Friday, May 30, 2014

Ex-Oregon Pacific & Eastern SW8 #602

Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal in September 1998
SW8 #602 in Liberal in September 1998

Locomotive #602 is an 800-horsepower SW8, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1952 as Bamberger Railroad #602.

IMG_7722 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8 #602 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

After the Bamberger shut down it was sold to the Yreka Western in 1958.

IMG_7723 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8 #602 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

It was transferred in 1978 to the Oregon Pacific & Eastern, which was under the same ownership as the Yreka Western.

IMG_7725 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific & Eastern lettering on SW8 #602, July 19, 2007

It was purchased by Dick Samuels after the Oregon Pacific & Eastern shut down in 1994.

IMG_7726 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8 #602 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

It may have been intended to be painted in Molalla Western/Oregon Pacific colors as #802, but that never happened and eventually another locomotive was acquired and given that number.

IMG_7735 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8 #602 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

#602 still wears its OP&E paint and herald on the cab and appears to have been cannibalized for parts for the other SW8s on the Molalla branch.

IMG_7730 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific & Eastern lettering on SW8 #602, July 19, 2007

IMG_7729 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Old Oregon Pacific & Eastern herald on SW8 #602, July 19, 2007

It was stored in Liberal, Oregon until 2010, when it and SW8 #803 were sold to Western Rail (WRIX) in order to acquire GMD-1 #1413.

IMG_7727 Oregon Pacific SW8 #602 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
SW8 #602 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

Historical Photos:
Yreka Western #602, Montague, CA, Aug. 1963 (Western Rails)
OP&E #602 in August 1986 (Western Rails)

Continue to Oregon Pacific SW8 #801

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