Trains in Kalama, Washington, and Portland, Oregon, in December 2001

My dad, Cliff West, and I took these pictures in December 2001. First, we spotted this pair of lease units in Kalama, Washington, on our way to Portland, Oregon.

CEFX #113 is a 4,300-horsepower SD9043MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled at Super Steel Schenectady, Inc. in Schenectady, New York, in November 1999 for CIT Group/Capital Finance, Inc. for lease service.

CEFX #110 is also a 4,300-horsepower SD9043MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled at Super Steel Schenectady, Inc. in Schenectady, New York, in November 1999 for CIT Group/Capital Finance, Inc. for lease service.

We continued on to Union Pacific’s Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, where we found another of these lease units among the Union Pacific locomotives.

Photo by Cliff West

CEFX #117 is a 4,300-horsepower SD9043MAC that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled at Super Steel Schenectady, Inc. in Schenectady, New York, in December 1999 for CIT Group/Capital Finance, Inc. for lease service.

Photo by Cliff West

Photo by Cliff West

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #1166 and #1198 are 1,500-horsepower SW1500s that were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as Southern Pacific #2597 & #2654 in October 1971 and May 1972 respectively. After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 11, 1996, they became Union Pacific #1166 on March 25, 1997, and Union Pacific #1198 on April 4, 1997.

Union Pacific #4593 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in April 2001.

Finally, as the sun began to set and the light began to disappear, a surprise revealed itself in the back of the engine terminal. Unfortunately for me, this was the last frame on the roll of film in my camera, but fortunately my dad was there to take his own pictures.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #4526 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in October 2001. Along with sister units #4527 and #4528, this was one of the first three Union Pacific locomotives to receive the large American flag decals and the new “Building America” slogan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Photo by Cliff West

The three units entered service on November 14, 2001, and were unveiled on November 16, 2001. At the time of this photo, they were still the only three “flag” units on the Union Pacific, making this surprise sighting an incredible stroke of luck. Additional “flag” units would begin to be delivered in January 2002, featuring a slightly different flag decal from that used on these first three units.

Trains in Vancouver ,Washington, in December 2001

I took these pictures at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, on December 23, 2001, after arriving on the Portland Section of Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder. Union Pacific #3161 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972.

 
Canadian Pacific #9124 is a 4,300-horsepower SD9043MAC that was built in December 1998 by General Motors Locomotive Group and assembled at Canadian Pacific’s Ogden Shops in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

 
Canadian Pacific #5954 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. In London, Ontario, in October 1980.

Canadian Pacific SD40-2F #9009 built by the Diesel Division of General Motors of Canada, Ltd. in 1988 in London, Ontario. It is one of only 25 built, all for Canadian Pacific. Nicknamed “red barns,” they were the only cowl-body diesels on the Canadian Pacific. They were built to SD40-2 specifications at Canadian Pacific’s request, despite the fact that regular SD40-2 production had ended several years earlier and competitor Canadian National had already purchased SD50Fs.

Amtrak Empire Builder at Minot, North Dakota, in December 2001

I took these pictures of Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder during its service stop in Minot, North Dakota, on December 22, 2001.

Amtrak #150 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in March 2001.

Amtrak #148 is another 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in March 2001.

Amtrak Baggage Car #1761 was originally built by Budd in 1953 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe 48-Seat Coach #2860. After the formation of Amtrak in 1971 it became Amtrak #4872. It was converted to Head-End Power in the early 1980s and was renumbered to Amtrak #4737. In the late 1990s it was rebuilt into Amtrak Baggage-Mail Car #1719. By 2001 it was converted to a mail-only configuration and renumbered as Amtrak #1761.

Trains in Vancouver and Portland in October 2001

Photo by Cliff West

This group of pictures was taken by my dad, Cliff West, in October of 2001 at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, and at Union Pacific’s Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon. We begin in Vancouver with Burlington Northern #7807, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1977 as Colorado & Southern #937. Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of Burlington Northern, and its locomotives were painted in Burlington Northern colors, but they had their own numbering system. These locomotives began to be renumbered in the Burlington Northern’s main numbering system in December 1978, and this locomotive became Colorado & Southern #7807. The Colorado & Southern was formally merged into the Burlington Northern on December 31, 1981, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #7807. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7807.

Photo by Cliff West

These four Chicago & North Western 100-Ton 5,250-Cubic-Foot 4-Bay Covered Hoppers at the Great Western Malting Company at the Port of Vancouver are part of a group of 100 numbered #490000 to #490999 that were built by Thrall between September 1993 and April 1994. These were some of the last freight cars built for the Chicago & North Western, and they became much more common in the Pacific Northwest after the Chicago & North Western was merged into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7336 was originally built by General Motors Diesel, Ltd. in London, Ontario, in December 1968 as Canadian National #5075, a 3,000-horsepower SD40. It was retired in 1999 and was rebuilt by Alstom to an SD40-2 in September 1999 and became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7336, one of a group of 40 former Canadian National and Grand Trunk Western SD40s that became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7300 to #7339.

Photo by Cliff West

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #853 is a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40CW that was built by General Electric in October 1992.

Photo by Cliff West

It was still somewhat rare at this point to see older locomotives that had been repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme, so here are some more pictures of Burlington Northern Santa Fe SD40-2 #7336.

Photo by Cliff West

The motive power consist for this freight train represented the 1995 merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, with a BNSF-painted locomotive leading a locomotive in Burlington Northern's Cascade Green and a locomotive in Santa Fe's Blue & Yellow "Warbonnet."

Photo by Cliff West

It is interesting that despite being recently rebuilt for BNSF service in 1999, this unit did not have its headlight moved from the cab to the short hood following the Santa Fe's practice that BNSF continued.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #7052 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1978. Though this locomotive's BN paint scheme has not been modified yet, it has had its headlight moved from the cab to the short hood .

Photo by Cliff West

Moving on to Albina Yard in Portland, we see Union Pacific #5762, a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in March 2001. Union Pacific refers to this locomotive as a C44ACCTE, to make the model designation correspond to the form introduced by General Electric with the “Dash 7” line of 1977, and to indicate that this locomotive is equipped with General Electric’s “Controlled Tractive Effort” software, which limits maximum tractive effort when the locomotive is used as a distributed power unit in the middle or at the rear of a train.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #4011 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, and was delivered on July 31, 2000.

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific #67342 is a O-100-7 Class 23,500-Gallon Tank Car built by American Car & Foundry at Milton, Pennsylvania, in early 1974, part of a group of 50 numbered #67300 to #67349.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #8725 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40T-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in December 1978 as Southern Pacific #8525. After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 11, 1996, this locomotive became Union Pacific #4455 on November 23, 1997. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #8725 on May 6, 2001.

Photo by Cliff West

Finally, Union Pacific #4203 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was assembled by Bombardier Inc. in Sahagun, Mexico, for the General Motors Locomotive Group in August 2000.