Friday, May 30, 2014

Oregon Pacific SW8 #803

Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal in September 1998
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal in September 1998

Locomotive #803, "Spirit of Canby," is an SW8 built by EMD in March 1953 as Texas & New Orleans (a Southern Pacific subsidiary) #13.

IMG_7719 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

It was later renumbered to Southern Pacific #1105.

IMG_7720 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

It was sold to the Lewis & Clark Railway as #80 and was purchased by Dick Samuels in 1996.

IMG_7721 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

This locomotive may have briefly been numbered #802, but was given #803 when painted in Oregon Pacific colors. This may have led to some confusion with the current #802.

IMG_7724 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

#803 was assigned to the Molalla division and as of 2007 appeared to be a backup locomotive. As such, it could usually be found in Liberal.

IMG_7731 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

In 2010 the locomotive was sold to Western Rail (WRIX) along with ex-OP&E #602 in order to acquire GMD-1 #1413.

IMG_7732 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

Historical Photos:
SP #1105 in San Jose, CA in 1980 (Espee Modelers Home Page)
"EPTC #802" in Milwaukie in February 1996 (Western Rails). The number on the locomotive is not readable in this photograph. It could be numbered #802 or the picture could be mislabeled. In either case, this would appear to be the locomotive that is the current #803. It is a former LINC locomotive that must be #80, as explained below.

IMG_7734 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

A note about locomotives #802 and #803: There is a lot of confusion among online roster sources about these two SW8 locomotives and which was LINC #80 and which was LINC/LMLX #81. Some even list #802 and #803 as the same locomotive, with #802 being renumbered to #803. The current #803 may have been briefly numbered as #802 when first acquired, years before the current #802 was purchased. The current #802 and #803 are definitely not the same locomotive, as I have seen them sitting side by side. Also, #802 has a dynamic brake housing while #803 does not. The current #802 is definitely the former LINC/LMLX #81, as the remains of the old number can be seen wearing through on one side of the cab. Roster sources are fairly consistent in saying that #803 was formerly Southern Pacific #1105, originally T&NO #13, and that it came from the Lewis & Clark Railway, and its appearance is consistent with that. LINC had four SW8s, #80-83; #81, #82 and #83 all had dynamic brake housings, and are all accounted for (#82 & #83 are still on the former Lewis & Clark line), leaving #80 to be the only possibility for #803.

IMG_7736 Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 at Liberal on July 19, 2007
Oregon Pacific SW8 #803 in Liberal on July 19, 2007

Continue to Oregon Pacific SW900 #901

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