRESS When submitting material for consideration, include return en­ CITY SCENE Mac Sebree, President velope and postage if you wish it returned. PACIFIC RAILNEWS Jim Walker, Vice-President BAY AREA/ CENTRAL VALLEY-Ken Rattenne does not assume responsibility fo r the safe return of material. CHICAGOLAND-Mike Abalos Payment is made upon publication. DENVER/ FRONT RANGE-Ric h Farewell ADVERTISING RATES: Contact Interurban Press, P. O. Box KANSAS CITY-Wayne Kuc hinsky 6128, Glendale, CA 91225; (818) 240-4777. LA./S, CALIFORNIA-Dick Ste phenson NORTH TEXAS-Kirby Pople PACIFIC NORTHWEST-Steve Hart COVER: On Aug, 23, 1985, SSW GP40-2 7255 splits the lower quadrants near Torrance, N,M" with the Sl lOUIS-Scott Musko pf and Paul Fries westbound KCWCM, The Carrizozo Sub, once SP's connection with Rock Island at Tucumcari, N,M" SOUTH TEXAS-Carl M. Lehman faced an uncertain future with the demise of the Rock, Then, SP "rescued" the line west of Kansas TWIN CITIES-Steve Glischinski City and restored the Golden State Route, Today, waves of doublestacks crossing the New Mexico WASATCH FRONT-Dave Gayer desert signal the importance of the line in SP's operational plan for the '90s, Chuck Conway

'PACIFIC RAILNews • 3 BC Rail received the last of its new GE Oash-840CMs in May; red-white-and-blue widenoses 4603 and 4608 are shown leading a southbound train at Onward, B.C. (just south of Williams Lake), on May 12, 1990. After the new GE products arrived on the property three groups of AlcojMLW M630s were dis­ patched east, leaving just eight of the "big Alcos" working for BCR. Eric Blasko

L.A. BLUE LINE OPENS: After commenced July 16, though modate vehicles, can accom­ a 29-year absence, rail transit rides were free until Aug. 1 modate those traveling on in Los Angeles County re­ when a flat fare of $1.10 with a rails. turned on July 16 with the 25¢ bus/rail transfer went into opening of the Metro Blue effect. Tickets are purchased BUMPER WHEAT CROP Line. The 22-mile line, stretch­ from machines located at the STRAINS CAPACITY: Bumper ing from Long Beach to down­ stations, with barrier-free ac­ red wheat harvests sent Santa town Los Angeles, is the first cess to the trains. Los Angeles Fe and Union Pacific railroads segment of a 150-mile rail tran­ County Sheriffs randomly in­ scrambling to find railcar ca­ sit system which, when com­ spect passengers to make pacity in the nation's prime • • pleted, will be the second sure that tickets are pur­ wheat-growing region. A quick largest in the country. chased; those lacking proof of harvest, coupled with heavy The Metro Blue Line was payment are issued citations. rains in Nebraska and Kansas funded entirely by Los Angeles Opponents of the new tran­ which have prevented trains County sales tax dollars from a sit system say that once full from moving to the Gulf to un­ measure, called Proposition A, fares go into effect, and when load, led to scattered railcar approved in 1980. The Line curiosity wears under the shortages. The unusual ripen­ broke ground in 1985 and grind of daily commutes, the ing pattern of this year's wheat opened on schedule with rail Blue Line will suffer from low­ crop led to simultaneous de­ vehicles running tests in June, er-than-projected ridership. A mand across the Southwest, 1989. The Sumitomo Corpora­ third of a million passengers causing some grain to be piled tion built the electrically pow­ rode the system during the on the ground for lack of ade­ ered cars at a cost of $1 million first week when travel was quate storage space. But com­ dollars each. A Blue Line car free, but transit officials have plaints were few, and the rail­ can carry 230 people seated already lowered their expecta­ roads largely satisfied their and standing, measures 87 feet tions of daily average ridership customers with increased traf­ long, and operates coupled in­ from 35,000 to 12,000. The fear fic and innovative collection to two-car trains. is that car-minded Angelenos techniques. One such effort in­ The weekend of July 14-15 will continue to drive, and that volved running "sweep trains" marked the opening of the most rail ridership will result that drop empty cars at eleva­ Blue Line with celebrations from a switch by bus passen­ tors to be picked up by the along its route and free rides gers. Only time will tell if Los same train the next day. Con­ LLI for passengers. Regular service Angeles, a city built to accom- sidering the size of the har- 4. SEPTEMBER 1990 vest, and the unusual harvest pattern, rail service succeeded with minimal difficulty in han­ dling its first capacity test of the 1990 season. RCAF CONNCESSION ABAN­ DONED: The Railroad Cost Ad­ justment Factor, a major con­ cession to the railroads under deregulation, has been aban­ doned by Class I railroads. The RCAF allowed railroads to quickly raise rates as long as the rate increases were in line with increased costs. The deci­ sion to abandon the RCAF is seen as a direct result of an ICC ruling last year to include productivity factors into the formula by which the carrier's cost base is computed. With this inclusion, rail costs have been going down according to the formula, and thus railroads The statehood centennials of Wyoming and Idaho were celebrated with a flurry of rail activity in July. UP no longer seek the protection ran a 19-car passenger special between Cheyenne and Boise to commemorate the festivities. On July of the RCAF. With increased 3, Idaho's "birthday," UP 5013 leads the UP president's train out of Nampa, while In the background at right, 844 walts to depart on the cutoff to Boise with the Centennial train. Steve Brown efficiency railroads have been able to lower rates while main­ taining or increasing profit In late July, two Union Pacific of double-stack trains, a service ries under contracts with SP. margins. The only remaining locomotive legends, Chal­ which SP operates in coopera­ The suit, brought by two rail question is whether carriers lenger 3985 and Centennial tion with FNM in Mexico . . . unions, charged that closed-cir­ will be able to return to the 6936, were unleashed from The random drug testing man­ cuit video was used to monitor RCAF rules in the future if Cheyenne for special trips. The dated by the Federal Railroad the tests, but Judge McNamara costs do rise quickly or unex­ DDA40X moved west to Oak­ Administration on SP resumed ruled that the violations were pectedly. land, where it hauled a Board last week after a judge denied not "purposeful" and that test­ of Director's special on the an injunction against testing ing, without video monitoring, BLUE WARBONNETS FOR 26th-in daylight up Feather conducted by private laborato- may resume. PROMOTIONAL TRAIN: River Canyon, to the delight of Around the first of August, Northern California fans. The Santa Fe took delivery of yet 3985, recently converted to an another GP60M, unit 146- ex­ oil-burner and repainted, was cept this time EMD sent the quietly dispatched on test runs unit out in primer, not red-and­ between Wyoming's capital silver paint. At press time, and North Platte to evaluate its PRN discovered that Santa Fe, performance. Reports indicate in conjunction with Maersk that if the tests are successful shipping lines, had a special the legendary UP steamer will project in mind for the 146. make its way to the River City During the first week of Au­ Roundup Days in Omaha in gust the unit was sent to Tope­ September. ka where a modified warbon­ net scheme was to be applied SHORTS: A four-foot section of to the unit in which "baby" blue track, weighing an estimated (not unlike Delaware & Hud­ 115 pounds, was removed from son blue we are told) replaced line near Bridgeport, Texas, red. After painting, the unit causing a northbound UP train was scheduled to make a trip to derail. The mile-long train to California, where a special was stopped a half-mile from Maersk "movie" train was to be the Bridgeport city limits, but assembled for filming a televi­ not before eleven cars and two sion commercial in Cajon Pass locomotives derailed. Although in mid-to-late August. Don't three tank cars on the train dis­ look for this baby blue warbon­ played hazard chemical signs, net to be running around haul­ all of them were empty ... SP ing Santa Fe freights after its recently concluded a five­ movie career is over: The unit month training program for lo­ is scheduled to be immediately comotive engineers from Mexi­ repainted in red and silver. co. A total of 153 Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico engi­ On July 14, light-rail re-established itself in Los Angeles as celebra­ UP BRINGS OUT ITS MUSE­ neers attended four-day class­ tions commemorated the opening of the Long Beach-L.A. Blue Line. UM PIECES: The far-ranging es designed to enhance train Just days before the inaugural, a test train is shown in the tunnel 844 is not the only member of handling skills and air brake south of downtown. To introduce the service to new riders, fares the Union Pacific "museum" knowledge. The classes partic­ were waived until Aug. 1; as a result, over 300,000 patrons were fleet in the news this summer: ular emphasized safe handling served in the first week of Blue Line service. Walt Stringer

PACIFIC RAILNews • 5 SANTA FE

Tunnel No. 1 in California's Tehachapi Mountains, offering a view of four track levels at once, is a great place to watch trains roll on a sum­ mer afternoon-especially now that Santa Fe's Super Fleet is becoming so common. On July 11, 1990, a 928 train (Richmond-Barstow) winds through the hamlet of Caliente with three red-and-silver units-two GP60Ms and an SDFP45-trailing a blue-and-yellow F45. Brian Jennison

pies 225,000 square feet, eight of the compared with $103.6 million last year. Santa Fe Moves All the Way . .. to building's 17 floors. The decrease was attributed to reduced Schaumburg results from the transportation and natural resources groups, somewhat offset by In late June, Santa Fe Railway's parent Layoffs Continue higher operating income from SFP's real­ company Santa Fe Pacific announced its estate group. intention to vacate its headquarters at the Of course, the decision to move is part of Sante Fe Railway reported an operating landmark Railway Exchange Building in the company's continuing efforts to down­ income of $29.2 million during the second downtown Chicago, and move to a small­ size and streamline operations-and two quarter, down from the $53.9 million re­ er, but more modern office building in the days after the move was announced, SFP ported in the 1989 quarter. Revenues de­ nearby suburb of Schaumburg. The move, handed layoff notices to 300 Santa Fe Rail­ creased 8.4 percent to $513 .2 million, which will take place by the end of 1990, way employees throughout the system. while carloadings decreased 4.1 percent was announced to some 350 workers at The greatest impact of the railway's latest and revenue per carload decreased 4.4 the 1903-built building at 224 South job-cutting (850 jobs were eliminated earli­ percent. Operating expenses decreased Michigan on June 29. Reactions were er this year) was centered at the railway's 4.4 percent, due primarily to lower labor, mixed, as many workers now commute to general offices in Topeka, Kan. , where lay­ material and fuel costs associated with work via public transportation and would offs totaled 125. The railway also an­ lower freight volume and the effect of re­ have to start driving to the auto-oriented nounced plans to cut AT&SF's work force cent cost-containment measures. suburb (in some cases employees would by an additional 1,200 by the end of 1992. The railway expects future quarters to have to purchase a car-or even learn benefit from AT&SF's recent restructuring how to drive). and reorganization efforts, as well as the The new headquarters will be located Second-Quarter Loss recent cutting of more than 1,000 posi­ at Two Century Centre near Woodfield tions (not counting the aforementioned Mall in Schaumburg. Santa Fe Pacific offi­ Santa Fe Pacific Corp. reported a second­ elimination of 300 jobs) in the second and cials say the company will realize "signifi­ quarter net loss of $1.3 million, or one cent third quarters. Santa Fe also is anticipat­ cant" savings at the new location; office a share, in 1990, compared with a net in­ ing increased efficiency in train opera­ space in Schaumburg rents for at least $5 come of $2 .7 million (two cents a share) for tions, with a good percentage of that in­ less per square foot than the going rate in the same period in 1989. Operating in­ crease coming from the new, more reliable the Railway Exchange, where SFP occu- come for the quarter was $72.3 million, GP60Ms.

6. SEPTEMBER 1990 railway and Ford Motor Co. have signed a Q-LANYl-13 struck an empty gravel truck From Six Divisions to Four Regions letter of agreement to handle approximate­ that had stalled on a crossing near Hol­ ly 21 ,000 trailers annually of auto parts be­ brook, Ariz. Otherwise, the units have Santa Fe announced plans to streamline tween EI Paso, Texas, and Detroit, Mich. managed to stay relatively trouble-free, the railway even further this summer, The service will begin during the first both internally and externally. Santa Fe with the consolidation of AT&SF's six op­ quarter of 1991, and will run for five years. expects the final 22 GP60Ms to be deliv­ erating divisions to four regions, effective Ford loadings on AT&SF trains continued ered by the middle of August; the fleet of Aug. 15. to be heavy throughout the month of June red-and-silver Dash 840-Bs should begin "The consolidation is a part of our ongo­ between Kansas City and Oklahoma City; arriving in October. ing efforts to streamline operations to en­ however, Ford was expected to take its an­ sure we can be a strong, efficient railroad," nual shutdown for vacation during the first A. W. Rees, vice president-operations at two weeks of July .. . Santa Fe's first ship­ System Shorts . .. Chicago, explained. "The four regional of­ ment of autos for Mercedes-Benz was a On July 14, the railway's north mainline fices will be able to manage larger territo­ huge success, as the manufacturer was track was washed out west of Kingman, ries with the technology we have avail­ pleased with the transit time of the move­ Ariz., on AT&SF's Seligman Subdivision, able today." ment-which originated at Ridgeline, Each region will be responsible for N.J., and traveled via Streator, Ill., to Com­ forcing Santa Fe to detour trains over the 1,900 to 2,300 miles of track, broken down merce, Calif.-and also with the damage­ south track for more than nine hours . . . into the following: free condition of its cars upon arrival Several more trains were detoured when a • Administrative functions at Newton, .. . The Los Angeles Intermodal Facility bridge at Topock, Calif. (near the Colorado River). was struck by fire and had to be re­ Kan. , and Winslow, Ariz., will be trans­ handled a record 2,031 lifts on June 19. constructed by railway forces in early July. ferred to the four remaining offices at The record-setting day included the load­ Kansas City, Kan. , Euless (Fort Worth), ing of three stack trains, in addition to the A number of trains, including the hot 891 Texas, Albuquerque, N.M., and San handling of UPS and USPS traffic . .. And and 198 trains, had to be detoured over Bernardino, Calif. The dispatching func­ finally, AT&SF is participating in four test AT&SF's Parker line ... Santa Fe has a tions at Newton and Winslow will be con­ shipments of coal in 11O-car movements new contractor, Piggyback Services, oper­ solidated through the balance of the com­ from York Canyon, N.M., to Sibley, Mo. ating the intermodal facility at Richmond, ing year. Other coal loadings from the York Calif., as of July 1 ... And finally, the 178 • The newly formed Eastern Region will Canyon-Jansen area are following their and 981 trains were abolished July 1, on be based in Kansas City, and will include normal pattern. account of the termination of AT&SF's op­ all of the Illinois Division and part of the erating contract with Transamerica Distri­ Kansas Division. bution. Traffic formerly moving on these • The new Southern Region will be head­ Super Fleet Update trains will be consolidated into the regular quartered in Euless, and will consist of the intermodal pool. former Texas Division and a small part of As of July 18, Santa Fe had received 41 Thanks to Santa Fe Railway, O.R. the Kansas Division. units of its GP60M fleet, with red-and-sil­ Bixler, Jim Grey, Jay Hawk, Robert H. • The territories currently under the New ver 140 being the highest-numbered "Su­ Seale, and Starpacer. Mexico and Arizona divisions will be re­ per 60" on the property. Two of the named as the new Central Region and will GP60Ms, 104 and 118, were at EMD's La be headquartered in Albuquerque. Grange plant for testing during July. The • And finally, the California Division will 100-class units are making their way be renamed as the new Western Region. throughout the system now and are show­ There will be no increase in territory for ing a strong presence on the railway's in­ the Western Region, which will remain termodal traffic, as planned, but are also headquartered at San Bernardino. being sighted on less-than-hot general merchandise traffic. In addition, the 100s aren't always making it on the point. Business Notes something many fans see as somewhat A beautifully designed u[jrnited Editiontl commemorative medallion sacrilegious! But for the most part, the of Union Pacific steam locomotive #8444 made of one ounce .999 pure silver. Each coin is individually serial ized and authenticated: Santa Fe has been awarded a contract GP60Ms can usually be found on the point encased in an air tight capsule for preservation and presented in an from General Motors to transport motor ve­ (as God and Santa Fe intended), and sev­ attractive display casco An ideal gift fo r railroad buffs, coin collectors and investors. On ly S29.95 plus $3.00 postage & insurance. hicles in and out of San Diego, Calif. , start­ eral of the units are powering the hot Satisfaction guaranteed. Send order to: ing April 1, 1991. The new business repre­ 198/891 and 199/991 trains in solid sets of sents 1,800 carloads of new autos into San three and four. Silver Images Diego, and about 920 shipments of vehi­ One of the newest GP60Ms, the 133, re­ I I po Box 33514, Denver, CO 80233 ,I V/S4 rll. cles eastbound out of San Diego ... The ceived some damage on July 14, when the - CO res. add 3% sales tax . . .

SOMETHING NEW IS ALWAYS COMING DOWN THE TRACK FROM GANDY·DANCER v I U E 0 9 RATON PASS, PART I RATON PASS, PART II Experience the daily operations in this two-part series, as the Santa Fe struggles to move tonnage over famous Raton Pass. Witness the brute horsepower of multi-unit lash-ups and helpers required to double and triple the hill, as Q-Service piggybacks and Amtrak twist their way over the 3.4 percent grade. The action on the Santa Fe never ends!

Each part - $49.95 - 90 mins., quality color, stereo sound and narration. Order from Gandy Dancer Productions, 1430 41st Avenue, Greeley, CO 80634. (303) 351-0758. Check, M.O., Visa, Me.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 7 SOO LINE

Soo Line S060 6043 leads a southbound unit coal train with 118 loads over the Kankakee River bridge at Momence, III., on June 21, 1990. Since last year, Soo Line Evansville trains have traversed the joint UP-CSX (ex-C&EI, MP) "Iron Curtain" while utilizing Dolton (Chicago)-Terra Haute, Ind., trackage rights over CSX. The high-speed, double-track line hosts up to 30 trains a day among the three railroads. Paul Meyer

for replacement. Should CPR decide to re­ Kansas City Line Sale Faces Slow Going Will Purchase Impact Soo? tain Shoreham Shops as a heavy mainte­ nance base, much of the work performed The trade press remains skeptical over Earlier this year, we speculated as to what on American-built motive power for both the chances of an immediate conveyance impact the proposed acquisition of D&H subsidiaries could be accomplished in of Soo's Kansas City line to Rio Grande In­ by parent Canadian Pacific Ltd. might Minneapolis. dustries. In a TRAFFIC WORLD article, the have on its Midwest property. The time for various legal battles shaping up with BN, serious evaluation is at hand, as the C&NW and KCS were analyzed, each rail­ trustee for D&H Railway approved CP's Status of Run-through Operations road citing peculiar damages the pro­ $25-million acquisition of the bankrupt posed sale could inflict on its operating property in early June. The purchase is As of late June, run-through operations and marketing positions in the Midwest. subject to the negotiation of labor agree­ with CP Rail remain limited to the Rail­ Negotiations with C&NW over the joint ments and to ICC approval, which must be runner trains between Chicago and Toron­ trackage with Soo extending eastward rendered within 90 days of submission. tolMontreal. After a short period of de­ from Kansas City are proceeding slowly. Although CP was unable to receive certain creased CP SD40 sightings into Chicago THE WALL STREET JOURNAL took an in­ trackage rights concessions from Conrail, during May, the application of "action red" depth look at the current financial dis­ the states of New York and Pennsylvania EMDs into the Windy City returned to nor­ tress RGI is experiencing, with a down­ will provide $8.5 million for the improve­ mal levels by early June. On the 9th, for turn in traffic exacerbated by a hike in ment of 600 miles of D&H-owned track. example, eight of the 5400-5414 and 5500- fuel costs and increased competition With the rehabilitation of the deterio­ 5564 series units normally used in this from neighboring roads. With 1989's loss rated track structure arranged for, CP will pool were on hand at Bensenville. One of of $66 million, RGI/SP will be hard now concentrate on the rolling stock and those unusual assignments of pure Soo pressed to raise additional capital to pur­ marketing changes required to turn a prof­ power occurred on June 6, as SD40-2s chase the Kansas City line from Soo and it. As suggested earlier, it is likely that 66181770 and SD40A 6409 led a 78-car No. spend upwards of $200 million to im­ MLW power maintained in Montreal will 500 out of Chicago. prove the line to standards comparable be used to power trains across New York It is expected Soo will begin operating to competitors BN and Santa Fe. With the and Pennsylvania. While some of the bet­ its SD40-2s and SD60s into Winnipeg on a continued "softness" of the nation's econ­ ter EMD four-axle road-switchers on D&H daily basis sometime later this summer. omy heading into the third quarter of are actually owned by CSX, much of the As of early July, at least 57 six-axle units 1990, it is doubtful that management can remaining power may be deemed surplus had received the CTB-mandated require­ take any significant action in this matter and moved west to Soo. The fleet of aging ments to work across the border. until 1991. Soo GP9s and ailing ex-MILW GP40s begs In a somewhat related development,

8 • SEPTEMBER 1990 Soo has been handling cars of newsprint on June 22, as SD40R 7372 and B30-7 7787 hot weather in early July was responsible in green CPR boxcars of the 81000-series assisted Soo GP38-2s 4409/4433 on a for a nasty derailment on freshly upgraded between Superior, Wis., and Chicago. It is heavy 59-car No. 216 at Muscatine, Iowa. track located west of Charles City. On a speculated this traffic originates in Thun­ Two days later, SSW B30-7 7791 trailed more positive note, a CP Rail track dynam­ der Bay, Ont. , and is moved to the Twin Soo SD60s 6028/6048 on a 116-car No. 226 ics test car was noted working the Kansas Ports via the Incan Superior. This traffic is out of Nahant. Rio Grande Industries­ City line across the southeasterly corner of often spotted on trains 76 and 77 between owned cabooses continue to frequent Soo the state in late June. Superior and St. Paul. as well, with Rio Grande car 01501 and SP hacks 1775 and 4634 at Bensenville on June 9. Equipment News Shorts Operations Highlights On the north end of the system, July 6 found a couple of unusual motive-power Soo has acquired some five-bay, rapid-dis­ Some notable train operations from the sets, with coal train No. 280 departing St. charge hoppers on a lease basis, number­ first part of the summer were concentrat­ Paul behind C&NW SD40-2s 6836/6932 ing them in the 121500 and 121600 series ed on the Kansas City line. With Soo's nor­ and UP SD60M 6174, while a short No. 402 .. . The last of 21 units to receive the dy­ mal desire to keep six-axle units on its arrived in the Capital City behind SD60/fu­ namic brake retrofit package is SD40-2 main lines, it was unusual to see No. 222 el tender set 6008 /4002/6013 and SD40-2s 787. This unit was spotted at Shoreham on depart Nahant, Iowa, on June 24 w ith a 7601761, trailed by GTW (ex-DW&P, nee June 28, with sister 6608 released earlier quintet of Geeps (4404/4432/4511120261 CN) caboose 53103. in the month ... GPCAT 4301 was in the 2031) handling 96 cars and 7,225 tons paint shop at Generation II in Babbitt, bound for Kansas City. Similar unusual ap­ Minn., as of late June, the first of three plications of Geeps have occurred on the Iowa Track Maintenance Report GP30 conversions ... EMD SD35s 15361 Mason City line, including No. 631 at New 1557/155811565 were stored serviceable at Hampton, Iowa, on June 11, with a trio of The quick removal of welded rail from the Shoreham as of June 7. Sisters 1542115541 GP40s in "bandit" paint (2036/201112025). recently abandoned Brooten line has 1555 joined them as of July 6. These units Another trio of GP40s (2036 /460112 045) helped Soo improve trackage on the for­ should all see service later this summer trailed SD40 756 and SD40-2 757 on an mer Milwaukee Road line extending east when work train and grain carloading pick eastbound at Charles City, Iowa, on July 1. from Mason City to Marquette, Iowa. In up again. Soo participated in the delivery of Rio mid-June, salvaged rail was being Thanks to LaVern Andreessen, Dou­ Grande's new GP60s, as the 3154 and 3155 dropped in the vicinity of New Hampton, glas Carveth, Mike Cleary, Joe DiBella, were noted at Bensenville on May 27. A including a planned siding extension in Michael Kiriazis, TRAFFIC WORLD and THE typical application of SP power took place that community. Unfortunately, a spell of WALL STREET JOURNAL. SHORT LINES

According to one employee, the route is cur­ switching for some civilian customers lo­ Another One in the Southwest rently (mid-July) operating seven days per cated adjacent to the base trackage. Ellis week, though officially movements are & Eastern owns the trackage and per­ In the past year, several new short lines made on an as-needed basis. Operations forms switching services for two other in­ have begun operations in the Southwest, are based out of Perrytown, Texas, and dustries, a bulk oil facility and a cement including Mineral Wells & Eastern, Texas­ trains are operated as needed over the line company. New Mexico and Chapparal. Now we can between Spearman and Shattuck. South­ Operations over the line are as-needed welcome another operation in the region, western also has rights to the line as far using E&E's two units: ex-GTW SW1200 the aptly named Southwestern Railroad. west as Morse, Texas, and the connection No . 7, formerly GTW 1509, and No. 17, for­ Southwestern began operations on June with Texas Northwestern Railroad, but has merly CN 6718, an SW900. Both units are 15 over two disconnected stretches of for­ not operated on this part of the line. Cur­ painted in E&E's attractive wine red and mer Santa Fe trackage: the branch be­ rently, the line is being operated with the are lettered for E&E. Additionally, E&E tween Shattuck, Okla., and Morse, Texas startup power of three Santa Fe GP7Us has sold a two-mile stretch of trackage in­ (although the railroad is only operating as (2171 , 2211 and 2182) which are being used cluding a yard in Sioux Falls to BN, as BN's far as Spearman), and branches in the until the Southwestern's own Geeps arrive. own facility is rather cramped. Other oper­ Santa Rita, N.M., area. Southwestern Rail­ ations over this non-common carrier in­ road is a subsidiary of Western Railroad clude trains coming off Buffalo Ridge Rail­ Builders, the operator of Wyoming-Col­ Enigmatic Ellis & Eastern road in Minnesota. The BFRR line is the orado and Oregon Eastern railroads and portion of this former C&NW line which the company reportedly involved with the Off-the-beaten path railroads such as the runs into Worthington, Minn. purchase of several UP branches in Idaho mysterious Border Pacific in Texas and and Oregon. D&I in Iowa are fascinating; we always As for operations on the two lines, the enjoy hearing about unique operations Short Stuff New Mexico lines base their operations that you come across in travels. This out of Hurley, and operate as needed. Un­ month we've got a report on a little-known Oregon Eastern is experiencing very low der Santa Fe ownership this trackage was short line in South Dakota, the Ellis & traffic levels during its first few months of known for its unit copper ore trains and Eastern based out of Sioux Falls. operation. Trains are operating only once the power which was assigned to those Ellis & Eastern began operations in per week although a second train is oper- trains: U23Cs, SD39s and later SD26s. To­ May 1989 over 14-miles of a former C&NW day, however, the line is operated by for­ branch in the vicinity of Sioux Falls, S.D. mer Santa Fe Geeps. The mining activity The line was purchased by the Sweetman has abated, and today the Southwestern is Construction Co. so that rail access would IT'S CIRCUS TIME looking forward to thriving on the remain­ be maintained to the company quarry in From Jul09 to SeplO, the Ringling Bros. Barnum & ing traffic. Sioux Falls. Interestingly, the parent com­ Bailey Circus "Blue" train will be roaming California. On the line out of Shattuck, a completely pany has never applied for common-carri­ (The "Red" unit will cover TX KS IL WI MO.) If you different kind of operation exists. This is a er status through the ICC. This operation want to know where they '/I Jump next, subscribe to granger line and traffic is almost exclusive­ Flimsies - it's just $25/year for 26 issues. is similar to the Army's operation in North Flimsies, P.O. Box 6776-P, Orange, CA 92613 ly seasonal grain and agricultural products. Carolina in which the military performs

PACIFIC RAILNews • 9 PACIFIC RAIt. From the Heartland to the Pacific NEWS

OVER 75 ISSUES - ONLY 50¢ EACH!

Issue Month Features Issue Month Features Issue Month Features

161 Mar 75 Rio Grande Power Parade 192 Oct 77 SF CF-7s From Cleburne 217 Nov 79 PCC Cars of San Francisco Yard Service Alaska Railroad GP7s FMC-The Custom Car Builder 165 Jul 75 Amtrak at Age Four 193 Nov 77 Shipyard Railway 218 Dec 79 Winter Western Railroading 166 Aug 75 4449 Goes East Muni's First LRV's To Lake Tahoe by Train Alamo City Electric 194 Dec 77 Amtrak at 6 219 Jan 80 C&NW Alcos in S. Dakota 167 Sep 75 Colton Tower Muni's New Subway 220 Feb 80 Sierra Passenger Farewell California's Electrics 195 Jan 78 BC Provincial MuseumTrain SP in the Rio Grande Valley 169 Nov 75 DOT Tommorrow SP Tests GE Locomotive 221 Mar 80 Weyerhaeuser Logging 4449's Back West 196 Feb 78 Rio Grande Western 222 Apr80 Morrison-Knudson 1979 172 Feb 76 Shay for the Sierra Railroad Sierra's Climax Locos Union Pacific Shows the Flag SP's Red, White & Blue Trio 197 Mar 78 50 Years of Moffat Tunnel 223 May 80 Rock Island Ceases 173 Mar 76 U.S.S.'s Pitts Bicentennial Key System Remembered The Future for SP Commutes Morrison-Knudsen 1975 198 Apr 78 Frisco Motive Power 224 Jun 80 SP Steam at Castro Point 175 May 76 Bicentennial Apache Railway California Western's 2-6-6-2 225 Jul80 Western Pacific Merger Puget Sound 199 May 78 Western Pacific's F-Units Railroad Safety 176 Jun 76 The G12's Bow Out One Weekend with 4449 226 Aug 80 BN's Stevens Pass Virginia & Truckee 28 200 Jun 78 4449 Returns Home 227 Sep 80 Railroading in San Diego, CA 177 Jul76 West Bicentennials 201 Jul 78 UP's Es Return to the NW Seattle & No. Coast RR SF's New Barstow Yard BN's Alco Units Today 230 Dec 80 Railfair Sacramento 1981 178 Aug 76 Amtrak at Age Five 202 Aug 78 SP's August Roster 231 Jan 81 UP's Sherman Hill New Power for the OC&E Amtrak's Planning Dept. Mt. Rainier Scenic RR Steam 179 Sep 76 Here Comes the LRV! 203 Sep 78 BN's F-Units in Pacific NW 232 Feb 81 Destruction of SP 1294 Sierra Rail Runs Diesels too. 204 Oct 78 Mexicano del Pacifico Amtrak's Newest 180 Oct 76 Western Pacific's Fs Rayonier in the Rain 233 Mar 81 Georgia Pacific MU Controls for the 4449 205 Nov 78 SP's Last Steam Runs 234 Apr81 Heber Creeper and SP 1744 181 Nov 76 Last of the South Park Line Condon Kinzua & Southern White Pass & Yukon Steam UP Motive Power Summary 206 Dec 78 The Panama Railroad 235 May 81 Manitou & Pikes Peak RR 182 Dec 76 SP's Donner Pass 4-4-0 #8 Steam on the Sierra To Whittier, AK 3 Times a Day Amtrak's Non-Western Equip. 207 Jan 79 Santa Fe Motive Power 236 Jun 81 Morrison-Knudson 1981 183 Jan 77 Amtrak 1 st Class (pt. 1) UP 8444 Steams into Utah Rise & Fall of SP's GE U50s Metro/BART Compared 208 Feb 79 Western Fights Snow 237 Jul 81 Mt. Rainer Scenic RR 184 Feb 77 Amtrak 1st Class (pt. 2) Cables Most Tourists Miss Chehalis Western DOT's Fast Track at Pueblo 209 Mar 79 Cali. Baldwin Logging Mallets 238 Aug 81 Fighting Snow in Winter 1982 185 Mar 77 White Pass & Yukon Route 210 Apr 79 PE Red Cars Remembered Railfair Sacramento 1982 BC's Royal Hudson Morrison-Knudsen Activities 239 Sep 81 Cumbres & Toltec 489 186 Apr 77 Morrison-Knudson 1976 211 May 79 Western Pacific Railroad Streetcars Roll in Seattle Royal Hudson's U.S. Tour Crisis Faces Milwaukee 240 Oct 81 Mergers -Iowa RR Co. 187 May 77 4449 Transcon Journey 212 Jun 79 British Columbia Steam 241 Nov 81 Up 3985 Again Rolls West 188 Jun 77 Black Mesa & Lake Powell Coor's Golden Brewery Rail Silverton NG 100th Birthday 4449-The Journey Home 213 Jul 79 The Utah Railway 242 Dec 81 Granby Consolidated Mining 189 Jul 77 Weyerhaeuser's FM Loggers Black Diamond & Pinon Pine North Central Texas Railway 190 Aug 77 Rock Island Lines 214 Aug 79 Stalking the Shortlines 243 Jan 82 Amtrak West in 1982 British Columbia Railway 215 Sep 79 Coal and the Railroads Tembler Ridge Electrification 191 Sep77 The Nezperce Railroad Plaster City's Narrow Gauge 244 Feb 82 Goodbye Rio Grande Zephyr UP's Stock Show Specials 216 Oct 79 Milwaukee Road West 245 Jul 83 3716 Movie Queen

Now Available: These Pacific News issues from 1975 to 1983 (some are in limited quantities). Original cover prices were from $1.00 to $2.00. INTERURBAN Order now and save! PRESS The deal-50¢ per issue (10 issue minimum). No sales tax. Shipping: Add $2.50 first ten copies, then 25¢ each additional copy. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. P.O. Box 6444, Use your Visa or MasterCard ($20.00 minimum). Glendale, CA 91225 Send card number, expiration date, and name as shown on card. Offer expires Nov. 1, 1990. (818) 240-9130 ated if needed. The former Oregon & Northwestern Baldwins are in storage in­ side the mill at Burns and are apparently up for sale. One may soon be making its home at California's Portola Railroad Mu­ seum ... Rail Link CF7 No. 555 is report­ edly working at the Dow Chemical Plant at Freeport, Texas. Rail Link is an outfit which contracts with large companies to switch their plant trackage ... Phoenix Chemicals in East Dubuque, Ill. , has a small electric railway operation at the plant there. Does anybody out there have any information on this operation? . ConAgra at Dubuque, Iowa, is currently using former Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer No. 100 to switch its facility .. . Louisiana & North West (see PRN 309 Short Lines column) has reportedly sold F7As 45 and 47 to a party in Texas. The units were seen in transit at Shreveport, La. , in May. Several of the remaining Fs are still on hand as backup units ... The Short Line Enterprises operation on the Newhall Movie Ranch in Castaic, Calif., A pair of Baldwin AS616s can still be found working in Southern California, as this May 2, 1990 photo attests. Trona Railway units 52 and 53, both built in 1951 , can be found working has apparently moved its equipment to a the 31-mile short line between Trona and Searles, Calif.; this scene shows the venerable pair site on SP's Santa Paula Branch at Piru, switching the giant Kerr-McGee (Trona Railway owner) complex in Searles. Herb Johnson Calif., as a result of losing its lease ... Grand Canyon Railway has put its newest and largest steam locomotive into and Wilroads gardens in Kansas. This ern Geeps-4490, 4492 and 4493- dam­ service, 2-8-0 No. 29. This ex-LS&I Consol­ granger line took over the operation from aged in March when the units hit a idation needed nearly 10,000 man-hours of an aborted tourist operation and has ac­ washout at speed and plunged into a restoration work. The 29's presence has al­ quired the former operator's power as creek, are being repaired by Wisconsin lowed GCR to run an extra when demand well, an Aleo Sl and a GE 45-tonner. The Central at North Fond du Lac, Wis., using exists ... San Luis Central has received line is looking at the possibility of opening parts stripped from an ex-Santa Fe GP7. In an ex-Coors Brewery SW8 . San Luis Cen­ a transloading facility on line. Additional­ the interim, WSOR has been relying on tral, a 15-mile grain and produce hauler in ly, DCF&B has acquired a CF7 for the op­ two operational ex-AT&SF GP7s-deliv­ central Colorado, has already repainted eration ... Kiamichi Railroad has report­ ered only the day before the wreck-for the unit in a green-and-yellow scheme. edly acquired a pair of ex-Kansas City motive power. The line was formerly powered by a GE Southern slugs, Nos. 4050 and 4055, as Thanks to Joe Shine, Fred Longley, 70-tonner ... Dodge City, Ford & Bucklin well as five ex-KCS Geeps. The slugs are Steve Blais, Ellis & Eastern Railroad, has begun operations over a nine-mile former F-units which have been rebuilt in­ Southwestern Railroad, FLIMSIES, THE stretch of trackage between Dodge City to slugs .. . The three Wisconsin & South- SHORT LINE and L OCOMOTIVE N OTES II. UNION PACIFIC

Cheyenne on July 7. Directly behind the many local people to ride the train as pos­ On the Road with the Wyoming-Idaho 6936 on a special heavy-duty flatcar was sible, UP' had distributed tickets for each Centennial Train cosmetically restored 100-year-old Ten­ short section of the train's journey weeks wheeler 1243, another member of the "his­ earlier to local city and county govern­ On July 3, 1890, nearly seven years after toricallocomotive collection" that calls ments. In many cases, the people who got Oregon Short Line Railway Company Cheyenne home. At 9 a.m. on June 27, the to ride the train were people "who knew pushed a railroad west across the Idaho 28-car train departed Cheyenne. The train somebody who knew somebody," a system Territory roughly following the main Ore­ was longer than expected due to the addi­ gon Trail, Idaho was admitted to the United tion of nine passenger cars moving from States as the 43rd state. Just one week lat­ Cheyenne to Green River, Wyo.-the con­ er, on July 10, Wyoming was admitted as sist of a train for UP President Mike Walsh the 44th state. Because the histories and and invited guests that would indepen­ economies of both states are so closely in­ dently travel on to Oakland. Because of tertwined with the Union Pacific, it is only the demands on UP's passenger fleet, it fitting that some of the largest celebrations was necessary to borrow two sleepers of these centennials revolved around the from C&NW to fill out the Centennial travels of a 19-car UP passenger train oper­ Train's consist. ating between Cheyenne and Boise. The schedule of the train was designed Just three days following the return of to fit in with community celebrations the 844 and train from the NRHS conven­ along the way. Every day the train made tion in St. Louis, Steve Lee and his crew anywhere from two to six stops, each av­ had the Wyoming-Idaho Centennial Train eraging 45 minutes, to accommodate the ready to head west from Cheyenne. Up local public, politicians riding on board, front-as usual-was the 844, trailed by traveling members of the press and the the auxiliary tender and DDA40X 6936 for 200 people that got off the five coaches at CARSON HOME VIDEO assistance on the many hills they were to each stop to be replaced by 200 new rid­ BOX 42582, Phiia., PA 19101 encounter before arriving back in ers for the next leg of the trip. To allow as

PACIFIC RAILNews • 11 tIe train for the public and VIPs in the im­ mediate Cheyenne area.

Advanced Train Control System Gets a Field Test

The futuristic Advanced Train Control Sys­ tem (ATCS) that both UP and BN are help­ ing develop got its first real test from mid­ May to mid-June. This system, when fully implemented sometime in 1993 or 1994, will issue work orders for local trains, al­ low direct information input from conduc­ tors in the cabs of locomotives (using on­ board computer terminals) to the National Customer Service Center in St. Louis as well as up-to-the-minute orders for cus­ tomer service by a train crew, monitor the New technology in the form of UP 252002-Trinity's "SMART" car-will be tested over the next health and status of the locomotive fleet, year for handling automobile shipments; the car is shown at Council Bluffs in June. In effect, the car is a "triplestack" container system which provides superior security and damage control various maintenance-of-way activi­ protection over conventional autorack systems. Containers can be loaded on the ground ties and, with the fourth phase implement­ and lifted into position or autos can be driven into the stacked containers. George R. Cockle ed, tell engineers how they should be op­ erating their trains at anyone moment to maximize fuel consumption and make "run­ that works fairly well in low-population Train at the town of Shoshone, Idaho; ning meets" with opposing trains with the states like Idaho and Wyoming. Governor Cecil Andrus was using the least amount of time stopped. The test in At overnight stops, the general public train to cross Idaho and participate in cen­ May and June involved over two dozen lo­ was allowed onto the train to tour bag­ tennial events along the way (yes, it's an cal trains based out of Marysville, Kan. , gage-car-turned-rolling - museum Western election year). After the "political circus" Council Bluffs, Iowa, and North Platte and Lodge, which contained displays and his­ had left the train for the day, we and the Fremont, Neb. The locomotives for these torical items of interest to the people of rest of the swelled population of Shoshone trains had on-board computer terminals in­ Wyoming and Idaho from the UP historical watched UP crews break up the train and stalled which communicate with the cus­ museum in Omaha. Besides the usual (and place it into sidings for display. Through­ tomer service center via satellite. Along unusual) collection of photos, other dis­ out the train's journey through Idaho, and with the locals, work orders and delay re­ plays included samples of the various especially at each stop, thousands of peo­ ports for two dozen daily through freights types of china used in UP dining cars, a ple came out to see and participate in the in the Nebraska Service Unit were also be­ scalp from a UP surveyor of the 1860s, part Gem State's centennial. In between stops, ing handled through the ATCS computers. of the skull from a notorious train robber, the 844 gave the local folk an idea of what Before the ATCS system was implemented the Arizona gold spike used at Promontory it was built for, hitting the 79-mph speed in the Pacific Northwest in August as (not the California gold "last spike") and limit whenever track and weather condi­ planned, the ATCS had to prove that it was the original drawings for the first ski lift as tions permitted. 98-percent reliable in Nebraska. Past prob­ designed by a UP civil engineer for the UP­ On June 28 the train traveled 244 miles lems with the heat sensitivity of the sys­ owned ski resort at Sun Valley, Idaho. from Green River to Pocatello, Idaho, with tem's mobile communication package and Your news editor and his wife caught Governor Andrus boarding during the sec­ with interference from both voice radio up with the Wyoming-Idaho Centennial ond stop of the day, Montpelier, Idaho. The and the on-board locomotive microproces­ trip of the 29th was a short, quick 107 sors have been solved, allowing the on­ miles from Pocatello to Shoshone, but not board computer terminals to "talk" back one without incident. An unscheduled stop and forth with the satellite links clearly. It Own a Piece of History was made en route to let off a passenger, is expected that on UP all locomotives will from the and the 844 and 6936 put on quite a show be equipped with on-board computer ter­ Great Name Trains getting started on a grade, setting a few minals for use by the train crews by mid to fires along the way. The 30th was a short­ late 1992. The price tag for full implemen­ e~~er Drlll11~ mileage (135 miles) trip, but a long day, tation of ATCS will be somewhere over ",'" E'q with three stops en route to Nampa. A low $300 million over the span of five years. ~~ ~ point of the day found a high-ranking UP official (and former WP employee) derail­ ing and severely damaging his Jeep Chero­ UP Leases Super Sevens kee Hi-railer west of Glenns Ferry while in­ specting track ahead of the 844. Fortunate­ On July 13, Union Pacific took delivery of ly, he escaped injury. July 1 found the train General Electric C30-SS7s Nos. 3003 and making a 116-mile round trip from Nampa 3004 in Chicago; the units were the first of to Weiser and July 2 was used to prepare UP's initial order of eight GE Super Seven the train for the next day's trip to the cen­ lease units-rebuilt from C30-7s-that will The Real Thing ter of the state's celebrations at the capital be joining the roster for a five-year stint. city of Boise. July 4 found the train starting These units are identical to the GE From original artwork. By original mfg. the trip home to Cheyenne to participate in demonstrator trio of 3000-3002 that By original all-hand process Wyoming's centennial celebration. The worked on the railroad several months All glass with can and lighting train ran to Pocatello on the 4th, with only ago, but unlike the gray-black-and white Send SSAE for price list one stop at Bliss, to Green River on the 5th demos, the 3003-3010-identified as (with only two stops), to Rawlins, on July GECX units-will wear the red-white-and­ 6, and finally home to Cheyenne on the gray livery popularized by the LMXJGECX 7th. On July 8, after the train had been bro­ B39-8s now leased by Burlington North­ ken up, the 1243 and the museum car ern. After delivery, the 3003 and 3004 im­ 2490 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 Western Lodge were put on public display, mediately went into service working from '----- (818) 796-7791------' while the five coaches were used in a shut- Continued on page 16.

12. SEPTEMBER 1990

DENVER. RIO MISSOURI KANSAS TEXAS GRANDE WESTERN The Union Pacific has since purchased Spectacul ar railroading through the the "K aty" but Pentrex trave led the sys­ Rockies. Trave l the Front Range, Royal tem In 1988 before the merger. Witness Gorge and view Amtrak and the famous the famous green paint of the Katy and Ski T rain. also its operations through Texas, Okla­ STEAM TO LOS ANGEIIS 90 Minutes #P EN-DRGW $59.95 homa and Kansas. The most complete coverage of the steam 60 Minutes #PEN- KA TY $49 .95 eve nt of 1989. Both the UP 8444 and SP 4449 travel to Los Angeles and their sid e­ THE ALASKA RAILROAD Climb into the cab of a n F-unit and ARKANSAS. MISSOURI by-sid e trip over Cajon Pass is spectac­ trave l betwee n Anchorage and Fair­ ul ar! RAILROAD banks. Plus, visit the Whittier Shuttle This is an "up close and personal" look at 75 M inutes #PEN-LASTEA $29.95 and freight operati ons. this a ll Alco ra ilroad. Sec their Century 90 Minutes #PEN-ALASKA $59.95 420 '5 in action along with their T-6 CANADIAN switcher and their RS-I pulling a special DOUBLEHEADER STEAM BRITISH COWMBIA Just fo r us. 60 Minutes #PEN-ARK $49 .95 Canada's two largest steam locomotives RAILWAY the C P 2860 and CN 6060, doublehead ~ Steam, Diesels, Electrics and Alcos in passenge r special through British Colu m­ action trave ling through some of North PRIVATE VARNISH ROUNDUP bia and Alberta. The beauty of the two America's most beautiful scenery. This is A glimpse into many of today's pri vate steam locomotives is matched onl y by one of our most popular tapes. railroad cars. Shot at the 1985 conve n­ the incredible scenery of this trip. 90 Minutes #PEN-BCRAIL $59.95 tion in Portland, Oregon. Luxury rai l 60 Minutes #PEN-CANST $29.95 travel at it's fin est! Over 20 cars featured. 60 Minutes #PEN-PVR $49.95 BEST OF 1984 WASHINGTON Feather Ri ve r, Cajon Pass, Olympic S pe­ CENTENNIAL STEAM cial, Speno Rail Grinder a nd more. SANTA FE TRAINING T he Southern Pacific Dayli ght 4449 tra­ 90 Minutes #PEN-1984 $49.95 TAPE • ETD/ETM vels over Burlington orthern tracks An in-depth technical trai ning tape pro­ through the Cascade Tunnel in the snow duced by Pent rex for the Santa Fe in fo r a n incredible sight. Steam in the snow BEST OF 1985 operational procedures for their end of BN on Marias Pass, Southern Pacific can't be beat! train devices. Santa Fe, Union Pacific, Amtrak and 60 Minutes #PEN-WASHST $29.95 30 Minutes #PEN-SFETD $30.00 more, Two Hours #PEN-1985 $59.95 UNION PACIFIC 8444·1987 PRMEW TAPE . VOWME 1 The UP 8444 in it 's new gray paint Highlights from By Dayli ght to the Fair scheme. Fast 70 mph running between BEST OF 1986 Alaska Rai lroad, BC Rail, Best of 84 &. Canadian National, Canadian Pacific, Cheye nne and Omaha. Then a Denve r to 85, Private Varnish, ST EAM EXPO G I' 60 demos, railroading in Chi cago, Laramie excursion over Sherman Hill. 20 Minutes #PEN-PREVI $10.00 60 Minutes #PEN-8444 $49.95 S P 4449 to Holl ywood and much more. Two Hours #PEN-1986 $59.95 PRMEW TAPE • VOWME 2 Highlights from UP 8444, Cajon & Te­ Over 20 operating steam locomotives! BEST OF 1987 hachapi, D&RGW, Best of86& 87 Mis- UP 8444 and 3985 , NY&SW, UP & SP The biggest stea m event of the ce ntury. souri Kan sas Texas. ' Super Bowl Specials, NRHS Conven­ See the Grand Parade of Steam and 20 Minutes #P EN-PREV2 S10 .00 close-ups of all locos. tion wi th the 1218 & 6 11 and California 90 Minutes #PEN-EXPO $59.95 Operation Lifesaver. Two Hours #PEN-1987 S59.95 CAJON PASS/ BEST OF 1988 TEHACHAPI LOOP Cotton Belt 8 19 , CSX F-Units, UP 3985, Two of Cali fornia's most famous rail­ Eastern Canadian Railroads, Mexico roading landmarks. This is a detai led and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Nar­ look at Southern Pacific, Uni on Pac ific row Gauge. and Santa Fe operations. Two Hours #PEN-1988 S59.95 90 Minutes #P EN-CAJON S59.95

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Did yo u ever wonder what hap­ Both photographed by J. W. Deely and GREEN MOUNTAIN RAIL· letter informing the old convict that he pened to those Blackhawk railroad E. R. Blanchard and organ score by ROADING ON THE RUTLAND! wi ll soon visi t the prison. At the same films? The Blackhawk film collection Robert Israel. Black and white. time, a parole is granted and the father was the first chance many railfans 30 Minutes BH-I00 $19.95 WHEN STEAM WAS KING. sends a letter in the name of another had to view vintage film footage of GREEN MOUNTAIN RAIL­ informing the son that he had died. ROADING ON THE RUTLAND Returning to the railroad to be near his our nation's railroading history. WHITE PASS " YUKON! Photographed in 1951-52 by Fred son, he arrives in time to foil a plot to Blackhawk released numerous RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN! McLeod. The Rutland Railroad came wreck the Li mited. Both piano scores by films in the 1950's and now Pentrex BUSTLING NARROW GAUGE into being in the 1890 's through the com­ J on Mirsalis. Black and white. is proud to make these early films WHITE PASS AND YUKON bination of the Bennington and the Rut­ 47 Minutes BH-500 $19.95 available to our audience of today. Photographed in 1951 by Woodrow land Railway and the Central Vermont's Our selection includes theatrical re­ Gorman. You'll see a variety of White Bellows Falls-Burlington line. In the RAllROADIN' (1941) 1920's it was a part of the New York leases with a railroad theme along Pass narrow gauge Mikes - as many as This film was made by the General Elect­ Central system. A three week strike in with films produced strictly for the three on a train - worki ng the 3.9 per­ ri c Company to show America on the 19 53 ended passenger operations and cent grade up the Pass. And a variety of move with her system of railroads. 194 1 railfan. They are in both black and another strike in 1961 closed the line for mixed trains, passenge rs, and freights - steam, diese l, and electric locomotives white and color. Some have sync good. Blackhawk® Orchestral score. along the Yukon - on high tres tl es - and trains of the times from all over the sound while others have a musical snaking along ledges high above the Black and white. score to accompany the action. The nation. From Daylights to Hudso ns, canyon bottom. Color. steam is covered; Railway Express to quality varies with each film since WHEN STEAM WAS KING Here is steam power from coast to coast meat and grain loadings are shown. some were made as early as 1912! RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN - TRESTLES OF OPHIR as it was twe nty-five to thirty years ago. Great shots! This is for all fa ns. Color. Be sure to take advantage of our Photographed by Woodrow Gorman in Incl. locomotives and trains of the New 27 Minutes BH-600 $19.95 introductory offer of just $19.95 per the years im mediately before World War Have n, New York Central, Bessemer tape. II , and in 1950. Shows vi ntage motive and Lake Erie, Chesapeake and Ohio, STEAM " DIESEL ON THE power and rolling stock mixed with that Pennsylvania, Nickel Plate, Louisville and Nashville, Erie, Great Northern, BESSEMER" LAKE ERIE! All Blackhawk films available in leased from the Denve r and Rio Grande Western and spectacularly pictures the Northern Pacific, Union Pacific, Texas THE DIESELS ROAR ON THE VHS only. most fabulous stretch of mountain rail­ and New Orleans (S.P.) and Santa Fe. PENNSY Photographed and produced by Carl road in the United States which reached Photographed by Fred McLeod DUdley. Piano score by J on Mirsalis. its pinnacle in the Ophir Loop. Color. "Steam & Diesel" was filmed in 1951-52 Color. so we see passenger service in the twilight BERKSHIRES AND HUDSONS THE BUSTLING NARROW GA UGE 20 Minutes BH-400 $19.95 OF THE BOSTON" AUJANY! See the San Juan on the Rio Grande as it years. The final run of the daily (except prepares for its wes tbound trip from Sunday) local between North Bessemer RAIlROADING IN THE Alamosa and over the mi xed gauge to THE GRIT OF THE GIRL and Greenville, PA is shown. "Diesels NORTHEAST Antonito. Then a major sequence of a TELEGRAPHER/ Roar" was filmed between 1952 and the early 60's. See five "Geeps", the wes t­ BERKSHIRES AND H UDSONS OF wes tbound freigh t ap proachi n g IN THE SWITCH TOWER THE BOSTON & ALBANY Cumbres pass wi th 47 cars (1648 Tons), bound "Duquesne" a Bald wi n "Centi­ THE GRIT OF THE GIRL TELE­ Our film was photographed between and going around the big loop on the east pede" and much more, a great many of GRAPHER (1912) 1936 and 1951 , mostly in the area of side of the pass. Scenes of the westbound which are now gone. Actual sounds ANNA Q. NILSSON, HAL CLEMENTS , San Juan at Cumbres, and eastbound recorded on the scene. Black and white. Springfield , Mass. Some of the trains GUY COOMBS, HENR Y HALLEM , yo u'll see are the New England section of San Juan coming up the 4 percent grade 24 Minutes BH-700 $19 .95 MIRIAM COOPER and around wind y point. the Twe ntieth Century, the New England While the detective's away, thieves will section of the Wolverine, the first day's Every title has a marvelous organ score play a nd the job of nabbing the noto­ THE THUNDER OF STEAM IN run of the New England States, and performed by Robe rt Israel o n the ri ous Smoke-up Smith fa lls to Betty. Wendell Wilkie's campaign trai n. All-in­ Simonton Theatre Pipe Organ. Co lor. THE BWE RIDGE Kn owing the game is up, Smoke-up all , it's a great view of the fading days of 31 Minutes BH-200 $19.95 Photographed by Fred McLeod steals an engine with our heroine in hot Most of the scenes we re photographed in steam, when steam had reached its high pursuit, but he doesn't stand a chance. 1958 in the mountain ous area on the point. Black and white. DANGER LIGHTS (1930) Kalem excell ed as an earl y producer of Norfolk & Western's main line between RAILROADING IN THE JEAN ARTHUR, LOUIS WOHLEIM railroad dramas and found double duty Roanoke and Bedford, VA. Yo u'll see NORTHEAST The railroads and railroad men are hero­ for many. Wheneve r accidents or injury the N&W's tough articulated locomo­ Made in the 1930s and 1940s, when the ic in their dedication to the tenet of giv­ threatened the release schedule of its tives in the 2-6-6-4 and 2-8-8-2 wheel prepo nderance of motive power was still ing the best possible care to each other popular Ha zards oj Helen series, Kalem arrangements, pulling and pushing on steam. On the New Have n you11 see 4-6- and their trains. T he cl imax is unex­ reached into the vault for an appropriate the mountain grades, and the n7w mod­ 4s , 4-6-2s, 2-10-2s, and electric. On the pected and thrilling. When life is at its film and The Grit oJthe Girl Telegrapher ern 4-8-4 passenger locomotives on some New York CentraI4-6-4s and a 4-8-2; on bleakest, the true blue railroaders rise to was one chosen for release as The Girl of the road's name trains such as the the Central Vermont, 0-6-0s, 2-10-4s, the test. This fi lm belongs in every rai l- Telegrapher "s Nerve, the 69th Hazard. Powhatan Arrow, the Cavalier and the 4-6-2s; wh ile on the Delaware & Hudson road lover's collection. Black and White. Black and white. Pocohontas. The actual synchronized yo u'll see 4-6-2s and a 2-8-0. 73 Minutes BH-300 $19.95 IN THE SWITCH TOWER (1915) sound is music for every rail fan. Color. WA LTER EDWARDS, 20 Minutes BH-800 $19.95 FRANK BORZAGE Check or Money Order Visa/MasterCard This is the story of a father who neglected his son for drink, and went to prison for VHS or BETA his part in a barroom brawl. It is as (All Blackhawk films available in VHS only.) touching today as it was over a half­ century ago. Years pass and the boy, now grow n-up and wo rking for the same rail­ Please add $3.00 shipping per order. califomia road his father had, realizes that his residents please add 6.75% sales tax. ange r over the years was a foolish reac­ P.O. Box 94911 tion. Forgiving his father, Frank sends a Pasadena, CA 91109 Continued from page 12 week, flooding in Iowa and Nebraska had three million to 20 million tons per year. Chicago to Fort Worth on the CHFWZ, forced UP and Chicago & North Western to The Port at Long Beach is also expanding then west to EI Paso on the FWEP, before reroute many trains (including priority "Z" its holding capacity. On the supply side, a returning to Fort Worth on the EPFW by and doublestack trains) from the usual in­ new mine with the capacity of producing the 17th. terchange points of Fremont and Council 2.8 million tons for export is being opened Other colorful leased power due soon Bluffs south through Marysville to Kansas in the Uinta Basin by Andalex Resources. on UP property are units 9017-9020 from City, and then north to Chicago. To ease On the demand side, over 30 new coal­ Motive Power International, the new loco­ congestion, the ex-MoPac Falls City line fired power plants will be completed in motive leasing arm of Morrison-Knudsen from Kansas City to Omaha was seeing Japan alone by the year 2000, which trans­ in Boise. The blue-and-gold MPI units are the "fleeting" of trains in first one direction lates into a need of 50 million tons of coal completely remanufactured SD45s, SD39 and then another. This steady use of the each year, possibly from U.S. mines in and SD40s rebuilt to SD40-2 specifications. Falls City Sub has continued into the dry Utah, Colorado and Wyoming. In 1989, UP MPI 9016, noted running around the UP weather of July, as the Marysville Sub is was still way behind in the tonnage hauled system in July, is not one of the units go­ undergoing heavy track work. Many of the to export to West Coast ports as compared ing to UP. Apparently the 9016, one of the low-priority trains, such as empty and to 1981 (2 .5 million tons versus 5 million) . units leased to CSX, is running off horse­ loaded coal trains that normally use the We should also mention that UP's role in power hours owed UP by CSX. Marysville Sub, are being rerouted by way hauling Utah coal to the domestic market of the Falls City Sub and Omaha. in California is slowly but steadily increas­ ing. California has not been known for its Ma rysville Problems extensive use of coal as a fuel, but it has The Future is Black (as in Coal) found favor over the past few years. There In mid-June, severe thunderstorms and are now several coal-burning cogeneration flooding combined with heavy traffic and The cover story of the May 1990 INFO MAG­ plants up and down the Golden State, and summertime maintenance projects along AZINE features UP's role in the movement of the increased use has meant more coal the old "Gibbon Cutoff' between North central Utah coal to the ports of Long trains on both UP and rival SP. For the first Platte and Kansas City to turn operations Beach and Los Angeles. Union Pacific has time since 1981, there are occasional unit through Marysville, Kan. , into one giant been fighting, along with many of the 13 coal trains running over the former WP to headache for Union Pacific. A taste of coal mines of the Uinta Basin, to regain a Stockton, Calif. As the capacity of the things to come occurred June 6, when the strong position in the export of coal to Pa­ Southern California ports is pushed to the westbound NLNP (North Little Rock to cific Rim countries, after a peak of five-mil­ limit, we may once again see the Port of North Platte) had one unit and 14 cars de­ lion tons was exported in 1981 via UP rails. Stockton used to export coal. railed just outside of Marysville by either a It appears that the future of export coal Thanks to George Cockle, Rick Merle, tornado or high winds. It took nearly 24 through California ports is bright. The Port Jim Erernberger, Dave Dodds, Richard hours to open up one track through the of Los Angeles is planning to expand its Schmeling, John Carr, THE MIXED TRAIN, derailment site and another full day to stockpiling capacity by one million tons, al­ INFO MAGAZINE/Union Pacific Railroad and open the second main track. Within a lowing export coal traffic to expand from FLIMSIES.

16 . SEPTEM BE R 1990 AMTRAK/PASS

California Sun Express Discontinued

In a surprising move, Princess Tours an­ nounced cancellation of its California Sun Express premium dome car service effec­ tive at the end of July. The company was quite apologetic in cancelling the CSE, but flatly stated that ridership had not been adequate to support the service. Started with a flurry of publicity in only April of this year, the elegant private car was at­ tached to the end of the Coast Starlight between Oakland and Los Angeles. The ex-Milwaukee Road Super Domes used in the service-refurbished at a cost of $900,000 each-will be transferred to Princess' flourishing Midnight Sun Ex­ press service in Alaska. Hoping to take ad­ vantage of Princess' abandonment of luxu­ ry service on the Coast Line, Key Holidays is now offering overnight private-car ex­ cursion packages between L.A. or San Francisco and San Luis Obispo. The ser­ vice will closely resemble Hearst Castle packages offered by Princess and will uti­ Amtrak 797, the Mount Rainier, is in the shadow of its namesake mountain as it glides toward lize dome-obs Native Son; round trip fares Portland with a two-car Superliner consist on July 14, 1990. The train is near Puyallup on BN are tentatively $350 from San Francisco trackage; it makes a four-hour Seattle-Portland pilgrimage every evening (departing 5:30) and $375 from L.A. while its northbound counterpart, No. 796, leaves Portland at 8 a.m. Greg Brown

a very responsive train, capable of acceler­ 321), CalTrain F40 919-County of Santa On the Diegan Trail ating and braking quickly. Clara was placed in the San Joaquin Delays were experienced on June 6 pool operating between Oakland and June was another interesting month in the when a motive-power failure forced an­ Bakersfield. That quickly changed when life and times of Amtrak's second-busiest nulment of the Orange County Com­ 919 collided with a truck at Planada, corridor. Service at Irvine station started muter, No. 569. The next day, when van­ Calif., north of Fresno, while on No. 710 on June 1, the commuter equipment start­ dals removed a section of the CTC code on June 15. The pilot and one set of ed operating on trains 569-582 on June 11, line in Santa Ana Canyon, 103 miles of steps were damaged. On the return trip and throughout the month operating prob­ CTC went dead. This caused delays for the next morning on No. 711 , Santa Fe lems contributed to delays to the nine all trains that morning, with No. 569 ar­ C30-7 8036 was added on the point. The trains that ply the route daily. riving over an hour late in Los Angeles, CalTrain unit was added to the consist The Irvine Transportation Center is tru­ and assuming No . 570's schedule, while of the southbound Coast Starlight out of ly remarkable, boasting both rail and bus No. 571 was likewise an hour late and so Oakland on June 19 for movement to service as well as ample parking. It is a forth. Los Angeles, where repairs were made show place, indicating what can be done Delays to San Diegans generally take by Amtrak personnel. When completed, by a local jurisdiction to better service the on a domino effect, as one train late to a the unit was returned to Oakland to re­ transportation needs of its residents and meeting point likewise delays the train sume San Joaquin duties until recalled visitors. From a railroad operations point being met. On any given morning if No. by CalTrain. of view, however, it would have been hard 670 is delayed, it in turn delays 571 and to find a more difficult location. Situated 573 , which in turn delay No. 572 , etc. With three miles from the top of the 1.2-percent 95 miles of the line single track with 11 Derailment Disrupts CZ grade at EI Toro (the highest point on the sidings, the meeting of trains becomes all route), the new stop means trains are important. A train such as No. 774 which A Rio Grande freight derailment at slowed considerably in getting up the hill travels between Santa Barbara and San Grassey, Utah, on June 22 forced the west­ eastbound and must use dynamic braking Diego has the potential to encounter a bound California Zephyr to be terminated to come to a stop westbound. This is 90- number of problems along its 235-mile at Grand Junction, Colo. Passengers were mph territory, so considerable time is lost route, including freight train interference. bused to Salt Lake City where No.6 making the stop and then resuming An indication of just how busy Santa Fe's turned to become No.5 and equipment speed. San Diego Sub has become was a mid­ from Nos. 26 and 36 turned to become Three trains per day each way stop at June day that saw 25 trains on the subdi­ their opposite numbers for return to Seat­ Irvine, Nos. 569, 571 and 585 westbound vision throughout the day. Number 783 on tle and Los Angeles respectively. Proving and 570, 580 and 582 eastbound. Because that day had to meet no less than five it was no small task to move the nearly of concern over liability from injury, access trains between Del Mar and Orange, in 500 passengers from No.5, a total of 17 to the platform is restricted by a fence. A part because of multiple sections of Santa busses were needed to make the move. city employee unlocks a gate through the Fe's San Diego freight train. Then there were the passengers from No. fence to allow passenger access for each 6 to take back to Grand Junction to re­ train arrival/departure. board the train there. As an assistance to Trains 569-582 switched from Amfleet Short-Lived ColTrain on San Joaquin other passengers, buses operated from to bilevel equipment starting June 11. Reno to Oakland, and from Boise to Seattle Consist size is three cars and an F40, with As part of the arrangements for the Or­ and Las Vegas on the scheduled times of a cab car and two bilevels. This makes for ange County Commuter train (see PRN the trains for those passengers. As in oth-

PACIFIC RAILNews • 17 er peak periods, the diner-lounge from the Southern Pacific trackage. A number of ed out of Tucson to L.A. on June 5-6 with Desert Wind is operating through to Den­ other operations throughout the coun­ SSW 9862 and 9664, and SP 9603 at L.A. ver, filling the California Zephyr out to its try-including the Northeast Corridor, on June 29. consist limit of 16 cars between Salt Lake MARC , SEPTA and METRA-use one-man City and Denver. Three F40s normally engine crews. Amtrak's standard is one­ handle this train. man crews where the run is under four Southern Pacific Cuts Back on Varnish hours, so long-distance trains still have a two-person engine crew . .. Amtrak pow­ As an economy move, Southern Pacific in Amtrak Briefs er continues to be in short supply through­ June mothballed its passenger car fleet out the West. As we reported earlier, a with the exception of business cars Stan­ After initial concerns expressed at the number of units have problems with the ford and Sunset. At the same time it layed time one-man crews were instituted in Automatic Train Stop system. In some cas­ off all but four mechanical department em­ November 1986 when Amtrak took over es, San Diegans have had to be turned at ployees at West Oakland Yard where the train and engine crews in California, little, San Diego because of the lack of train-stop passenger cars are based. Business car if anything, has been said on this issue. equipment on the locomotive. The 10 cab Oregon returned from Denver in May, All the San Diegans, for example, have one cars assigned to L.A. also have train-stop where it had been based for a few man in the cab, with the exception of the equipment, so they can lead a consist in months. L.A.-Santa Barbara portion of the run, ATS territory .. . A couple examples of SP Thanks to Bill Farmer, John Arbuckle, where a second person is necessary to GP60s finding their way onto passenger George Garvanza, Ricardo Demasiado handle the DTC block authority used on trains were the westbound Sunset Limit- and Selwyn Serra. SOUTHERN PACIFIC LIN

made to the SP route map this decade 1990 and start turning an overall profit in ICC Approves K.C.-Chicago Line than in the previous 60 years. (The last 1991. It might be noted that all financial Purchase major additions were in 1924-25, when the news is not written in red ink; Rio EI Paso & Southwestern and the San Anto­ Grande's contribution to the bottom line in As anticipated, the purchase by Rio Grande nio & Aransas Pass entered the fold.) 1989 was a $33-million profit. Industries of Soo Line's former Milwaukee When the Soo trackage becomes SF's, the Road rail link between Kansas City and railroad will serve 17 states with over Chicago was approved by the Interstate 15,500 miles of track. Strategy for Future Success Commerce Commission on June 28. At this writing, formal transfer of title has not tak­ The recent appointment of Don Orris to en place, but will cost SP about $86 million; Improving Finances? head marketing at SP has resulted in a another $50 million will be spent over the stated corporate expectation that SP will next three years to rehabilitate and im­ In the financial arena, SP has chopped its tend toward operations that resemble prove the 532-mile line. ICC approval is a debt from $1.7 billion to $1.4 billion, but those of a trucking firm (i.e. , running significant development but some major must make further progess. Included in trains closer to tonnage capacity in both obstacles remain before SP can operate the the plan is the sale of SP's San Francisco­ directions). Moreover, Orris has stated line, the greatest of which is resolution of San Jose commute business ($300 million) that SP will attempt to increase its relative trackage-rights disputes with Chicago & and sales of branch lines in the Los Ange­ share of the bulk freight market. Included North Western and Burlington Northern. les basin. Other revenue-increasing tactics are references to the movement of any­ Reportedly, C&NW initially asked for include raising freight rates, such as the thing that can be hauled in unit-trains around $80 million to let SP use trackage recent frozen food tariff boost east of the without the need for train break-up, re­ between Kansas City and Polo, Mo., a fig­ Rockies. On the down side, SP earns 34 blocking or any kind of switching. ure that RGI thought much too high. percent less sales dollars per freight work­ If the trackage-rights difficulties can be er than Union Pacific and 12 percent less resolved, this rail line will provide SP than Santa Fe. Thus, employee productivi­ Rail Bond Approval Should Put More Lines the direct access to Chicago missing ty must increase. Relatedly, up to 1,000 Passengers on SP Rails from the recently acquired St. Louis-Joliet overlapping or unneeded jobs may be line; it should also allow SP to compete on eliminated from SP in 1990 as a cost-cut­ The transportation initiatives approved on even footing with Santa Fe, offering one­ ting measure. According to general coun­ the June primary ballot in California will carrier service between Chicago and the sel Bob Starzel, when all is said and done ensure a veritable flood of money for new West Coast. More additions have been SP expects to break even by the end of rail passenger services in the next few

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HOURS: 10 am to 9 pm, Monday-Friday, lOam to 5 pm Saturday

18. SEPTEMBER 1990 years. It would appear that SP lines will eventually host (1) an extension of CalTrain Peninsula service southward from its pre­ sent terminus in San Jose to Gilroy, (2) a commuter line running over portions of the onetime Pacific Electric between San Bernardino and Los Angeles, (3) new inter­ city passenger service between the Bay Area and Sacramento and (4) extension of some Amtrak San Joaquin trains to Sacra­ mento from Stockton. In addition there will be a consolidation of all three freight lines (SP, UP and Santa Fe) out of the Los Ange­ les-Long Beach Harbor area via a new Alameda Street Corridor.

NWPSale

The southern end of SP subsidiary North­ western Pacific, from Willits to Lombard, will soon have a new owner. For $37 mil­ lion, the Golden Gate Bridge District is buy­ ing SP's remaining 151 miles of the NWP to develop a commuter rail line for the North Bay area. Presumably the deal will allow SP trackage rights to bring freight south from its Willits connections with California West­ ern and Eureka Southern. The NWP, jointly built in the early years of this century in a rare truce between the Santa Fe and SP, has been a chronic mon­ ey-loser since its opening to Eureka in 1914. Santa Fe sold its interest to SP in 1929, and in turn SP divested the Northern half (from Willits to Eureka) to Eureka Southern in 1984. Eureka Southern is now in receivership. Until now, SP retained ownership of NWP south of Willits, with a line to Santa Rosa and the main freight stem turning east through Sonoma County to a connection with the parent road southeast of the town of Sonoma, at the rail location of Lombard. A Rio Grande tunnel motor leads an eastbound at the west end of Pando siding on June 16, Rio Grande's Rai/blazers Gone? 1990. Though the Tennessee Pass line has been unaffected, trains on SP's Central Region (bet­ ter known as the D&RGW) have been slowed by recent trackwork; major summer projects have been underway at Ruby Canyon and in the Front Range above Denver. Bill Kepner Rio Grande's Railblazers made their final runs April 26-27. With their demise came the demise of Rio Grande's experiment in be found on the point of the trains. Thus, the rails down the hill were found littered the Sprint train concept. Although the the Railblazers haven't really died and dis­ with the remains of melted brake Railblazers have vanished, the specific appeared; they simply adapted to better shoes-but air alone couldn't stop this daily departure slot held by the super-hot meet revenue expectations. heavy train once it got moving, even with trains as well as their assigned train num­ every brake shoe literally melting against bers remain in use. Running on a 5:30 the wheels. Speeds eventually reached p.m. departure from both Roper Yard at NTSB's San Bernardino Wreck Findings 105 mph before the train derailed in a sub­ Salt Lake and North Yard in Denver four urban neighborhood on the northwest days a week are trains 102 eastbound and SP management procedures have been boundary of San Bernardino. 103 westbound. This operation comes as blamed for the disastrous runaway and The NTSB made 23 safety recommenda­ close to a revised 'Blazer as possible. A wreck on Cajon Pass on May 12, 1989, in tions as a result of its investigation. South­ few significant changes have been made, which two crew members and two chil­ ern Pacific is required to improve commu­ however. Per the original agreement with dren were killed. The National Transporta­ nications to and between crew members the UTU regarding "filling" out the train's tion Safety Board pointed out that engi­ relating to train and engine conditions, tonnage, a four-person crew now operates neer Frank Holland had not been trained braking capacity and trailing tonnage of each train rather than the reduced two­ in special emergency braking methods, trains, training and crew qualification pro­ person crew of days past. Instead of pure nor had he been informed that three of the cedures. Many of these recommendations TOFC/COFC traffic, now there can be six diesel units on the train had inopera­ have already been implemented as a result found a mixed bag of tonnage along with tive dynamic brakes. Furthermore, the of SP's own post-accident review. the expected brace of TOFC/COFCs. train was represented by its waybills and Scheduling for the revised No. 1021103 op­ clerically estimated consist as weighing erations has been relaxed. Advertised 8 6,150 tons, when in actuality it weighed Locomotive News a.m. arrivals have been moved back to 9,000 tons. 10:30 a.m. or later. Motive power is no The engine crew made every possible Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt have at­ longer an expected duo or trio of D&RGW effort to stop the train all the way down tempted to store all leased units to save GP40/GP40-2s; anything that will run can from Hiland (Summit). After the accident, Continued on page 36 •

PACIFIC RAllNews. 19 TEAM NRHS 1990

RIGHT: Norfolk Southern's N&W 1218 charges westbound with the Roanoake Chap­ ter (NRHS)-sponsored Independence Limited 1990. The articulated is shown at Belleville, III., en route from Columbus, Ohio, to St. Louis where it was on display for the 1990 convention. Paul Fries OPPOSITE PAGE: An exciting ending to the week's activities, Frisco 1522 joins UP 844 for a doubleheader move in Webster Groves, Mo., on June 18; a short time later, 1522 cut off from the consist and the UP train sped west with a post-convention excursion to Kansas City. Scott Muskopf

Four working locomotives wowed fans at this year's national convention in the Gateway City

BY SCOTT MUSKOPF AND PAUL FRIES

or over a week in June, steam was king in St. Louis 844 cut off its consist and ran to the former MoPac diesel as four operating locomotives-Union Pacific 844, shop area on Chouteau Avenue for servicing, while two Norfolk & Western 1218 and Cotton Belt 819 in addi­ diesels towed the business cars to Union Station for spotting tion to St. Louis' own Frisco 1522-took part in the on one of the station's four remaining tracks. NationalF Railway Historical Society's 1990 Convention. About Tuesday saw the arrival of Norfolk & Western 1218 on the 1,350 registrants (1 ,800 if you include spouses and children) 1990 edition of the Independence Limited. The Limited' s enjoyed the festivities, which were hosted by the St. Louis journey began June 9 in Columbus, Ohio. After an overnight Chapter-NRHS at the beautifully restored St. Louis Union Sta­ layover Monday in Mt. Vernon, TIL, 1218 departed early with a tion. This was St Louis' first NRHS convention since 1953, and 22-car consist. Stops were made in Centralia, New Baden, though there were fewer registered participants than the pre­ and Belleville, Ill. , on Norfolk Southern's well-maintained vious two years (1,379 conventioneers gathered in Asheville Louisville-East St. Louis main line. New Baden's brief passen­ last year, while around 2,500 attended the 1988 gathering in ger stop turned into a delay of over an hour as NS dispatchers New Jersey), the rail action was non-stop and the general held the extra for a meet with NS freight No . 111. Unfortu­ feeling at the end of the week was that this year's event was nately the special did not operate behind steam all the way an unabashed success. into St. Louis. At Coapman siding in East St. Louis, 1218 cut On Monday, June 11, the steam power started to assemble off the train and moved to NS Luther Yard in northern St. as Union Pacific 844 arrived, joining SLSF 1522 which had Louis for servicing, while NS SD40-2 3225 coupled on to been based at Union Station since 1988. Making its first ap­ power the Limited over the Merchants Bridge to its terminus pearance in St. Louis since the World's Fair trip in 1984, the at the St. Louis Amtrak station. Later, 1218 used the same two-tone gray Northern powered a dozen yellow passenger bridge to reach Union Station for display. It was the first ap­ cars. Having departed that morning from Kansas City, the pearance in the Gateway City for the massive articulated. glossy train arrived in St. Louis shortly after 5 p.m. with busi­ After a two-day journey that originated in Pine Bluff, Ark. , ness cars Pocatello and Overland bringing up the rear. The St. Louis-Southwestern 819 arrived with the northbound Cot-

20. SEPTEMBER 1990 IN OUIS

ton Belt Star on Wednesday, June 13 . Illmo, Mo., a Cotton Belt Chain of Rocks Railroad tourist line north of St. Louis. crew-change location, was the halfway point and overnight Thursday's sold-out trip to Findlay Junction, IlL, featuring stop on this trip. Fast running and lots of smoke were the rule UP 844 was the first convention-sponsored excursion. The for the special as it traversed Union Pacific's ex-MP Chester 200-mile round trip followed a rare-mileage Alton & Southern Sub into East St. Louis. With private car Mercedes bringing and Union Pacific route through rich Illinois farmland to the up the rear, 819 and its 14-car consist arrived at Cotton Belt's UP junction town. The famous Northern and polished 18-car Valley Yard around 1 p.m. consist departed St. Louis at 8: 10 a.m. after a short delay After arrival and servicing in East St. Louis, 819 was to caused by departing Amtrak No. 358. Multiple runbys were have proceeded over the TRRA MacArthur Bridge to join 844, featured on this trip as 495 passengers enjoyed the ride over 1218 and 1522 for a private photo session conducted by Kalm­ former New York Central and Chicago & Eastern Illinois bach Publishing at BN's Chouteau Yard (a former SLSF yard trackage. After an excellent show by Union Pacific's first-class near downtown, now just a few siding tracks). Problems with steam operation, 844 arrived back in St. Louis shortly after 7 the City of East St. Louis' water pressure and lack of a TRRA p.m. pilot precluded 819's participation in the unique line-up. Be­ To face the right direction for a night photo session later ginning late morning, 1522, 844, then 1218 left Union Station that evening at Union Station, 844 was turned on the seldom­ one by one, backing over TRRA through Grand Avenue inter­ used turntable at Compton and Chouteau-then spent sever­ locking to Chouteau. Return was made late afternoon as a al hours waiting to get across busy TRRA and UP lines "tripleheader. " through downtown. It finally arrived to a restless crowd The first official convention activity open to all registrants about 12: 15 a.m., joining the three other locomotives in a was held Wednesday evening, as a combination river-and-rail staggered formation under the individual "umbrella" track cruise carried passengers on and along the Mississippi River. canopies. Floodlamps were used to illuminate the foursome. After enjoying dinner and entertainment on the Huck Finn ex­ Even though the prime photo area was reserved for the 100 cursion boat, guests were treated to a ride on the St. Louis & ticket-holding members, there were still plenty of good van-

PACIFIC RAILNews. 21 ,....,...... ,.. ...

ABOVE: On Friday, June 15, all four steam en- r gines visiting the convention were lined up for display next to the restored Union Station. Left to right: SSW 819, N&W 1218, UP 844 and SLSF 1522 Alex Mayes RIGHT: June 14's rare-mileage trip behind 844 to Findlay Junction, III. , via the A&S and UP was one of the convention highlights. Here, the Northern is shown in profile during an eastbound runby near Wanda, III. Paul Fries

LEFT: On June 16, St. Louis' own Frisco 1522, returned to "home" rails with an excursion to New­ burg, Mo., via the scenic ex­ SLSF Burlington Northern line to Springfield-probably the first steam power to visit this line since Frisco dieselized in the 1950s. The handsomely restored Mountain-type is shown west­ bound between Stanton and Oak Grove, Mo. towing its bor­ rowed UP passenger consist. Scott Muskopf tage points outside the fenced-off area for those who stayed port; the one-foot gauge Wabash, Frisco & Pacific; the John awake for the event, which concluded about 1: 30 a.m. W. Barriger III National Railroad Library; and the ACF All four locomotives were on hand at Union Station on Fri­ Archives and Test Center. day for inspection by conventioneers and the general public. Friday evening's banquet was attended by 710 people and In the morning, an interesting series of seminar/workshops featured a presentation of appreciation plaques to representa­ was held. The well-attended programs featured a wide vari­ tives of the four railroads hosting the steam locomotives and ety of topics such as photo and document preservation, steam excursions. TRAINS magazine was also honored on its 50th an­ locomotive restoration and organization, chapter newsletter niversary of publication. and program improvement, and rail transit advocacy. Also on Saturday, June 16 dawned sunny and hot as 785 passen­ Friday, tours were offered to the National Museum of Trans- gers boarded the sold-out Burlington Northern excursion to

22 • SEPTEMBER 1990 ABOVE: Union Pacific 844 and passenger con­ sist winds its way through downtown St. Louis on June 14 after returning from the successful ex­ cursion to Findlay Junction. Paul Fries LEFT: Cot­ ton Bell 819 ran inbound and outbound excur­ sions before and after the convention between St . Louis and IlImo, Mo. On June 13, the St. Louis-bound Cotton Belt Star is shown starting up on UP's ex-MP line at Howardton, III., after being stopped by a hotbox detector. The 4-8-4 put on quite a show, with plenty of black smoke and 70 mph running in places. Alex Mayes

Newburg, Mo., over the ex-Frisco St. Louis-Springfield, Mo., Sunday morning on UP's Chester Sub for a speedy and smoky route. This round trip, powered by hometown Mountain­ run to Illmo, Mo. , and Pine Bluff, Ark. This third and final con­ type Frisco 1522, featured beautiful scenery and more rare vention excursion included scenic bluffs, riverside running mileage. It was 1522's first excursion over former "home and a water stop in Chester, Ill. Passengers returned by bus rails" since its return to service in 1988, and probably the from Illmo. first use of steam on this line since the Frisco dieselized in Even though the convention ended Sunday, the events of the early 1950s. Monday, June 18 provided an exciting unofficial closing cere­ Departure was on time from BN's Chouteau Yard with 20 mony. A one-way outbound UP 844 excursion over the former cars, eight of which were first class. One photo runby was MP Kansas City line was spiced up with the addition of Frisco held, at Rook siding on the westbound trip, followed by a 1522 for a doubleheader to the National Museum of Transport spectacular climb up 1.2-percent Iron Hill between Moselle west of Kirkwood, Mo. Passengers detrained in suburban and St. Clair, Mo. The heavy train required 1522 to make an Webster Groves for two photo runbys. Following a delay unscheduled water stop in Rolla before drifting downgrade caused by a Cotton Belt eastbound freight stalled on Kirkwood to Newburg for servicing. The train was turned about a mile hill, the train stopped at Barrett Station (N.M.O.T.) where the west of Newburg at Bundy Junction, an interchange with locomotives cut off. The 1522 backed into the museum the U.S. Army Railroad to Fort Leonard Wood. Impressive grounds, 844 coupled to its train and both gave farewell whis­ speeds and smooth BN trackage highlighted the return trip tle blasts as the UP special resumed its westward journey. to St. Louis. Thanks to Ax Kramer and the GATEWAY RAILLETTER for in­ The southbound Cotton Belt Star left East St. Louis early formation used in this article.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 23 ABOVE: Cruising near Coyote, N.M. (north of Carrizozo), in November 1988, an eastbound passes semaphores that survive on this remote line, reminders of a colorful history. Bryan Bechtold RIGHT: A westbound powered by then-new SSW 8049 approaches Carrizozo in December 1988. As the '90s begin, a flood of SP traffic is making its way across the arid New Mexico landscape. John Rus

As the 1990s begin, there's been a revival of freight traffic on SP's Carrizozo Sub

AClFIC RAIL NEWS readers are no strangers to Southern Pacific and its varied operations throughout the West. Yet mention the Golden State Route and few Espee aficionados, let alone the general fan population, Phave any idea of just what the line is all about. Part of this is due to its location, as New Mexico is a place most hurry through on their way to somewhere else. (In fact, in a recent survey, a majority of high school students listed New Mexico as a foreign country!) While it's true the scenery cannot match that of the Sierra, the countryside is varied and the ac­ tion is at times torrid. The Golden State Route owes its existence in large mea­ sure to Charles Eddy, whose various rail properties were built northward from El Paso, Texas, to Tucumcari, N.M., at the turn of the century. Eddy had eyed with interest the progress of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific which, during the last two decades of the 19th century, slowly built westward from Herington, Kan., a point on the existing Rock Island main be­ BY CHUCK CONWAY tween Kansas City and Fort Worth. Eddy and the Rock Island management had agreed to join each other's line at what is today Santa Rosa, N.M. , a meeting which in fact took place in 1902. Enter the El Paso & Southwestern. Eddy had run into fi-

24. SEPTEMBER 1990 nancial difficulties during the construction of his lines, but Arizona and California and the Midwest, over the more cir­ found a willing buyer in Phelps Dodge & Company, a large cuitous Sunset Route. Time was especially crucial for perish­ copper producer operating in southern Arizona and owner of able shipments, and the line quickly became a prime conduit the EI Paso & Southwestern which heretofore had run be­ for West Coast fruits and vegetables, in addition to general tween EI Paso and Tucson, Ariz. The transfer was completed freight interchange. in 1905, and immediately proved beneficial to both Rock Is­ Unlike most other Espee operations, the stearn engines on land and EP&SW. The purchase included the "Dawson Rail­ this line, as well as the lines between EI Paso and Tucson, way" which ran northwest from Tucumcari to coal mines near burned the coal mined at York Canyon near Dawson. Rem­ Dawson, some 25 miles southwest of Raton. nants of these coal-burning days can be seen in the large con­ Southern Pacific management wasn't thrilled with any of crete coaling towers still standing in southern Arizona and these developments and became even less so when Phelps New Mexico, though none still stand on the Golden State line. Dodge announced it had been buying into Rock Island and Power included most classes of engines seen elsewhere on perhaps would make good the last destination of that carrier's Espee, even featuring the redoubtable cab-forwards in the name. But World War I and government operation intervened. later years of steam operation. A special attraction were the With the coming of peace, a subsequent abundance of copper Lima-built AC-9 2-8-8-4s. Rock Island engines operating out caused both prices and carloadings to drop. Phelps Dodge of Tucumcari also used coal from the Dawson line. management had apparently had enough of the railroad busi­ As might be expected in a largely desert region, water was ness, at least on an interstate basis, and in 1924 sold EP&SW scarce and what was available was not always of usable to SP. quality. EP&SW had solved the problem by building an exten­ What Espee obtained in the merger was an additional sive pipeline network along the Golden State line, fed by main line between Tucson and EI Paso and the Golden State reservoirs high in the Sacramento Mountains above Carrizo­ line north of EI Paso. Utilizing the Golden State line would zo. But with the coming of the diesel age, the need for large shave some 400 miles and nearly a day's transit time between amounts of coal and water subsided. Local interests fell heir

PACIFIC RAILNews • 25 ABOVE: Symbolizing SP prosperity during the World War II era, AC-9 3802 accelerates west­ bound out of Tucumcari, N.M., on Feb. 25, 1940, with a long string of Pacific Fruit Express emp­ ties in tow. Ironically, today's Golden State Route revival comes thanks to an eastbound flow of containers from the Orient. Otto Perry, Denver Public Library Western Collection

Passenger service, though absent today, was once an integral part of the Golden State Route. On May 24, 1947, the pride of the line and namesake train, the joint SP­ Rock Island Golden State, rolls eastbound near Simmons, N.M. An A-B-B set of SP 's new E7s-in the short-lived "Golden Rock­ et" scheme-leads. Boasting 45-hour schedules between Chicago and Los An­ geles, trains 3 and 4 also featured through sleeper service to New York via Pennsy and NYC. Collection of John Signor

to the reservoirs and the water, though remnants of the plying the rails, often in several sections. But passenger ser­ pipeline and pumping stations can still be found. The Dawson vice never achieved the prominence or fame enjoyed by Santa coal line, however, was abandoned and removed as far as the Fe, its nearest direct competitor. The general malaise in the Santa Fe crossing at French, with the Santa Fe taking over intercity passenger trade took its toll, and one by one passen­ the operation to the mine at York Canyon. Given the current ger and mail trains vanished from the OFFICIAL GUIDE. A still­ and projected use for Western coal, one wonders if Espee born entrant to the line's passenger service was the stream­ rues the abandonment of its own line. And ironically, SP pow­ lined Golden Rocket, whose equipment was actually built, er still shows up at the mine occasionally on run-throughs for but never used on that proposed run. The last survivor, the customers located along the Sunset Route. Golden State Limited, made its final run in 1968. The Golden State Route is today devoid of passenger traf­ Freight business held up well through the 1950s and into fic , though previous decades saw such name trains as the the 1960s. But while the '60s found Southern Pacific in rela­ Argonaut, Arizonan, Apache and the Golden State Limited tively good shape, the Rock Island was in trouble, and what

26. SEPTEMBER 1990 CARRIZOZO SUB

affected the Rock affected the Golden State Route. Various and the upgrading of the entire Kansas City-El Paso segment plans to obtain the Golden State line from the proposed Rock continued right through the merger talks. In the long run, the IslandlUnion Pacific merger foundered, while the Rock itself decision to continue the rebuilding would be borne out when began a decline from which it would never recover. The loss the merger with Santa Fe was disallowed. of perishable carloadings due to increased truck traffic on the Initially, few trains plyed the line during the rebuilding, rapidly expanding interstate system contributed to the Gold­ with the notable exception of the numerous ballast trains en State Route's decline, and by the early 1980s the route was originating at the loadout at Vaughn, N.M. It would take a in obvious trouble. What had been a vital link in the SP sys­ couple of years to bring the line up to the standards neces­ tem had deteriorated to a rickety operation seeing only a few sary for even minimal operations, but by 1983 the line was trains per week. The darkest hour appropriately came on back in business with a vengeance, seeing up to 20 trains per April Fools Day 1980, when the Rock Island shut down forev­ day. These were primarily piggyback and merchandise trains er, threatening to leave SP with a 300-mile branch virtually operating between the Midwest and Southern California. In bereft of on-line traffic. addition, several trains of lumber products from Oregon and All was not lost, however, as the talks that had been under Northern California moved via this route until the Staggers way for years to obtain the Rock's segment of the Golden Act eliminated the benefits of the long haul on Espee rails. State line (at least as far east as Kansas City) finally bore Most of the lumber traffic now goes by way of the Rio Grande fruit. With a deal consummated, the task of rebuilding began, on the "Central Corridor." both on the newly acquired segment east of Tucumcari and Today, numerous doublestack trains have replaced the lost the Espee's own line from Tucumcari to El Paso. lumber trains of the mid-1980s. With the coming of the stacks At the time of the proposed Santa Fe Southern Pacific there has been a decline in the amount of TOFC traffic han­ merger in the mid 1980s, the line's fate again became unclear. dled, though at least one TOFC train per day each way SPSF management at the time could envision only the section (sometimes symbolled CHLAF and LACHF) still makes the between Vaughn, N.M. , and El Paso as having any value, trip between Chicago and Los Angeles. TOFC is also handled viewing the northern section, as well as the recently pur­ on the numerous general merchandise trains including the chased Rock Island line to Kansas City, as an unnecessary du­ famed Blue Streak Merchandise (BSMFF). Besides the stack plication. Southern Pacific management persisted, however, trains, symbols seen on a regular basis include (but are not

PACIFIC RAILNews • 27 A growth in intermodal traffic spurred revival on the Golden State Route in the latter half of the 1980s. In August 1985, a long LACHT is hauled upgrade by a seven-unit power set. In the 1990s, a growing fleet of stack trains is putting even more traffic on the line. Chuck Conway II 28. SEPTEMBER 1990 I I

-

LEFT : Renewal and rebuilding on the Carrizozo Sub in the last decade has been evidenced by the numerous ballast trains working the line. On Sept. 10, 1987, Extra 4119 West passes a set of semaphores and a wild­ flower bloom brought on by late-summer rains near Tor­ rance, N.M. Chuck Conway BELOW: The light of day is fad­ ing fast as westbound B39-8 8004 splits the semaphores with a heavy train at milepost 1451.8 on Sept. 4, 1988. Tom Byrnas

limited to) the ASLAA, KCWCM, KCCIA, KCBAA, DHWCM, morning trains will be by the most scenic parts of the line be­ BSMFF, WCKCM, TUKCM , EPKCT CIBNA and CIKCB. The fore dawn. Midday has been generally quiet during the last line formerly saw a pair of Sprint trains running between few years, but with the advent of the stack trains, the possi­ Kansas City and EI Paso (KCEPO, EPKCO), but as of late, bilities for action in either direction have improved. The after­ business on these trains has been consolidated into the con­ noon usually sees two or more westbounds leaving Tucum­ sists of other trains. The trains using the City of Industry cari, possibly meeting one or two eastbound before sundown. symbol (KCCIA, CIBNA, etc.) are often auto-parts trains Should the traveler have only a limited time in the area, these bound to and from the assembly plant at Van Nuys, Calif. afternoon trains offer some of the best chase possibilities, of­ Traffic patterns on the line have tended to remain roughly ten traversing the hill country south of Duran in the best light the same during the last several years. Traffic builds toward of the afternoon. An interesting spot that's accessible to any­ and through the weekend, while things are somewhat slower one is the highway overpass just north of Corona. early in the week. Early morning has typically seen a flurry of The line is easily followed for most of its 330 miles by uti­ activity, predominantly eastbound, and almost always featur­ lizing 1-40 and its intermittent service road (old U.S . 66) be­ ing one or two intermodal trains. If delays are few, many tween Tucumcari and Santa Rosa, and U.S. 54 between Santa

30 • SEPTEMBER 1990 Rosa and El Paso. There are a few areas where access is lim­ ABOVE: Afternoon thunderstorms move in as a west­ ited, but for the most part the rails are next to or in sight of bound drag grinds through the desert landscape near the highways. Nearly all the depots on the line have been re­ Coyote. Tom Byrnos BELOW: Broken semaphore blades moved, making a scanner a necessity to keep up with the ac­ litter the ground at Carrizozo Yard, victims of age and re­ tion. Track Warrant Control is in effect and is a good tip-off to placement with new technology. Bryan Bechtold train location and impending meets. Be advised that since the upgrading of the line, trains often travel very fast and chases between locations can be intense. And though the main roads are almost always passable, dirt roads can become quagmires after a rainy or snowy period. The venerable style B lower-quadrant semaphores seen between Santa Rosa and El Paso are quickly giving way to more modern color lights of several different configurations. The remaining style Bs are found mostly on the central sec­ tion of the line, and at last report, the largest number of sets still in service were located between Duran and Carrizozo, though scattered sets can be found nearly to the Texas bor­ der on the south end of the line. Be prepared for some hiking or sideroad driving to get to them. Something else to keep an eye out for is the old depot at Ancho, which was moved across the road from its former lo­ cation and turned into a museum (admission fee required). There's a good deal of information on the line and surround­ ing region, and a stop here offers a good midday respite from chases up and down the highways and back roads. So if you're tired of dodging the trucks on 1-40, or you're in­ terested in seeing Santa Fe's competition in the area first­ hand, consider checking out SF's Golden State Route. In con­ junction with the restored ex-Rock Island segment of the Golden State Route east of Tucumcari, it has added consider­ able variety and action to an area generally overlooked by all but the locals. Thanks to Jim Johnson, Bryan Bechtold, Tom Byrnas and John Rus for helping with this article. Special thanks to John Signor for the inspiration.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 31 BN to Springfield

BN to Tulsa _--~

1)5 60

Kansas City Southern IS 2nd Subdivision

Radio Frequencies 160.260 160.350

Noel MISSOURI

ARKANSAS

i N

Flint Creek Power Plant :1 t was the early 1880s when Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf first entered the hill country of northwest Arkansas and Siloam Springs - KCS trackage southwest Missouri. Today, the line's descendant, Kansas -----;:;~:-:-=--c-:-:: I City Southern, still fights the grades and curves left on --Other railroads this very scenic main line. Capturing this daily battle on film can be a challenge, but with the aid of maps, a scanner, a lit­ min~iV{'"""" --Roads tle bit of planning and luck, plenty of photo opportunities pre­ Watts sent themselves. U559 Your best bet for photographing KCS in the "Land of Helpers" is to focus on a segment of railroad bounded by To Sallisaw Neosho, Mo., on the north and Watts, Okla., on the south. This area encompasses less than 100 miles of track and repre­ sents the territory of KCS's south local run out of Neosho. BY BARTON AND SARAH JENNINGS Watts was once a division point and today still represents the limits of two seniority districts, thus the isolated turnaround PHOTOGRAPHY BY BARTON JENNINGS point for the local. There are a few train patterns to be aware of that can aid in a chase. First, the local out of Neosho runs south on Mon-

32. SEPTEMBER 1990 KANSAS CITY SOUTHERN:

Stiff grades in the hill country of southern Missouri and northern Arkansas provide a challenge for KCS trains. LEFT: A southbound loaded coal train-KCS No. 91-crawls up the one-pius percent grade at Decatur, Ark., with a mixed team of KCS and BN power. ABOVE: Kansas City Southern 70 I, a loaded grain train, winds through S-curves and across a small bridge north of Sulphur Springs, Ark., in February 1990. In the Land of Helpers day, Wednesday and Friday and leaves just after first light. In addition to the above-mentioned regulars, a number of After tying up on line at Siloam Springs, Ark. , it returns north other trains ply these rails. Grain trains are operated to Gulf on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Each day ports and are usually found in bunches, as are occasional so­ about sunrise, several northbound trains approach this da ash movements. Though normally a night train in this stretch of track. Manifest freight No . 6 is usually past Siloam area, manifest freight No.2 is occasionally seen on heavy traf­ Springs before the local is called, having dropped off needed fic days when schedules are loosely followed. Coal traffic on cars, but somewhere behind NO . 6 will be an empty coal train many days includes two No. 91s running about 12 hours returning to the mines in Wyoming. This train is usually No . apart, and long summer days allow both to be photographed. 92 and will often have BN power mixed in with the usual KCS Also, the Flint Creek power plant at Gentry, Ark., takes a white or new gray schemes. train (No. 95) three or four days a week. This power plant is At this same time, a loaded coal train, often No. 91 , will ap­ easily photographed from a number of county roads and proach Neosho from the north. At Neosho, it will stop to pick should always be checked for possible activity. The TOFC up one of the two sets of helpers usually stationed there. Even trains, Nos. 9 and 10, are strictly night activity and seldom with the helpers-generally two SD50s-the coal train will lit­ see daylight in this area. erally crawl up many of the one-percent-plus grades between A typical day of chasing KCS through these Ozark hills Sulphur Springs and Gentry. Another scheduled train, manifest starts at the depot in Siloam Springs, Ark. Here, the agent, freight No . 5, usually follows several hours behind the coal when time permits, can give you an idea of the day's lineup. train. Like No. 6, it too sets out or picks up cars for the local. Also, just north of town is a talking hot-box detector. Listen-

PACIFIC RAILNews • 33 ing to Kansas City Southern's road channel, 160.260, allows you to hear of a train's approach, or departure if you're running late. Catching the northbound fleet will take you toward Neosho where the southbound fleet can be found. Working in this manner, a chaser can make three or four trips through these hills and catch just about all of the trains at a number of locations with top-notch scenery. Leaving Siloam Springs, head north on Arkansas Highway 59, not U.S . 59. Though not alongside the tracks, this will allow you to beat the train to Gentry, where an overpass on the south end of town gives a nice view of the south end of the siding. Just two miles north of Gentry is where helpers cut off southbound trains. Continue on 59 north to follow the train through Decatur (where the depot still stands), Gravette and on to Sulphur Springs, a former resort community. Steep grades between these towns makes keeping up with the trains rather easy, so don't worry if the train doesn't show for a few minutes after Road EE is superb, with a long view of the rail line as its your arrival. At the north end of Sulphur Springs, turn left at snakes along a series of bluffs. A view in the other direction the city park just before you cross Butler Creek. Go about four provides for long shots of southbound action. Several S-curves blocks and you will come to the tracks with a beautiful "S" along the Elk River are easily photographed from here to An­ curve, meadow and bridge on your right. This spot can be derson, where another KCS depot is located. A hot-box detec­ photographed at any time, but afternoons provide excellent tor is located in the area and is useful when pursuing trains. lighting for photographing southbound trains. At Anderson, get on U.S. 71 and continue north. In about Returning to the highway and continuing north will take five miles, the tracks again cross overhead. At the town of you into Missouri. The first stop is Noel and its preserved Goodman, there is a small house track that is occasionally station, which is well worth a visit. Continuing north along used for bad orders. Several miles farther north at McElhany a the Elk River presents the railfan with several miles of very long siding allows for multiple train meets and also pro­ bridges, overlooks and great pacing possibilities. Turning vides a place to hold coal trains awaiting helper power. east at the Ozark Wonder Cave sign will take you to Trestle The track is difficult to follow going into Neosho, but a look Park, where KCS crosses the Elk River. Another mile up the at the yard downtown where a small servicing facility for highway is a roadside park with nice views of the railroad helpers and local power is located can give on an idea of down in the valley. helper movements. Just north of the yard is a crossing dia­ The Lanagan area may present the ultimate challenge to a mond with Burlington Northern which can provide some ad­ raillan. Where do you shoot first? The overpass on County ditional activity while waiting for KCS .

34. SEPTEMBER 1990 TOP LEFT: The northbound local sports three units in the KCS "new Image" gray scheme-including F-unit slug 4077-as it passes through Noel, Mo., on a Saturday run from Siloam Springs, Ark ., to Neosho, Mo. BOT­ TOM LEFT: A trio of helpers in the "land of the helpers," pushing a 701 train uphill at Goodman, Mo. The trailing units-including Rio Grande 5401 paying off horsepower hours -stay with the train from Neosho to Gentry, Ark. RIGHT: A southbound 91 train crosses the Illinois River near Watts, Okla., formerly a division point and currently the southernmost point worked by locals on the line. BELOW: At Gentry, Ark., KCS southbounds pause long enough to cut off their helper power, usually a pair of S050s. On this day, the 701 is also waiting to meet northbound No.2, a job that normally passes through this territory after dark.

The chase back south will almost always be easier as the slow you down considerably. The town of Watts, Okla. , is trains are loaded and much slower. Also, a return trip over just another mile south of the river, and until December of the territory allows a person to be a little more selective in 1989 also had its own depot. As mentioned earlier, this is the his or her photography. One further location is worth men­ limit of the local's territory, but it is only worked when a local tioning. South of Siloam Springs on U.S. 59 is the Illinois Riv­ feed mill requires it. er Bridge which is reached by taking a dirt road back to the Unfortunately, Kansas City Southern gets little attention in river on the south side of the highway crossing. A set of the railfan press and correspondingly little attention from rail stairs over a fence and a short trail will take you to one of enthusiasts. Though the Neosho-Watts segment is greatly ne­ several nice spots. To get a good shot you should be at least glected by railfans (I've never seen another photographer 10 or 15 minutes ahead of any southbound train when you while chasing here), its beauty and traffic potential should reach Siloam Springs because the traffic lights in town can rank it among the region's best.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 35 Continued from page 19 pled to a pair of GP40/GP40-2s as the pow­ of late. One current project, being complet­ mileage charges, returning those units er suite assigned to haul the tonnage of ed from Pinecliffe (milepost 37) east down which can go back to lessors. Strict "hands southbound DVPUM (old train No. 167) the Front Range grade toward Denver, in­ off' orders have been issued for leased down the Joint Line to Pueblo. volves replacing thrust-side rails on most of power stored at eastern locations (mainly A package of SD60 service manuals in­ the lines' sharp curves. At the time of rail Pine Bluff and Houston). Even EMD "loan­ advertently shipped to SP at Los Angeles change, selected ties are also being re­ er" SD60 8300 has been returned to the gave rise to a rumor that, after a long hia­ placed. In some cases the rail Change-out builder. Many GEs, reportedly considered tus, the next diesel unit order would be for strategy involves moving the non-thrust less reliable than equivalent EMD models, six-motor units. However, at this writing, rail over to the thrust side; in others, new have been added to the storage lines dur­ no order for 1991 has been placed (and rail is installed. The rail/tie change-out and ing the current slack period. Most recent­ there may not be an order, conSidering ballast upgrade project between White­ ly, 7754-7773 were parked at Pine Bluff. SP's present economic situation), but in­ house, Utah (milepost 510.5) eastward to Frequently, SP operates large light-engine formed observers are confident that GP60 Mack, Colo. (milepost 468.9) through Ruby consists eastward from California to bal­ units will be the choice again, when and if Canyon has recently been completed. All ance shortages elsewhere. SP decides to order. related slow-orders have been lifted. Rio Grande's three new GP60s, 3154- The Sunset Route bridge across the Trinity River near Liberty, Texas, had to be 3156, have been leased to SP in exchange Branchline Abandonments Asked for three recently upgraded SD45T-2s, closed on May 19 due to flood damage, and both Amtrak and freight service rerouted 6889-6891. Grande forces at Roper will In early June, SP asked the Interstate Com­ maintain the tunnel motors, while SP will over competing lines. It took about two merce Commission for permission to aban­ weeks, 28 carloads of large rock ballast and use the new GP60s in intermodal service don portions of three California branches: along with newly delivered SSW 9665-9714. nearly 300 cubic yards of quick-setting con­ 13 .9 miles of the Coalinga Branch between crete to stabilize the 86-year-old structure. Through early June, D&RGW SD9 No. Huron and Ora in Fresno County; the 11.7- 5311 remained active at Denver's North mile Sandia Branch between Holtville and Yard. June 19, however, found the vintage Orita in Imperial County; and the 4.9-mile Southern Pacific Fined for Smoky Diesels unit dispatched to Burnham Shops for a mi­ end portion of the Placerville Branch be­ nor check-up and probable return to dead tween Placerville and Diamond Springs in Southern Pacific will pay a $425,000 fine to storage. The pairs of GP9s active at North EI Dorado County. In each case, SP reports settle 188 pollution violations dating from Yard have been replaced by duos of GP30s. no traffic movement in years. 1981 throughout Southern California. Most Of late, paired D&RGW GP30s 3010/3018 of the citations by the Air Quality Manage­ and 3017/3018 have been handling Denver­ ment District involved locomotives on the area inter-railroad transfer duties. Trackwork Projects Beaumont Hill. Some time ago SP ban­ D&RGW SD45s are again commonly ished older GE units from this service, but found working Colorado's Joint Line. July Moffat Tunnel mainline trackage on the obviously not in time. 3, for example, found D&RGW 5317 and east side of the continental divide has been Thanks to H. W Farewell for SF finan­ 5322 on the North Yard ready tracks cou- receiving significant maintenance attention cial information.

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36. SEPTEMBER 1990 BURLINGTON NORTHERN

Major Changes in Coal Power Assignments With the dwindling number of U30Cs available for coal-train service, BN has been forced to implement a number of mo­ tive-power assignment changes prior to delivery of the second group of 50 SD60Ms. In addition, BN has been negoti­ ating with EMD in an attempt to move the delivery date on the well-liked C-Cs ahead from the 1991 schedule previously promised. In a recent article in RAILWAY AGE, BN's Chief Mechanical Officer Ed Bauer was quoted as saying "the SD60Ms are likely to be the replacement for the SD40-2 fleet," BN's current motive-power standard of excellence. Only 21 U30Cs saw active service dur­ ing the month of June, and by the first week of July, only 14 active units re­ mained out of the 104 still listed on the roster on June 30. During June, U30Cs 5357, 5366, 5383, 5387 and 5391 operated, but were stored serviceable, while sisters 5389 and 5942 were listed as bad order pending repairs. The last 14 units in ser­ vice as of July 5 were 5301, 5361 , 5362, Oakway 9014 leads an eastbound Burlington Northern 196 train at Jens, Mont., on June 21, 5370, 5372, 5374, 5378, 5385, 5386, 5388, 1990. The daily Pasco, Wash.-Minot, N.D., job utilizes Montana Rail Link trackage rights east 5834, 5837, 5838 and 5921. As would be of Sandpoint, Idaho; in just a few miles the train will attack the 1.4 percent grade of Mullan expected, the venerable GEs are kept Pass as it makes its way to Laurel, Mont., on the ex-Northern Pacific/BN route. Kirk Petty close to Alliance for repairs, although at least two units were run through to con­ as their peers in Alliance. A check of the necting roads on coal trains during the Plaques on 5D60Ms Honor BN Leaders first week of July. Lakes Division coal pool on July 2 found What remedial action has taken place units 5052, 5071, 5138, 5180 and 5191 on line, while six days later Santa Fe 5074, BN has placed plaques on seven of its to fill the void left by the departed U30Cs? new SD60Ms to honor top leaders from In mid-June, a group of Oakway SD60s 5079, 5115, 5158, 5164 and 5173 were moving various coal trains across the up­ the railroad's first twenty years. The was reassigned from Kansas City to Glen­ plaques were installed at Northtown dive, augmenting the 9200-series SD60Ms per Midwest. Other coal power wandering sys­ Shops in Minneapolis and have the hon­ used in coal service out of the eastern oree's name, title and dates of service. Montana maintenance base. According to temwide during June and July included various KCS SD40-2s, such as the 644 in The units marked and person honored BN sources, the Oakway units will contin­ are: 9243, John M. Budd; 9244, Louis W. ue to receive inspections and repairs at Chicago in mid-June, as well as the 667 at Northtown on June 28 and the 658 at the Menk; 9245, Robert W. Downing; 9246, North Kansas City, thus creating some Norman M. Lorentzen; 9247, Thomas J. "float" in the pool. As of July 5,27 Oak­ same locale on July 8. Another notable coal power pool participant was UP Lamphier; 9248, Richard J. Grayson; and ways were noted in coal train service, in­ 9249, Walter A. Drexel. Plans are also in cluding units 9001, 9003, 9005, 9012, 9014, SD60M 6212, spotted on an RR56 coal train at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, on June 1. the works to honor two current BN em­ 9015, 9030, 9034, 9036, 9037, 9045, 9047, ployees once they retire: Richard M. 9051,9053,9055-57,9067,9071-73, 9076, Bressler and Darius W. Gaskins. 9077,9081,9085,9089 and 9091. As is the case with the 9200s, these reassigned GATX 5D40-2s Return Oakways are commonly used on trains bound for Cohasset, Superior, Becker and After a short term lease to Santa Fe, the the Twin Cities. 10 former Soo, nee Milwaukee Road, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE With this reassignment, BN can stan­ SD40-2s acquired by GATX Leasing ap­ ACTION AT THE PASS dardize power consists on coal trains in pear to be headed back to BN. Engines the Forsyth pool, with some of the trans­ 6351, 6354 and 6357 were immediately planted Oakways showing up on trains placed into the coal pool void, while sis­ CC274/275 running through to Soo Line. ters 6350, 6352 and 6356 were shipped to ECONOLODGE­ Also, more SD40-2s were transferred from West Burlington for repairs. Units 6355 CAJON'S BEST Glendive to the growing fleet of EMDs at and 6356 were at Independent Locomo­ Alliance. tive Service at Bethel, Minn., as of June LODGING VALUE The final piece of the motive power jig­ 25 for painting. saw puzzle involves the increased usage In other GATX locomotive news, it is EconoLodge of pooled EMD power on coal trains, often rumored that the 10 GP40s on long term 8317 Hwy. 138, Cajon Pass outside the normal haunts for such units. lease (3075-84) may be repainted into the Of particular note during June was the wide­ blue-and-white scheme of the owner. Al­ Corner of 1-15 & Hwy. 138 spread appearance of Santa Fe SD40-2s. so, unit 3724, reported as a GP40 in an Phelan, CA 92371 Shop forces at Northtown are getting as earlier column, is actually a deturboed (619) 249-6777 accustomed to the blue-and-yellow EMDs GP38, verified at Taylor, N.D., on June 9.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 37 Minn., later this year. Boise Cascade will tensive down time during the month, but CSX and BN Looking at Trackage Swaps purchase 50 Roadrailer Mark V chassis for 2000 spent 46 days at Cat vendor Ziegler service by BN America. At St. Paul, con­ in May and June . .. CSX, Conrail and CSX and BN have requested ICC approval tainers owned by BN America will be Grand Trunk Western pool power contin­ for BN to obtain trackage rights over 70 transloaded onto existing doublestack ued to wander the eastern end of the rail­ miles of CSX trackage between Atmore trains operated by BN at the company's road at mid-summer. As of July 8, four and Mobile, Ala. If approved, BN would Midway intermodal hub. Such action may CSX GP40s and three CR SD40-2s were obtain an alternate access into Mobile be only an intermediate move, as BN has working between Chicago, Galesburg and from York, Ala. received approval to operate up to 40 the Twin Cities. GTW SD40s were seen In a somewhat related matter, the two Roadrailers behind five doublestack cars between Chicago and Galesburg, includ­ carriers operated an inspection train from by FRA. Such convenient switching may ing ex-UP, nee MP, 5934 on 2nd No . 164 at Memphis to Jacksonville, Fla. , on June 13. become necessary in St. Paul, as BN is in Aurora, Ill., on July 2 . . . The long-stand­ CSX F7s 118 and 119 pulled three CSX trouble with neighborhood groups be­ ing pool between BN and Canadian Na­ business cars, four BN business cars and cause of the rapid growth of truck move­ tional has been terminated for the time BN power car Stampede Pass. The special ments and 24-hour-a-day noise at the Mid­ being, as CN won't accept BN SD40-2s un­ was operated to evaluate the movement of way facility. til their horns have been relocated away CSX business over BN between Memphis from the cab roof area. Canadian National and Birmingham, eliminating the current cabooses in the 78000-series no longer long backhaul via Nashville. Motive Power News Shorts work trains 1411142 either .. . EMD FT de­ mo set 103A1103B was handled to Duluth Burlington Northern continues to experi­ on the No. 141 of July 1. Boise Cascade Roadrailer Service ence problems with its 10 GPCATs, as sev­ Thanks to Burlington Northern, Mike en of the 10 units were off line at various Cleary, David Hart, Jeff Hendricks, Darren As reported earlier in PRN, BN and Boise times during June for modifications. The Hill, Michael Kiriazis, George R. Cockle, Cascade will begin Roadrailer service be­ three newest units (2006, 2007 and 2009) Tom Robinson, MODERN RAILROADS and tween International Falls and St. Paul, seem to be fairly reliable and avoided ex- RAILWAY A GE. CANADA WEST

710, 715,719, 720, 723 and 726) with the ing after their arrival and at least one unit -BCRaii others leaving the property in groups be­ was expected to be in service in July. tween May 24 and June 28 . Although the June 30 was the official 50th birthday The last of the new GEs, 4622, arrived May first two groups of units were moved dead party for ex-CPR Royal Hudson 2860 and 24. The two units sent to Squamish for re­ over CN initially to GE in Montreal, they the locomotive departed North Vancouver pairs, 4606 and 4614, were both out and were soon sent to GE at Erie, Pa., and later that day with a full complement of passen­ running by mid-June. As for the "big Alcos" groups went directly to Erie. The eight ac­ gers, including about 200 invited guests of replaced by the GEs, the 707 was repaired tive M630s are still being used in mainline BCR, for ceremonies in Squamish. There in Squamish and made one last trip over service and units 710, 719 and 720 can were anxious moments leading up to the the system on June 10. By late June, the lead as they are Locotrol masters. celebration, as the 2860 had just gone only M630s still running were the eight The remains of Alco 711 , recovered through extensive work and was steamed units scheduled to be retained (702 , 706, from the depths of Seton Lake in 1988 and up for the first time only two days before in limbo ever since, were donated to the the trip to Squamish. Ex-Canadian Pacific West Coast Railway Association in late Royal Consolidation 3716 was the stand-in June. On receiving the hulk, WCRA offi­ for the first part of the Royal Hudson ex­ cials determined that rebuilding the unit, cursion season. Shop crews have fash­ Tunnels, even for just static display, would be ioned a set of remove able ditch lights for Trestles, equivalent to building a new locomotive. the 2860 which would allow the locomo­ Thus, the decision was made to scrap the tive to venture onto either of Canada's na­ Switchbacks unit and salvage a few pieces with which tional rail systems in the future. Also, & Curves to build a small memorial at the WCRA there are rumors that the 2860 will be in­ museum to the 711 and the two crew vited to attend Railfair '91 in Sacramento members who rode it into the lake. next May; though the decision to attend if RS18C 609 (which soon should be invited would rest with the provincial gov­ renumbered 2401) spent most of June ernment, BCR wants a trip to Sacramento working Squamish, then was mated to to promote the Royal Hudson service. slug 402 and transferred to North Vancou­ ver where the set was expected to work for a month or two before assignment to Canadian National Relaxation and great Prince George. BCR wants to work the family fun in the heart of pair around the system and test them in June saw the retirement of the final three the scenic redwoods. A perfect all types of service. The second Cat con­ ex-Northern Alberta GP9s, all still wearing version, the 2402 (ex 617). was expected NAR blue paint. The three survivors had day's adventure aboard the historic to be in service sometime in August. been assigned to Edmonton's Calder trains or motorcars of the famous Skunk BC Rail's three ex-VIA Budd cars ar­ diesel facility, but were dispatched east­ Train. Leave Fbrt Bragg on the Mendocino rived June 26 ; the two RDCls will become bound between the 12th and 18th. The coast or Willits Depot on Hwy lOI. BC15 and BC16, but no number has been three GP9s will become candidates for re­ Fbr brochure or reservations, write or selected for the RDC2 which was not ex­ build into transfer power or slugs. call the Skunk Train, PO. Box 907, pected to be placed in service this year. May and June saw four newly rebuilt Over the next four years the two new transfer units and three slugs move west Fbrt Bragg, CA 95437. (P) ~ RDCls and the BC21 and BC22 will be up­ to points on the Jasper-Prince Rupert ex­ (707) 964·637I. graded, with the latter two Budd cars pos­ Grand Trunk Pacific line. The units, GP9Rs sibly renumbered BC17 and BC18. BC15 7251-7254 and slugs 245-247, were all re­ Ride the Skunks and BC16 were both scheduled for paint- built from retired GP9s.

38 • SEPTEMBER 1990 AMTRAK and VIA "F4DPHJJs

VIA Class "F40PH" Nos. 6400-6419 - OMI #5897.1 Prototype photo

AMTRAK Class "F40PH" Phase I, Nos. 200-229 - OMI #5889.1 Prototype photo coll ecti on of Loui s A Marre

AMTRAK Class "F40PH" Phase II, Nos. 230-328 - OMI #5891.1 Prototype photo coll ecti on of Louis A. Marre

AMTRAK Class "F40PH" Phase III, Nos. 329-400 - OMI #5893.1 Prototype photo co ll ec tion of l ou is A Marrc Handcrafted in brass by Ajin Precision of Korea in HO scale, factory painted with lettering and lights . .. delivery due September 1990. Downtown Vancouver, B.C., makes a splendid backdrop for CP Rail SW1200RS 8115 as it works a cut of container-laden flatcars in a yard ly­ ing literally in the shadow of the hi-rises. In the background at right are Coal Harbour and the beautiful Canada Place. Vancouver and its harbor are critical to CP Rail as most of Canada's traffic to and from the Orient moves through this West Coast city. Mel Finzer

Heavy rains coupled with an already­ this period, the Saskatoon-Kindersely-Han­ the Grande Prairie area of northern Alber­ high spring run-off severed the Clearwa­ na-Sarcee Yard (Calgary) line hosted two ta, closing the Smoky Sub from Tangent ter Subdivision in British Columbia be­ extra eastbounds and one extra west­ west to Spirit River, the entire Grande tween Karnloops and Blue River June 11- bound, while the Edmonton-Mirror-Sarcee Prairie Sub, and the CN-operated Re­ 15. VIA trains 1 and 2 detoured over por­ Yard Camrose and Three Hills subs han­ sources Railway (Grande Cache Sub) for a tions of the former CP Rail route of the dled an addition four southward and two few miles south of Grande Prairie. This Canadian from Karnloops to Edmonton via northward trains. The detours stopped latter segment was passable by June 19 Calgary; a number of CN freights followed late June 14 when CPR suffered slide after a week-long closure, and its opening the same route. The line closure also damage itself, though by that time CN allowed work trains to reach Grande added traffic to CN branches leading into was close to restoring its own lines. Prairie and start work on the other dam­ Calgary from the east and north. During High water also affected operations in aged lines. REGIONALS

Point and Neenah, and extra sections of act units to be obtained are not yet Wisconsin Central trains 20 and 43 to and from Chicago have known, though CM&W's GP40 fleet was a been regularly operating Monday-Friday. ragged-looking collection of ex-Western Starting Aug. 1, Wisconsin Central will cut In addition, a new daylight turn to Schiller Pacific units (ex-WP 3517-3544 class). The 24 hours from its schedules and begin Park Yard (departing North Fond du Lac GP40s will apparently be refurbished over overnight highway-rail intermodal service around 5 a.m.) should be quite popular the next two years (a WC source has indi­ between Stevens Point and Chicago. Cus­ with WC watchers. cated that only about five of the units are tomers shipping to and from the Wiscon­ In other news from America's largest in ready-to-run condition) and then de­ sin Valley will now have next morning regional, Wisconsin Central has an­ ployed around the WC network on local availability, with 4 p.m. cutoff times for nounced that it will be acquiring "new" service. The downside to this develop­ southbound trailers and containers, and motive power-17 GP40s from Gateway ment for rare-motive-power fans is that 7:30 p.m. for northbound loads. This new Western. The units are part of the excess the addition of the GP40s will send WC's service should have a significant impact power that GW obtained when it pur­ ex-Soo GP30s off the roster. Reports indi­ on WC train frequency; eight trains a day chased the remaining assets of Chicago, cate that a buyer for the GP30s has al­ will traverse the line between Stevens Missouri & Western earlier this year. Ex- ready been located.

40. SEPTEMBER 1990 being mined by a BN subsidiary, Meridian More semaphores came down in the Lom­ Montana Rail Link Minerals, on a deposit located close to the bard area in May . .. SD40-2xr was recent­ old Milwaukee Road main near Roundup, ly released from Livingston Rebuild Cen­ In late May, Montana Rail Link originated Mont. Later this year, MRL hopes to haul ter, a hulk assembled from UP 3002 and three Bull Mountain coal trains for export an additional 66,000 tons of Bull Mountain parts from various other sources ... MRL to an unspecified Canadian utility compa­ coal to the West Coast for export to Pacif­ has acquired a Burlington Northern F9 for ny. The 34,000 tons of coal were shipped ic Rim countries. Meanwhile, environmen­ use with business car Silver Cloud (ex­ via BN to Superior, Wis., for transloading tal studies are still being considered for Rock Island remodeled by MRL at Mis­ to Great Lakes barges. MRL loaded the the mining operation, and a land swap soula). trains at Huntley, Mont. , and hauled the may be needed to access deposits on Bu­ Thanks to Pete Briggs and Kyle cars in small units to Laurel. The coal is reau of Land Management property .. . Brehm. ILLINOIS CENTRAL

new IC management-thus the aggressive the long-lingering rumors that the railroad IC Finances Looking Strong locomotive painting program. By the time would like to sell its current intermodal fa­ you read this, all IC motive power should cility on the west side of Chicago and relo­ With a system boasting just over 2,900 be wearing black and white. In a commit­ miles of main line, Illinois Central generat­ cate all its trailer and container business ment to keeping these freshly painted units to a new site along the ChicagO-New Or­ ed $547 million in revenues in 1989. Ap­ looking good, the railroad is installing a leans main at Markham Yard on Chicago's proximately 25 percent of the railroad's new washing facility in Memphis. revenues were derived from chemical south side. shipments originating in Louisiana and In other news, Illinois Central has been Even as the railroad considers selling installing a new computer system this its intermodal facilities to private opera­ Mississippi, IC's major source of traffic. Coal continued to be the number two com­ summer that will allow IC personnel and tors, IC's piggyback business continues to modity, shipped mostly from southern Illi­ customers to track cars as they move up grow. The latest quarter saw a seven per­ nois mines to utilities in the Midwest. and down the railroad. The new system cent increase in loadings over the same Wood products ranked third on the IC in should be able to provide customers with period last year. 1989, followed closely by grain and grain reliable arrival times for all the goods they products. ship over the IC. In a letter to IC employees, President Steam on the IC Ed Moyers reported that this level of rev­ enue was better than projected; though More Property Sales in Future? With Norfolk Southern now using Illinois actual carloads shipped were fewer than Central trackage rights between Gibson hoped, the revenue produced per carload Illinois Central currently owns 46 percent City and Chicago, Ill., for all Decatur­ actually exceeded expectations. According of Peoria & Pekin Union Railroad, a Chicago freights, it seemed that it would to Moyers, this level of performance has switching road with trackage in its name­ only be a matter of time before one of the allowed IC to meet all of its financial obli­ sake cities in central Illinois. Apparently, noted N&W steamers made its way onto gations; rumors of a poor financial state IC is considering sale or recapitalization of the IC. On June 27 , NS exercised its IC were false. Moyers said that IC was re­ its shares in P&PU, which handles IC's ter­ trackage rights for N&W 2-6-6-4 No. 1218, quired to repay a $68 million loan by Aug. minal and yard work in Pekin. operating on a ferry move from Kansas 31, 1990, and that as of May, $55 million IC is also reportedly mulling the sale of City to Chicago. The steam locomotive, had been paid, with the final installment its intermodal facilities in Chicago, Mem­ carrying 22 passenger cars but no passen­ slated for July-ahead of schedule. phis, Tenn., Jackson, Miss., and New Or­ gers, was the first steam locomotive to The Moyers letter also said that making leans. Under such a plan, IC would con­ move over the north end of the IC since SP a positive impression on the general public tract with the new owners to load and un­ 4449 on the American Freedom Train back and IC employees was important to the load intermodal trains. This report follows in the 1970s. WEST A stunning look back at the year in railroading

For fans of Western and Midwestern railroading, 1989 was an exciting, colorful year. RAILS WEST 89-from the publishers of PACIFIC RAILNEws- captures the mem­ orable railroad images from last year in a spectacular, color-rich pictorial cel­ ebrating modern railroading at its best. Featuring images from America's finest rail photographers-Bla ir Kooistra, Dick Dorn, Steve Smedley and many others. If you enjoy contemporary railroading, or are simply a fan of superb rail photography, RAILS WEST 89 is a book you'll never forget! 80 pages, 69 color and 71 B&W images, 81/Z"X 11" softbound. Compiled by Elrond G. Lawrence. PRN405 ...... ONLY $22.95 Add $2 p/h. Calif. res. add 6 1/4 /6 3/4% tax.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 41 A quartet of rebuilt (and now repainted) Illinois Central Geeps lead the southbound CHG (Chicago-Geismar, La.) through Gilman, III., on a crisp spring morning in April 1990. The train is crossing the Toledo, Peoria & Western diamonds; the structure at the right of the photo is TP&W property. Black is now the rule for IC motive power-repainting the fleet was completed this summer. Paul Meyer

the Gilman-Springfield line and the TP&W tablished at Osyka. In central Illinois, CTC Ie Interlocking Update crossing. was extended 12.7 miles from South Correcting an earlier report on the Eff­ Rantoul to South Paxton, Ill. ; a 2.7-mile Gibson City, IlL, tower is still being ingham interlocking, the control of the IC­ siding was established at Rantoul using manned continuously, since the signal Conrail crossing was transferred to the IC part of the second main. And in southern work needed to replace the facility has dispatcher in Chicago. Conrail dispatchers Illinois single-track CTC was extended not been completed. In fact, nothing has can make a line-up on their machine, but 15.8 miles from Ullin to Anna and a 2.6- happened toward this end since the NS­ IC dispatchers must also line up the move mile siding was established at Ullin. IC connection was completed in March, on the IC console before the CR signals The first segment of CTC on the Cham­ and all NS trains move to and from the will clear. paign District was placed in service be­ IC via a hand-thrown turnout. Currently, tween Effingham and Edgewood, a dis­ IC signal crews are concentrating their tance of 11.5 miles. Contrary to earlier re­ efforts on CTC projects along the Chica­ Single-tracking Update ports, the Automatic Train Stop (ATS) in go-New Orleans main with the hope of this district will not be eliminated, but will completing those jobs by the end of the May and June continued to be busy be retained for the present. Apparently, year. months for IC crews single-tracking the the cost of installing wayside signals over Though control of the CTC main line Chicago-New Orleans main. On the south­ 100 miles of main line between Cham­ between Otto and North Gilman, Ill., was ern end of the system, CTC was extended paign and Centralia-along with objec­ transferred from the Gilman operator to 13.4 miles from South Osyka, La. , to Fern­ tions from operating unions and Am­ the IC central dispatcher in early June, the wood Junction, Miss.; the second main trak-will keep the ATS in place. Gilman operator remains in place, control­ was retired between Fernwood Junction Single-tracking work for June and July ling the crossovers, the connection with and North Osyka and a 1.8 mile siding es- in Illinois was slated between Anna and

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42. SEPTEMBER 1990 Carbondale, Neoga and Effingham and in across Missouri. As part of the project, retrofitted with them after wreck repairs the Kankakee area. On the south end, the GW is laying "new" welded rail pur­ in 1970. Jackson (Miss.)-Hammond (La.) was slated chased from -where else- Illinois Cen­ The original group of 75 GP40s has cur­ for conversion. Work in June removing un­ tral, one of the nation's prime sources of rently dwindled to just 43, with several used house tracks and spurs between secondhand rail since it started its sin­ the victim of wrecks. Twenty left the ros­ Summit and Brookhaven, Miss., was a pre­ gle-tracking project. ter in 1982 when the 15-year lease expired lude to the single-tracking. on units 3040-3059 and KCS outbid IC for a new lease. Between 1987 and 1989, IC locomotive Review, Part 7 contracted VMV of Paducah to upgrade 35 St. louis Switching Woes Continue of the remaining GP40s to GP40-2 stan­ This month we'll look at IC's GP40s. Seven­ dards; these units were reclassified as Illinois Central is still not happy with the ty-five GP40s were purchased directly GP40Rs and are renumbered in the 3100 switching service it's getting from Alton & from EMD by the "old IC" in six different class. Of the eight remaining "straight" Southern in the St. Louis terminal. Looking orders delivered between 1966 and 1970: GP40s on the roster, seven remain active. for alternatives, IC approached Terminal 3000-3013 in February 1966; 3014-3039 in Two of these, 3076 and 3077, were rebuilt Railroad Association, but felt that TRRA January 1967 (last new IC units in green by ICG in 1974 from wreck-damaged units fees were too high. IC is currently talking diamond scheme); 3040-3055 in February 3035 and 3070; their 15-year lease expires with Gateway Western about either leas­ 1967 (first new IC units in orange and in April 1991 and the units may be re­ ing back part of its former East St. Louis white); 3056-3059 in March 1967; 3060- turned to their lessor at that time. Unre­ Yard and doing its own switching, or con­ 3069 in August 1969; and 3070-3074 in built 3029 is stored with heavy wreck tracting the switching job out to Gateway February 1970. In November 1970, IC damage and will be retired later this year. Western. added one more GP40, ex-EMD GP40X Thirty-two of the GP40Rs are still active: In a related note, Gateway Western, demonstrator 433A which was renum­ 3111, 3116 and 3134 have been destroyed salvaged from the ruins of IC spinoff bered 3075. This unit was rebuilt by ICG in wrecks. Chicago, Missouri & Western, is enjoy­ in 1975 as the 2550 and reclassified as a Thanks to Sonny Seller Jr., Jon Roma, ing modest success and is currently GP35. Only units 3060-3075 were deliv­ Danny Johnson and Illinois Central Rail­ working to renovate its deteriorated line ered with dynamic brakes; 3057 was road. CHICAGO & NORTH WESTERN

Pacific's Columbus-Norfolk, Neb., branch, east-west main, C&NW was unable to ac­ Racked by Summer Storms was washed out in many locations and re­ commodate this request. quired 150 to 200 carloads of ballast to re­ In Wisconsin, soggy, unstable ground Heavy summertime rains commencing pair. As a result, North Western started its forced the North Western to remove the June 16 disrupted operations of the North weekly Norfolk-Chadron train out of Sioux Chicago-Twin Cities main track from ser­ Western and other railroads in the Mid­ City, Iowa, detouring over Burlington vice at Rodell, east of Eau Claire, on June west. Late that night rainfall at the rate of Northern from there to O'Neill, Neb., and 15. The track was returned to service on two inches per hour put both tracks of the the Cowboy Line junction. A washed-out the afternoon of the 17th after Proviso­ Chicago-Fremont main line under water at bridge near Meadow Grove, Neb., also had Minneapolis train EMPRA dumped an Westside and Vail, Iowa (between Carroll to be repaired before Cowboy Line service emergency load of ballast at that location. and Denison). One or both main tracks could be resumed. Back in Iowa, the Mar­ were also reported under water at Wheat­ shalltown, Oskaloosa, Indianola, Ankeny land, Norway and Ames, Iowa, during the and Perry subdivisions were all temporarily Dow, Reynolds Recognize North night of June 16-17. Chicago & North idled due to water over the rails. Western Quality Western halted train service on the busy Other railroads with washout problems main line until the tracks could be inspect­ turned to the North Western for help. Four Dow Chemical U.S.A. has announced that ed and any necessary repairs made. Fortu­ of Soo Line's Kansas City trains detoured North Western won its annual Rail Safety nately, no serious damage occurred and via C&NW between Clinton, Iowa, and Po­ Achievement Award for 1989. This award is the entire main was back in service by the lo, Mo. Iowa Interstate asked to detour its given annually to one of Dow's top ten rail afternoon of June 17. trains over the North Western between carriers in recognition of the number of safe Branch lines were also affected by flood­ Des Moines and Council Bluffs, but due to car miles it operated for Dow. In 1989, C&NW ing and washouts. Chicago & North West­ high water near Cambridge, Iowa, on the handled 5,000 loads of Dow traffic over three ern's access to the Cowboy line, Union "Spine Line" linking Des Moines with the million car-miles wit;:, no accidents.

ORDER FORM Please send me one copy of Southern Pacific Steam Switchers. I have enclosed $17.95 in U.S. funds (postpaid). California res idents add $1.26 sales tax. Send this order We couldn't resist form w ith you r payment to: Benchmark Publications, publishing this pictorial sUNey of Southern P. O. Box 26, Los Altos, CA 94023. Pacific Steam Switchers by Gene Deimling. Benchmark's new 112-page soft-cover book Name consists of photos with corresponding data from the1930s to the end of the steam era providing Address a visual review of the 0-6-0's, 0-8-0's and shop switchers of the Southern Pacific's Pacific Lin es City - an indispensable reference for SP fans, a great book for steam locomotive lovers. State Zip

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 43 Reynolds Metals Company honored C&NW by awarding the railroad its carrier quality award for 1989. Judging was based on a combination of categories in­ cluding equipment condition and avail­ ability, pickup and delivery, loss and dam­ age experience and billing accuracy. Chicago & North Western delivers alu­ WELCOME minum ingots from two Reynolds plants HOME on the West Coast to Chicago. TIIANKS for iJ SAFE TfllP NO TRESPASSING New Brakemen Hired

As a result of the 1988 settlement of the crew consist dispute, the North Western has hired about 70 new switchmen/brake­ men to fill vacancies in the Chicago area, various points in Iowa, and Escanaba, Mich. There's no question a railroading ca­ reer still has considerable appeal, as C&NW was able to select its new employ­ ees from a pool of about 700 applicants. The new employees attended classes at • . . t.._ the company's West Chicago training cen­ - -.. '" -~- /:\:>:'~--'-""";:~~~" ;-, '> •• ter, but most of their training took place on the property, switching cars. For safety C&NW has made it known it wants to abandon or sell the Cowboy Line in Nebraska, but the reasons, C&NW had them wear high-visi­ future of the Casper (Wyo.) Branch-now seeing only weekly service-is unclear. On May bility orange fluorescent vests during their 25, GP9 4539 shoves four carloads of bentonite into the yard of an oil well servicing firm in first 90 days on the job. Casper; later in the day, the train will return to Chadron on an overnight run. A.J . Wolff TRANSIT PRN STAFF

es. San Diego's Port Commission Chairman give motorists the incentive to leave their San Diego Milford Portwood said the extension cars at home or at one of the many park­ would usher in a new era in getting from ing lots along the line. COVERING THE WATERFRONT: The downtown to the waterfront. James Mills, June 28 ceremonies introducing the sec­ MTDB's chairman, noted that the expand­ THIS AND THAT: When the Bayside seg­ ond installment of the Bayside Line-be­ ing light-rail system will "tie our great ment came on board, some stations down­ tween the Gaslamp/Convention Center metropolis back together." He said, "We town and along the East Line got new and Columbia Street Stations-capped off are turning San Diego back into a city with names. To avoid confusion with the a year of Trolley start-ups, including two a vital heart." When it officially opened to Gaslamp/Convention Center Station off East Line openings and weekend service the public on June 30, the extension be­ Harbor Drive, Gaslamp Station on C Street to the San Diego Convention Center. A pri­ came part of the East Line. Since parking became Fifth Avenue. Instead of Santa Fe vate 1921 vintage railroad car served as is at a premium by the bay, the Trolley's 5 Depot, the South Line's downtown termi­ the podium for the usual roupd of speech- a.m.-to-after-1 a.m. schedule is sure to nal is now called Columbia Street. It is on-

MONON -She's a Hoosier Line Rail Premier Video If there was any Midwestern railroad that had achieved a "storyland" charisma, it was the Monon , "The Hoosier Line" -Indiana's own railroad. Producer and narrator Bill Warrick (himself a Hoosier) tells the story of the Monon Railroad, from the humble beginnings in 1847 to Monon's "classic" period a century later under the direction of fabled railroader John W. Barriger III , to takeover by Louisville & Nashville in 1971. There are even glimpses of the former Monon today, with CSX freights and Amtrak passenger trains still rumbling through the streets of Lafayette, Ind. Warrick uses a combination of early black & white photos and rare color movie footage to illustrate Monon steam in action, the construction and debut of Monon's homebuilt streamliners, Monon's 1947 Centennial celebration and many other vignettes of life on the Hoosier Line in this memorable 57-minute tape. FR552, 57 minutes (add 1.25 p/h) _ ...... , ...... 39.95

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44. SEPTEMBER 1990 ly temporary, however, until the Great to ban smoking on all its suburban trains. crossings within village limits and the ef­ American Plaza station is finished, then a Setting aside one car per train for nicotine fects on auto traffic of frequent train ser­ permanent name will be chosen. In the addicts was not the way to really fly, said vice. The cost of the entire project (in­ suburbs, Broadway Lemon Grove became the agency. On-board personnel were cluding grade-crossing improvements) the Lemon Grove Depot, and Main and complaining about the effects of second­ would be in excess of $53 million. If this Marshall in El Cajon changed to El Cajon hand smoke, and scrubbing the affected portion of the "ring" railroad is successful, Transit Center ... The extension brought coaches to remove the evidence of tobacco service could be extended along the en­ the total number of Trolley employees burned up an additional $200,000 yearly tire railroad to skirt the city from from 243 to 256 and will add about over normal cleaning costs. Waukegan to Indiana. 172,000 operating train miles annually. It took longer than expected, but in the The LRV fleet has grown, too, and will end the battle for cleaner air was won by ONCE OVER QUICKLY: Despite the failure soon total 71 cars .. . Passage of three the abstainers. The Metra board was di­ of the Illinois General Assembly to pass June ballot measures in California-l08, vided, but when the matter finally came to legislation authorizing a special taxing 111 and 116-should keep the Trolley on a vote in June at least one smoker marked district for the proposed Loop area light track for future expansion ... MTDB is his ballot in favor of the ban, while two rail line, the city plans to go ahead with a looking into installing a toll-free public in­ non-smokers joined the small minority and similar measure this summer ... The formation telephone line. cast their nays Brazilian firm of Mafersa has landed a con­ tract to provide 256 body shells for rapid FAREBOX NEWS: Figures for the third SWING AND SWAY ALONG THE "J": The transit cars for the Chicago Transit Au­ quarter of FY 1990 show the Trolley car­ Metra board is proposing its first circum­ thority. Mafersa bid on the full contract to ried 1.3 million more passengers than it ferential commuter rail service, running supply the entire car order, but lost out to did for the same quarter of FY 89. Farebox along the now un-busy Elgin, Joliet & Morrison-Knudsen, which will assemble recovery for the quarter was 91.2 percent Eastern between Barrington and Aurora. the equipment in the U.S. . .. As of the third quarter of FY 90, oper­ Now that there are more people living and Wynne De Citti ating expenses decreased 15.9 percent to working in the suburbs than in the city $3.49 per revenue mile from the same pe­ (and the huge Sears complex will soon be riod a year ago. The decrease is attributed abuilding along the "J" in Hoffman Es­ New Orleans to new service added to an existing sys­ tates), the need for intersuburban transit tem, increasing evening coverage and as a means of avoiding gridlock is even Before the ink was dry on a $1.6 million running more four-car trains during peak more pressing. A study will be initiated contract to extend the Riverfront Trolley periods. over the next year to determine whether (along with double-tracking), New Or­ the agency can successfully operate ser­ leans' RTA has decided to add yet another ROCK THROWERS: A boulder-heaving vice over the line using pairs of self-pro­ mile on the upriver end. The current sin­ vandal in Southeast San Diego, on the pelled coaches. gle-track line, opened in 1988, runs be­ East Line, hit his mark recently when the Trains would begin their runs at the tween Esplanade Avenue and Julia Street projectile smashed through a cab window C&NW commuter station in Barrington, on former New Orleans Public Belt Rail­ and seriously injured the train operator head briefly west on the C&NW to the road rails. Now underway is a project to who was instructing a new employee. The junction with the "J", then south, stopping double-track the extremely busy route and unfortunate fellow needed 14 stitches first at the Sears complex, at Spaulding continue it upriver to Race Street, in time around his eye-it looked like an eggplant Road (the Milwaukee/Soo West Line inter­ for the opening there of the Aquarium of after the attack. The rock thrower was change), North Avenue (a large proposed the Americas on Sept. 1. The RTA has just never caught. The operator in another in­ commercial and industrial center), Geneva approved a further one-mile extension to cident was luckier-the rock that ca­ Road (an interchange with the C&NW Jackson Street, and is conSidering contin­ reened through his window landed on his West Line), the Fermi National Accelerator uing the line even further, perhaps to lap. Needless to say, after these and sever­ Laboratory in Batavia, and terminate at Audubon Park. It is conceivable the route al other occurrences, the operators are Eola Road on the Burlington route, just may eventually go as far as the NOPB con­ lobbying for shatterproof cab windows. east of Aurora. Service would be limited nection with the once-electrified Sewer­ initially to commuter hours, but could be age & Water Board railway on Eagle MISSION BAY MONORAIL?: San Diego expanded to include off-peak periods if Street, which comes within just a few City Councilman Bruce Henderson wants the demand warranted. blocks of the Carrollton Barn, home base to see a monorail run between Old Town The proposed service has drawn most­ of the wide-gauge St. Charles line. The and Mission Beach. The project, estimated ly favorable comments from suburban offi­ Riverfront line is standard-gauged; ironi­ to cost $130 million, would connect at Old cials concerned with mounting conges­ cally, some dual-gauge track still exists at Town with the proposed Old Town Trolley tion (particularly in DuPage County), but the barn, which is being restored to its extension, stop at Sea World and end up Barrington town fathers are adamantly turn-of-the-centuryelegance. at the historic Big Dipper roller coaster at against it, Citing the unprotected grade TIMES-PICAYUNE, L. C. Hennick West Mission Bay Drive. MTDB has set aside $10,000 for advance planning, but needs at least $25,000 to continue to the next phase, which would include hiring FIRST - CLASS RAILROAD PINS ,. consultants to forecast ridership, assess environmental impact and look at techno­ The BEST in railroad pins - logical options. At this point, a people­ RR heralds, name-trains, mover or a monorail appears more feasible manufacturer's logos, for Mission Bay than light rail due to the signs, builder's plates, area's topography and water-table levels. and more. MTDB hopes local businesses will chip in Custom pin service for - money to keep the planning process alive. railroads, tourist rai lways, Chris Cucchiara historical societies, clubs, museums and conventions. Chicago

BUTT OUT: The great cigarette controver­ sy is over. Metra, the final holdout among U.S. commuter rail systems, was planning

PACIFIC RA ILNews • 45 CITY SCENE

~ E~S:IFIC NORTHWEST

BN 's Coast Line north of Seattle is the perfect Seattle 's Coast Line: Where BN Meets place to mix seaside the Sea recreation and train­ watching. On May 9, What?! The wife doesn't like trains? How about the 1990, Amtrak No. 7 (No. WA526 1007 in BN nomencla­ kids? One does, one doesn't and the third ... What ture), the Empire Builder, you need is a great place to railfan that has a little is shown running late something to offer in addition to trains. How about near Edmonds as it sunsets over a snow-capped mountain range? How makes its ways to Seat­ about blue-and-white SD60s pulling a grain train? tle. In the background, What do you think of barking seals competing with Seattle's -> a docked oil tanker circling sea gulls for attention? What about water­ adds an appropriate level fast track? This near-perfect place is Burling­ Coast Li ne maritime touch to the ton Northern's Coast Line, extending north of Seat­ 52nd Ave. scene. Steve Hart tle to Everett. It all started back in 1889 when Jim Hill's Great 1481hSW '"Q) Northern was still in its infancy. That year, GN § ~ <:" t ~ bought Fairhaven & Southern, a small railroad in the Bellingham area. By 1891, F&S had been completed N from the Canadian border to Burlington, 24 miles south of Bellingham. Another road, Seattle & Mon­ Puget tana, was incorporated by GN interests to connect Sound F&S with Seattle, GN's western terminus. The work was completed the following year. In 1893, GN's MP 16 main line was completed from Everett across the Cascades to the east. Seattle & Montana became an integral part of Great Northern, providing the link from Everett to Seattle, a distance of 32 miles. Today, the rails of Seattle & Montana are part of Burlington Northern's main line from Seattle to Chicago. From Interbay Yard, in the north end of u - BN Ira-::kage Seattle, the Coast Line extends northward 27 miles - Roads to Everett. Just north of Interbay, at milepost 6, is '------I i !!' the Salmon Bay Drawbridge. This ancient span car­ <.9 NOT TO SCALE ries the main lines above Salmon Bay and the Hiram Chittenden Locks. The locks are open to the public and are worth a trip in themselves. From milepost 7 to milepost 8, the line is single track. Just north of the CTC plant at milepost 8, the Coast Line finds the sea and never leaves it until Everett. Truly a water-level grade, the tracks curve around bays and 45th NW 46 • SEPTEMBER 1990 points too numerous to mention. At Richmond Beach, milepost 15, the tracks curve through a small town, pass the first oil refinery on the line, then DAILY TRAINS OF BN'S COAST LINE move to a mile-long causeway. Dubbed the "million Eastbound dollar mile," this line relocation was completed in the mid-1960s to keep the line away from a sliding SYMBOL TIME JOB bluff. Just north of the causeway is the second re­ 650 0700 Seattle-Everett transfer finery, at Edmonds, the only town of any size actu­ 646 1200 Interbay-Everett transfer ally on the right-of-way and an Amtrak stop. Fur­ 600 1400 Longview-Wenatchee manifest Amtrak Empire Builder ther north, the line curves through another piece of 1008 1515 1700 Interbay-Everett transfer single track between milepost 27 and milepost 28, 648 12 1800 Seattle-Chicago common-user stacks then passes a third refinery at milepost 29 in Mukil­ 16 1900 South Seattle-Vancouver, B.C., piggyback teo. Curving off to the east at Mukilteo is the 1.7- 2,12 2030 Seattle--Chicago common-user stacks mile Boeing Branch with it steep (five-plus percent) 14 2100 Tacoma-Chicago intermodal grade up Japan Gulch, an engineering marvel. Sad­ 24 2130 South Seattle-Kansas City inter modal ly, the branch is operated only at night. From Muk, 4 2230 South Seattle-Chicago piggyback as Mukilteo is commonly called, the line turns east­ 22 2330 South Seattle-Birmingham intermodal ward to Everett, still hugging the shore all the way. The Coast Line plays host to a number of daily Westbound trains. The primary sources of eastbound traffic are SYMBOL TIME JOB the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. Six daily inter­ 601 0400 Wenatchee-Longview manifest modal trains in each direction keep the Coast Line 91 0430 Houston-South Seattle intermodal thick with fast-moving trailers and containers. East­ 1 0500 Chicago-South Seattle intermodal bounds move in a fleet in the late evening, while 645 0700 Everett-Interbay transfer westbounds tend to bunch up in the morning and 15 0830 Chicago-South Seattle intermodal early evening. Most traffic to and from the north is 111 0900 Vancouver, B.C.-Vancouver, Wash" manifest switched out in Everett and handled to Seattle on 1007 0930 Amtrak Empire Builder trains 645-650; the only trains running through Ev­ 33 1000 Chicago-Porland autos erett on the north line are 111 and piggybacks 16 696 1030 Everett-Pasco manifest and 17. Amtrak trains 7 and 8, the Empire Builder, 647 1200 Everett-Interbay transfer complete the day's action. 3 (or 5) 1700 Chicago-South Seattle intermodal While watching trains on the Coast Line is easy, 21 2030 Birmingham-South Seattle intermodal finding them can be difficult. While there are a lot of 105 2100 Spokane-Interbay manifest roads leading to the tracks, there aren't any that 17 2200 Vancouver, B.C.-South Seattle piggyback parallel. To make matters worse, it can be a two- or three-mile drive from one photo location to the next, Other Trains even if they are only a half-mile apart by rail. Scan­ SYMBOL JOB ners don't help a lot, either: The many bays and 7,9 Chicago-Tacoma Sea-Land stacks points tend to eat up useful radio chatter and it is 8,10 Tacoma-Chicago Sea-Land stacks very difficult to pick up talk from Everett or Seattle. G80 Interbay Grain empties East Since there is little reason to talk on the Coast Line G81 Spokane-Interbay grain itself, when you do hear something, it will usually XX247 Coal loads for Roberts Bank be from Everett or Interbay. From Interbay, the In­ terbay roundhouse foreman, Balmer yardmaster and Seattle terminal dispatcher can add useful informa­ tion. In Everett, the operator at Bridge 10, the clerk in the machine room and the yardmasters at Delta and Bayside help, too. With the difficulty of finding and keeping up with trains, the best way to fan the coast is usually to find a pretty spot, sit and enjoy. During the day, there is usually about one train an hour. Motive power can be just about anything from BN's varied stable; SD40-2s, B30-7ABs, GP38-2s from BN and EMD , rebuilt GP30s and GP40s, Qakway SD60s, LMX B39-8s and low-nose SD9s are common. Other visitors include GP39-2s, GP9s, rebuilt GP35s, B30-7s, even Conrail or SP units- you name it. The coastline is also a great place to watch wildlife. Seals can often be seen poking their heads out of the water. Herons and other shorebirds fre­ quent the beaches and abandoned pilings of the sound. For a leisurely (and cheap) cruise, the Wash­ ington State ferry system can't be beat. Ferries leave Edmonds for Kingston and Mukilteo for Clin­ ton about every half hour. Fares for walk-ons are on­ ly $2 for a round trip. Parks at Golden Gardens, Carkeek, Richmond Beach, Edmonds and Picnic Point are great places to sunbathe, barbecue, watch trains or just relax. If the weather turns sour, the bar at 101 Sunset, near the Edmonds ferry dock, provides a perfect place to watch trains and ferries. They have a tracks ide It's just after sunrise at milepost 16 on the "million dollar mile" causeway as south­ deck, too. Qh, while you're there, try the Super Na­ bound BN 7038 and 7170 cruise by quiet tidal pools created by the line's construc­ chos. They're my favorite. Next to a Coast Line tion. The S040-2s are in charge of train G81 which hauls grain from Spokane and train, that is. pOints east to Cargill and Fisher elevators in Seattle. Steve Hart

PACIFIC RAILNews. 47 t To Lo Salle St. Sialion 8&0 DOWNTOWN LINE

--l

On Feb. 28, 1990 Am­ trak's northbound City of New Orleans ap­ proaches the 18th St. Bridge (actually travel­ ing southwest) on Illinois Central's Bridgeport Dis­ trict. The train is making its way to 21st St . inter­ locking; after pulling Cermak Rd. through the interlocking the train will back onto u'" To Joliel the Amtrak main and in­ to Union Station. In the To Englewood ~ background, along with Railfanning 18th Chicago's distinctive t skyline, note the St. Charles Air Line with an Street Bridge eastbound train on it. Mike Abalos

of the Chicago River, Amtrak's engine facility and wheel shops, and the main line out of Chicago Union Station. Looking north from the bridge, the St. Charles Air Line, jointly owned by C&NW, IC , BN and Conrail, parallels a quarter-mile away, with the Chicago skyline serving as a backdrop. Our tour of the 18th Street bridge begins at the east end, at the intersection of 18th and Wentworth, site of a recently constructed CTA rapid transit con­ nection line. Just to the east of these tracks is Metra's ex-Rock Island commuter line out of La Salle Street station, best viewed by walking 100 yards west on the 18th Street bridge. As you look northeast, you can see Metra crossing IC and the St. Charles Air Line at Clark Street Tower. The vacant land between the IC line and Wentworth Avenue was once the north end of Santa Fe's coach yard. The coach yard was used by Amtrak until the early 1980s, when new yard and shops west of the river, opened in 1979, be­ came fully operational. Looking southeast, you can see CTA's Lake-Dan Ryan line curving high over the Metra line, as well as the construction of the con­ Railfanning the 18th Street Bridge necting bridgework to the Midway Airport line, scheduled for completion in 1991. Photo opportuni­ The size of the Chicago metro area is huge, and the ties for CTA trains are best from May to September, sprawl of rail routes covers a wide area, making it when sun angles are more favorable. nearly impossible to see all of the area's operations in Illinois Central's Bridgeport District was once part one day. But there are places where two or more of the Iowa Division route to Dubuque. IC still owns routes pass in close proximity, allowing for a good the line up to the Belt Railway crossing at sampling of rail operations. One such example exists Hawthorne; trackage west of there was sold to just south of Chicago's Loop at 18th Street bridge, Chicago Central & Pacific in 1985. The line acts as a where a mixture of freight and passenger operations bridge route between the Chicago District main line can be viewed in a photogenic urban setting. from Markham Yard and the ex-GM&O line, now The 18th Street bridge, located between Stew art named the Joliet District, which leads to Glenn Yard and Wentworth avenues, is a little more than a half­ and numerous on-line businesses. Besides IC's pair mile long. From east to west, the bridge spans what of piggyback trains and IC yard transfers, grain ex­ was once the Santa Fe's 21st Street coach yard, Illi­ tras from CC&P, transfers from both CC&P and Soo nois Central's Bridgeport District, the south branch Line en route to Markham, and the four-times-a-

48 • SEPTEMBER 1990 week SP steel coil train en route to/from the South and a little over two-thirds of Amtrak's arrivals and The South Branch lift Shore line at Kensington keep the rails well polished. departures use this line. Toss in the constant activi­ bridge is a beehive of Amtrak trains off IC's Chicago District also use this ty on the enginehouse and coach yard leads, a activity on April 27, line to pull down to the junction with Amtrak's main smattering of Metra trains en route to/from the Joli­ 1990, as VIA 6443, Union line at 21st Street, over which they back into Union et lines, and run-through freights from Burlington Station-bound with the Station. The St. Charles Air Line is also used for the Northern and Conrail, and you'll find yourself burn­ International, passes an same purpose, but moves using that routing must ing up film at an alarming rate. outbound Amtrak Michi­ contend with crossing Burlington Northern's busy West of the fuel storage tanks and Lumber Street gan corridor train, while sits Amtrak's engine facility. During peak periods, a northbound Metra main line, so the use of the IC line is much preferred. train is visible in the dis­ Activity on the IC is heaviest in the early morning. as many as 20 locomotives occupy the six engine­ tance. This view from Inbound transfers tend to congregate in the morning, house tracks as they are cycled through the shop. the south walk of the along with Ie's inbound piggyback and Amtrak's West of the enginehouse tracks is a narrow struc­ 18th Street bridge City of New Orleans. Outbound trains aren't as pre­ ture which houses the wheel shop; the small build­ proves just what an ex­ dictable, as they depend on delivery times from IC at ing immediately to the north houses the car washer. citing location this can Markham Yard. Chicago Central's transfer is a fairly A single track lead from the coach yard runs along­ be for train watchers. consistent performer, showing up at the Clark Street side the buildings and joins the parallel Amtrak Mike Abalos diamonds near the end of Metra's afternoon rush. main track just under the bridge. On this lead, Am­ Shortly afterward, Ie's outbound "pig" to Memphis trak's stable of yard goats pulls long cuts of coaches and New Orleans usually appears. up to the bridge. The view from the north walk of the bridge pro­ Looking north up the main tracks you see the vides a dramatic Chicago skyline backdrop and be­ double crossovers leading to the south leg of the cause Ie's tracks are in an open area, angles can be Canal Street Wye, an important piece of track to Am­ worked all day long. The view from the south walk trak, BN and Conrail. All inbound long-distance Am­ is best in the morning on the east side of the tracks. trak trains that use the south side of Union Station This allows you to work the 21st Street lift bridge, pull through the south leg of the wye, then back the river and the River Place office complex into down the north leg for the run into Union Station. your shot. An exception is the California Zephyr, which enters Walking west across the river past the fuel stor­ the south wye from the west, then pulls down the age tanks and the office complex puts you above main under 18th Street, across the lift bridge and the leads into Amtrak's Chicago Maintenance Ter­ then onto Ie's Joliet District until the rear car clears minal. This is the business end of the 18th Street 21st Street interlocking. When the route is lined, the bridge, especially on weekdays, as the two west­ train then shoves down the main into Union Station. ernmost tracks are the mains into Union Station, This routing from BN to Ie's Joliet District is also

PACIFIC RAILNews • 49 used by unit coal and potash trains interchanged be­ esting as the view looks, there are some drawbacks. tween the two roads. The south wye leg is also used For one, the tracks enter a short concrete canyon that by BN and Coruail to operate a number of run­ sees sunlight only about midday. Secondly, this is through freights between BN's Clyde Yard in Cicero north-south track. Your best opportunities to shoot and CR's yard in Elkhart, Ind. northbound cOming of the bridge exist from May A more-challenging angle exists looking off the through September, and then only during the early south walk. This is the South Branch lift bridge, morning hours and after mid-afternoon. which carries the main out of Union Station across the The 18th Street bridge is easily accessible from south branch of the Chicago River. The Lumber Street the Dan Ryan Expressway (1-90/94) , exiting at Canal­ road crossing runs just north of the bridge, while 21st port Avenue from the south, and 18th Street from the Street interlocking sits just south of the span. At 21st north. Once on 18th Street, drive east and turn left at Street, IC's Joliet District diverges to the southwest, Stewart Avenue, where parking is available. An al­ IC's Bridgeport District crosses and Amtrak owner­ ternate parking area exists below the 18th Street ship of the Union Station main line ends, becoming bridge along Lumber Street; a stairway allows ac­ Coruail's Chicago Line, Dearborn Division. As inter- cess to the deck of the bridge.

In a view from the south side of 43rd Street bridge, a pair of GATX S038-2s smoke it up while accelerating past the Northtown Yard Shops in December 1988. In the back­ ground, next to the shops, the usual mixed­ bag of BN power awaits servicing or the next as­ signment. On this day only BN power is present -C30-7, S040-2s, GP38 and more- but just about any locomotive, leased or owned, from the BN roster or from in­ terchanging roads is bound to turn up at Northtown. Fred Ripley

from the north on a single right-of-way (the two The Variety of Norfhtown routes split at Coon Creek Junction, several miles away). The south throat serves the two routes to St. One of Burlington Northern's most important classi­ Paul and beyond. Trains using secondary route fication facilities is Northtown Yard, on the north west to Fargo also enter or depart the yard from the side of Minneapolis. The system's largest, it was south, turning west at Minneapolis Junction. completed in 1976 on the site of a smaller ex-North­ An excellent overview of Northtown, particularly ern Pacific facility. Functionally, the new Northtown the engine facilities, is provided by the 43rd Avenue Yard replaced a number of others in the Minneapo­ bridge. The bridge has ample shoulders and walk­ lis/St. Paul area (such as the former Great Northern ways on either side, enabling safe photography. Union Yard and the ex-Chicago, Burlington & Quin­ The diesel shop is just to the south, and a number cy Daytons Bluff Yard) and serves all BN routes of units are usually parked between the bridge and leading out of the Twin Cities, including: the ex­ the shop building, as well as in the servicing area to CB&Q line running east to Chicago along the Mis­ the south of the shop. In addition to the sitting pow­ sissippi River (see PRN 321); the former NP main er, there is nearly always something-road engines, line to Fargo, N.D ., BN's principal route for transcon­ switchers, through trains, hump sets-moving tinental traffic; the former Great Northern main line around the yard, providing additional photographic west to Willmar, Minn., and Fargo, used as an alter­ opportunities. nate to the ex-NP line (additionally, a line to Sioux Nearly any power that is running on the BN sys­ City, Iowa, breaks off at Willmar); and the ex-GN tem can be seen. The standard SDs and GPs are line to the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minn., and Superi­ commonplace, of course, as are members of the 100- or, Wis. The latter trackage is now the only through unit lease fleet of LMX B39-8s. The Oakway SD60s rail route between the Twin Cities and the Twin are also seen fairly frequently. Burlington Northern's Ports, and is used by Soo Line and Chicago & North six-axle GEs are typically assigned to coal trains Western trains as well as BN's own. and turn up fairly regularly in the engine terminal. Northtown Yard is aligned on a north-south axis. Older Geeps are assigned to local service, and dis­ Trains from Fargo and from Duluth/Superior enter tinctive SD9/GP9B/SD9 sets work the hump. The

50. SEPTEMBER 1990 ex-Conrail GP38-2s; GATX ex-Reserve Mining Looking north from the SD38-2s; Helm Leasing ex-Missouri Pacific GPs; Du­ 43rd Avenue bridge, a luth, Missabe & Iron Range SD9s and SD18s; and huge grain elevator Kyle Railroad GP40s. Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific looms over the north units often power a run-through from the Twin end of Northtown Yard. Ports, and Soo units are not uncommon. "Exotic" In this October 1988 BN's power for the Twin Cities, including Southern Pacif­ photo, an SD9jGP9Bj ic and Union Pacific units, is also bound to turn up SD9 hump set works a at Northtown. string of cars, as an LMX Northtown B39-8 approaches with Soo Line's main between the Twin Cities and the a train. As is typical, a Yard connection with parent CP Rail at Portal, N.D., variety of BN power is bridges the south end of Northtown. Between this - BN trackage stationed around the fa­ location and St. Paul Soo utilizes trackage rights cility. Fred Ripley --- Soo trackage over BN, giving the railroad an efficient connection Roads between its traditional trackage and the ex-Milwau­ kee Road main line and St. Paul ("Pig's Eye") Yard. The former Milwaukee facility has replaced Shore­ - ham Yard, also near the south end of Northtown, as the railroad's main Twin Cities-area yard. The loco­ motive shops remain open, but the yard is closed, filled with out-of-service equipment. The one bright spot in Shoreham's future is the construction of a new intermodal facility and the impending reloca­ tion of Soo intermodal activities from the current lo­ cation in St. Paul. Wisconsin Central also uses the BN/Soo interchange trackage, exchanging cars with BN on a daily basis. Just west of Shoreham, Soo crosses the Mississippi on an attractive bridge that is easy to photograph from either end. The east bank is particularly accessible, with parking avail­ able on a road along the river bank. Just to the west of Soo's Mississippi bridge is Humboldt Yard, still a fairly important point for the railroad. As interesting as the operations of the nearby Soo Line are, they pale when compared to BN at Northtown in terms of volume of traffic. While it may not boast the scenery of a Marias Pass or the railroad has seemingly been short of power for the drama of a Crawford Hill, Northtown Yard is essen­ last several years, offering the opportunity to see a tial to the railroad, and as a location for observing great variety of leased power mingling with BN's and photographing a wide range of motive power in own. Although many have been returned to their a busy, railroad setting, it also has a lot to offer the owners by now recent visitors have included: EMD train-watcher.

PACIFIC RAILNews • 51 52 • SEPTEMBER 1990 General Electric's LMX B39-8s and their distinctive gray-red-and-white markings have become one of the most recognized locomotive models on the Burlington Northern roster. The "power-by-the-hour" leased units are often seen hauling one of BN's many high-priority intermodal trains, but turn up leading almost any mix of freight cars. OPPOSITE PAGE: The 8537 is joined by BN 5794 hauling the westbound No. 33 (Chicago-Seattle­ Portland autos) as the train crosses a bridge at West Tacoma, Wash. , on Sept. 9, 1989. Scott E. Odell ABOVE: LMX 8504 is the modern-day succes­ sor to Spokane, Portland & Seattle's Alcos as it takes a 664 train east­ bound at North Dalles, Wash., in March 1990; BN 's ex-SP&S Portland­ Pasco line was recently upgraded in parts with concrete ties. Greg Brown LEFT: LMXs in Paradise-Montana that is-as the 8530 hauls a 124 train (Pasco-Birmingham) over Montana Rail Link trackage rights in October 1989. Alan R. Burns

______~-t~---~- ~~~L-M--X--O--N--T-H-E--P-O--I-N-T------­ OF RAILROADING

PACIFIC RAILNews • 53 ------BAY AREA RAILROADING Narrow Gauge to the Redwoods Hetch Hetchy and Its Dam Railroad Beginning in 1876, the Norrh Pacific Coast railroad brought The City and CoUnty of San Francisco owns and operates a water millions of board feet of redwood lumber from the virgin forests and power system in which it takes great pride. However, this was of Marin and Sonoma counties, and carried thousands of San not always the case . Until 1930, the City's water was furnished by Franciscans norrh across the bay, linking Sausaliro, San Rafael, a private utility, which occasionally ran out of water and charged Mill Valley, and the Russian River vacationland country. It wound high rates for the service. The inadequacy of supply was brought through miles of unmatched redwood forests, forged through strongly to San Francisco's attention in 1906, when The City was mountain tunnels, and was pelted by the salt spray of rugged largely destroyed by the Great Earthquake and Fire. seacoasts. Problems existed with rights-of-way, water rights, funding, Here is the srory of the North Pacific Coast Railroad, which and opposition from the private water utility and conservationists became the North Shore and was partiall y electrified, and was as well. The major problem of juSt getting men and materials into later a part of the Northwestern Pacific. Authors A. Bray Dickin­ the wi ld Sierra Nevada had to be overcome by the building of a son, Roy Graves, Ted Wurm, and Al Graves combine their exper­ unique railroad . It's the srory of this railroad, its operation and tise and love of the subject ro bring it to life for us. unusual equipment, and of the dam project that necessitated its 168 pages, over 200 illustrations, plans, maps, rosters, draw­ creation. Long out of print, this classic by Ted Wurm is once again ings, bibliography and index, 8'/zxll" hardbound. available. ISBN 0-87046-038-2. 298 pages, 456 illustrations, maps, motive power rosters, TAB 238 (add $2 p/ h) ...... 27.95 bibliography and index, 8'/zxll" hardbound with color jacket. ISBN 0-87046-093-5. TAB 293 (add $2 p/ h) ...... 54.95 The Crookedest Railroad in the World North of San Francisco li es a half-mile-high mountain rising Pacific: 2472's Family Album seemingly from the water. It's held in affection by all , and so is Pacific. To most people, the term conjures up visions of a sunny the memory of the now-vanished Mt. Tamalpais and Muir Woods California seashore. But to railroaders-especially Southern Railway which once scaled it. Pacific railroaders-the term revives memories of 4-6-2 locomo­ Some impressive standards back up the claim of the' 'Crook­ tion, snarling in a mist of steam and exhaust while preparing to edest Railroad" - among them a total of 281 curves, which made depart cities such as Oakland, Los Angeles, and Houston on the 42 complete circles in eight and one-half miles of track I Add to point of classic passenger trains. that a seven percent maximum grade, a fleet of Shay and Heisler This is a pictorial of these famous 4-6-2s, from early develop­ geared steam locomotives, and dozens of small "gravity cars" ment to streamlining, from a roster of 146 locos to only three which glided down from the Summit Tavern of Mt. Tamalpais to survivors today. Noted rail author Kenneth G. Johnse n takes you verdant Muir Woods, and you have a very unusual-and spectac­ on a tour ofEspee's Pacific fleet, in passe nger and freight service. ular-mountain railroad! Included is a look at Pacific 2472, the most notable of the three 136 pages, 216 photos, maps, scale drawings of locomotives Pacifics cu rrently undergoing restoration to operable condition. and rolling stock, bibliography, index, 8'/zxll" softbound with 136 pages, 218 photos, 8'/zxll" softbound with color cover. color cover. By Ted Wurm and AI Graves. ISBN 0-87046-063-3. ISBN 0-87046-092-7. TAB 263 (add $2 p/ h) ...... 24.95 TAB 292 (add $2 pi h) ...... 24.95

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PACIFIC RAILNews • 55