Riding Amtrak's Westbound Empire Builder in December 2002

I took these pictures on December 21, 2002, while riding Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder. This historic depot was built in 1912 and once served the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad, or Soo Line, which is now part of the Canadian Pacific Railway. This depot is no longer owned by the railroad. It is located in Minot's historic downtown district and houses the Old Soo Depot Transportation Museum.

This depot is the one currently served by Amtrak. It is located just west of the old Soo Line depot, on the opposite side of the U.S. Highway 83 overpass. This depot was originally built in 1910 by the Great Northern Railway. A major renovation in 1975 replaced the original gabled roof with a flat roof, covered the original brick with stucco and remodeled the interior. Here Amtrak's Empire Builder can be seen making its station stop. Just to the north of the depot, on the other side of the tracks and past some trees, is the Souris River.

Just to the west of the Amtrak station, and visible from its platform, is crossing of the Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad and the Canadian Pacific Railway. In this 2002 photo, Amtrak's Empire Builder is stopped on the BNSF track and the freight train crossing in front of it is on the CP track. This crossing is the busiest rail crossing in the state of North Dakota. The building visible behind the Canadian Pacific freight train is the Minot Public Library.

During the Empire Builder’s service stop in Minot, North Dakota, I braved the winter snow to check out the motive power consist and discovered Amtrak #383, a 3,000-horsepower F40PHR that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1981 using parts from retired Amtrak SDP40F #518. It is painted to match the Pacific Surfliner equipment used in southern California between San Luis Obispo and San Diego.

Pictured in Havre, Montana, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #3441 is a 1,500-horsepower SW1500 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1973 as St. Louis-San Francisco (also known as the Frisco) #356. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern on November 21, 1980, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #61. Burlington Northern classified EMD’s SW1500s as SW15s. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #3441 on February 19, 1998, and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme on April 28, 2000.

Also in Havre near the shops, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8615 is a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40B that was built by General Electric in June 1988 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #7425. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8615 on January 12, 2000, and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s “Heritage I” paint scheme on December 16, 2000.

I took this picture the next day on December 22, 2002, while riding the Portland section of Amtrak’s westbound Empire Builder through Wishram, Washington. Unless running extremely late, the Empire Builder generally made an extended station stop in Wishram to allow cigarette smokers an opportunity to satisfy their addiction, as the smoking car was part of the train’s Seattle section. I merely turned my attention and my camera to the railroad equipment outside the window. Burlington Northern #2871 is a GP39M that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1964 as Southern Pacific #7452, a 2,500-horsepower GP35. After 1965 it was renumbered to Southern Pacific #6564. It was retired in January 1991 and was sold to Morrison-Knudsen of Boise, Idaho, who rebuilt it into 2,300-horsepower GP39M Burlington Northern #2871 in July 1991. With it is Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2083, a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1972 as Burlington Northern #2083. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2083 and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme on October 2, 2000.

Trains in Vancouver on July 23, 1999

I took these pictures at the Amtrak station in Vancouver, Washington, on July 23, 1999, while waiting to catch the eastbound Empire Builder to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to attend the Milwaukee School of Engineering's summer program. First was this southbound Amtrak Cascades Train #753, led by Amtrak Cascades #90253, a Non-Powered Cab Unit, or NPCU, which had been recently rebuilt in January 1999 from Amtrak #253, a 3,000-horsepower F40PHR that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1977 using parts from retired Amtrak SDP40F #574. This was the first NPCU I had an opportunity to photograph; they had been added after the Amtrak Cascades service was inaugurated in January 1999.

In the middle of the motive power consist of a Union Pacific freight train was Union Pacific #5964, a 3,800-horsepower SD60 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1986 as Chicago & North Western #8043. Chicago & North Western SD60s #8001-8055 came from a canceled order by the Soo Line, and were built to Soo Line specifications. Following the merger of the Chicago & North Western into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995, this locomotive became Union Pacific #5964 on November 14, 1996, and was repainted into Union Pacific colors with the short-lived "We will deliver" slogan that was only applied during 1996.

Leading the eastbound Portland section of the Empire Builder is Amtrak #322, a 3,000-horsepower F40PHR that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1979 using parts from retired Amtrak SDP40F #608. I boarded this train for my trip east to Milwaukee.

Railfanning in Vancouver, Washington, in July, 1999

These pictures were taken while railfanning at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, in July of 1999. The first I saw was a southbound Amtrak Cascades train with an interesting locomotive on the head end.

Amtrak #458 is a 3,200-horsepower F59PHI that was built in July 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania. The Amtrak Cascades trains are usually powered by F59PHIs that are painted to match the green, brown, and white colors of the train, but this one is silver and blue.

This particular F59PHI is painted in Amtrak's Surfliner colors for service in California. The Surfliner locomotives occasionally substituted on the Cascades when one of the Cascades F59PHIs had to go south to California for maintenance.

Leading the eastbound Portland section of the Empire Builder is Amtrak #354, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1980. It is painted in the colors of the Florida Fun Train, a short-lived venture that briefly leased three F40PHs (#354, #358, & #374) from Amtrak.

The six-car Florida Fun Train made its inaugural run on October 15, 1997, on a 200-mile route between Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. On the inaugural run of a new route between Tampa and central Florida on August 1, 1998, the train was involved in a fatal collision with a tow truck. After losing $9.9 million in the first half of 1998, the Florida Fun Train shut down on September 16, 1998. The three locomotives were returned to Amtrak and were put back in regular service without being repainted.

As we left Vancouver, we found a Burlington Northern Santa Fe freight train was waiting on the Sixth Street Viaduct. This train had just come westbound down the north bank of the Columbia River Gorge with a lot of motive power.

Leading this freight train was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #739, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 1997. It was painted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's newest paint scheme.

The second locomotive was Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe #5814, a 3,600-horsepower SD45-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May of 1972 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #5650. In May 1986, it was rebuilt at Santa Fe's shops in San Bernardino, California as an SD45-2u; at the time the Santa Fe was planning to merge with the Southern Pacific, so it was renumbered to 7214 in accordance with the proposed numbering system for the merged railroads, and was painted in the red-and-yellow "Kodachrome" merger paint scheme. After the merger was denied by the Interstate Commerce Commission, it was renumbered to 5814 and repainted in Santa Fe's standard blue-and-yellow paint scheme.

The third locomotive was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #6976, which was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as Amtrak #644, a 3,000-horsepower SDP40F passenger locomotive based on the popular SD40-2 freight engine. Amtrak found the SDP40Fs unsatisfactory, and in September 1984 Amtrak traded 18 of them to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe in exchange for 25 CF7s and 8 SSB1200s for use as terminal switchers. 

In May 1985 the former Amtrak #644 was rebuilt at the Santa Fe's shops in San Bernardino, California, as SDF40-2 #5266. In April 1994, the maintenance of all the SDF40-2s was subcontracted to Morrison-Knudsen, of Boise, Idaho. After the Burlington Northern Santa Fe merger, ATSF #5266 was renumbered to BNSF #6976 in April 1998.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #5814 has MKM sublettering under the road number on the side of the cab, indicating that the maintenance for this locomotive had been subcontracted to Morrison-Knudsen of Boise, Idaho, in April 1994.

Here is another look an Burlington Northern Santa Fe #739.

This was one of the first locomotives to be painted in BNSF's new "Heritage II" paint scheme in October 1997. 

Railfanning in Vancouver, Washington, in June 1998

I took these pictures at the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, in late June of 1998. First is a northbound freight train led by Union Pacific #9416, a 4,135-horsepower Dash 8-41CW that was built by General Electric in November 1990.

Following with another northbound freight train, Union Pacific #9272 is a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40C that was built by General Electric in November 1988.

Arriving with a westbound freight train from the Columbia River Gorge bound for Portland, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #713 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in June 1997. This was one of the first locomotives to be delivered in Santa Fe's "Warbonnet" colors, but with small "BNSF" lettering on the sides. The lettering in the "cigar band" on the nose still reads "Santa Fe." Locomotives in "Warbonnet" paint were still fairly rare in the Pacific Northwest, but the trailing unit was even more interesting.

Illinois Central #6101 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1976 as Burlington Northern #6709 under a 15-year lease agreement. This is one of 44 SD40-2s that Burlington Northern chose not to purchase when the lease ended, and it was retired in March 1991 and returned to the lessor. These 44 locomotives ended up going to the Illinois Central and having their dynamic brakes removed. The former Burlington Northern #6709 became Illinois Central #6101. 

Finally, arriving in Vancouver with northbound train #752 and the Talgo Pendular 200 equipment is Amtrak #369, a 3,000-horsepower F40PHR that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1981 using parts from retired Amtrak SDP40F #538.

Railfanning in Summer 1997

I took these pictures in the summer of 1998, in either late July, or, more likely, August.

First, arriving in Vancouver, Washington, with a southbound passenger train, is Amtrak #340, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1980.

Behind Amtrak #340 is the Talgo Pendular 200 Demonstrator trainset operating as Amtrak's Train #753, the Mount Adams.

Parked in Vancouver is Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe GP35u #2916. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1965 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe GP35 #1416, and was renumbered in 1970 to #3416. In September 1983 it was rebuilt as GP35u #2916. Through it all it retained its 2,500-horsepower rating. Even though it had been almost two years since the Burlington Northern Santa Fe merger, blue and yellow Santa Fe locomotives were still rare in the Pacific Northwest.

A northbound Union Pacific freight train passed through Vancouver, led by Southern Pacific #9800, a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in June 1994.

At Union Pacific's Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, I found Union Pacific #B4275, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1979 as Missouri Pacific #3275. After the Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1982, the locomotive became Union Pacific #4275 on October 10, 1986. On November 7, 1992, it was changed to trailing-unit-only service with the removal of cab signals, refrigerators, toilets, and cab seats, and was renumbered with the "B" prefix.

There were other locomotives at Albina as well, but I didn't get good pictures of them.

Kelso Intermodal Facility Dedication

Rail service first came to Kelso, Washington, in 1872, when the Northern Pacific Railway built north from a river connection at Kalama, Washington toward Seattle. This brick depot opened on February 12, 1912, replacing an earlier wood-frame depot built in the 1800s. On March 2, 1970, the Northern Pacific Railway was merged into the Burlington Northern Railroad, and Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971. By the early 1990s, the depot was locked up. Amtrak trains still stopped at the station, but there were no personnel at the station and passengers had to wait outside. Tickets had to be purchased in advance, either from a travel agent, or from another station with Amtrak personnel.

In September 1994, after years of neglect, a major renovation and restoration of the depot was started to turn the depot into a multimodal transportation hub for Cowlitz County. The renovation included the addition of a clock tower and putting a full basement under the depot, which had never had one before, to be used for retail space. The renovation was completed and the depot was dedicated at 2:30 PM on September 23, 1995 at the Grand Opening of the Kelso Intermodal Facility and the "Keeping Kids on Track" festival. 

A few classic cars had been gathered for the event.

1950 Ford Fordor Sedan Police Car

1949 Chevrolet Styleline DeLuxe 2-Door Sedan

1955 Chevrolet Two-Ten 2-Door Sedan

The grand opening also featured an appearance by Burlington Northern’s executive train, though a couple of other trains passed by first.

Burlington Northern GP39E #2914 was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1964 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy GP35 #986. It was originally powered by a 2,500-horsepower turbocharged 16-cylinder 567 engine. After the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was merged into Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it became Burlington Northern #2532. In March 1990, it was rebuilt by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 2,300-horsepower GP39E Burlington Northern #2914.

Burlington Northern #2914 led a local southbound freight train with Burlington Northern extended-vision caboose #12510 bringing up the rear. This caboose was originally Burlington Northern #12088. It was built by Pacific Car & Foundry in September 1975. It was rebuilt by Burlington Northern subsidiary Western Fruit Express at Yardley Yard in Spokane, Washington, on July 3, 1990. 

Amtrak F40PHR #319 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1979. It was built using parts from retired Amtrak SDP40F #583. I think the train it is pulling is the northbound Pioneer, which ran between Chicago and Seattle via Denver and Portland. The Pioneer was inaugurated on June 7, 1977, and would continue until May 10, 1997, when it was discontinued.

The Burlington Northern executive train arrived from the south with the following consist:

• F9-2 Locomotive BN-1
• F9-2 Locomotive BN-2
• Power Car #30 Snoqualmie Pass
• Sleeping Car #22 Stevens Pass
• Bi-Level Car #33 Skagit River
• Bi-Level Car #31 Fox River
• Bi-Level Car #32 Flathead River
• Lounge Car #10 Como
• Full Dome Observation Car #24 Glacier View

Each of these will be covered in more detail in its own post.

Brooklyn Roundhouse

I originally posted the Brooklyn Roundhouse page on my old website as a PORTLAND PLACES page on May 21, 2008, and last updated it on May 16, 2010.

(NOTE: This website is NOT affiliated with the ORHF or its member groups; visit orhf.org for current info)

Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

Union Pacific's former Southern Pacific Brooklyn Yard was one of the last places on the west coast to feature a roundhouse and turntable. A much larger brick roundhouse built in 1912 once stood in Brooklyn Yard. The 100-foot turntable replaced an 80-footer in 1925. Today's roundhouse was built next to the brick roundhouse in 1941 with four 125-foot stalls (the old roundhouse had 90-foot stalls) for the newer, longer engines. With an immediate need and many wartime material limitations, the building was built with a wood frame and covered with corrugated metal. The brick roundhouse was demolished in 1959.

Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

Historical Photos:
Brooklyn Roundhouse in 1951 (ORHF)
SP Diesel at Brooklyn Roundhouse, 7/7/75 (rrpicturearchives.net)
SP Diesel at Brooklyn Roundhouse, c1980 (rrpicturearchives.net)
View of Brooklyn Roundhouse, 9/12/85 (rrpicturearchives.net)
View of Brooklyn Roundhouse, 6/21/86 (rrpicturearchives.net)

Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

In 1981, the Brooklyn Roundhouse became the home of the City of Portland’s former Southern Pacific Daylight steam locomotive #4449. #4449 was joined at the roundhouse by SP&S #700 in 1986 and OR&N #197 in 1996.

Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

The Brooklyn Roundhouse was demolished in September 2012, after the historic steam locomotives housed there were moved to the new Oregon Rail Heritage Center that summer.

Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

The interior pictures and close-up pictures of the equipment on this page were taken during an invited visit on August 25, 2002. The pictures taken from a distance were taken from the Holgate Avenue overpass on September 6, 2007.

UP SD70ACe #1996 at Brooklyn Yard on September 6, 2007

The Brooklyn Roundhouse was visible from the nearby Holgate overpass, but the Brooklyn Yard was, and is, still an active freight yard, patrolled by Union Pacific police; attempting to approach the roundhouse without permission could result in arrest.

 

UP SD70ACe #1996 at Brooklyn Yard on September 6, 2007

As an active rail yard, Union Pacific trains regularly pass through. Pictured here with a special train on September 6, 2007 is Union Pacific SD70ACe #1996, the Southern Pacific Heritage Unit. It was unveiled on August 19, 2006.

Equipment at Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

Some of the equipment around the roundhouse included Great Northern F7A #274, former Amtrak F40PH #231, 22-seat Parlor-Observation #2955 James J. Gilmore built by Pullman-Standard in 1941 for Southern Pacific's Daylight and the tender of the roundhouse's most famous resident: Daylight streamlined steam locomotive #4449, which has been maintained here since 1981.

Equipment at Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

#4449 is a GS-4 class locomotive, built by the Lima Locomotive Works in 1941 to pull Southern Pacific's Daylight passenger trains in California. It was replaced by diesels and retired on October 2, 1957.

SP Daylight #4449 at Wishram, Washington on June 7, 1997

#4449 was donated to the City of Portland on April 24, 1958 and put on static display at Oaks Amusement Park.

#4449 at Longview Jct., Washington on May 12, 2007

On December 14, 1974, #4449 was removed from Oaks Park restored to pull the American Freedom Train. #4449 took over the Freedom Train in Chicago on August 4, 1975 and pulled it until the tour ended in Miami on December 31, 1976.

American Freedom Train #4449 at Hillsboro, Oregon in July 2002

#4449 returned to Portland by pulling a series of "Amtrak Transcontinental Steam Excursions" in April, 1977 with the "Amtrak" name added to the tender, arriving in Portland on May 1 and going into indoor storage, having visited at least 30 states, many more than once.

SP Daylight #4449 at Peninsula Jct., Oregon on May 12, 2007

In 1981, #4449 emerged in the post-WWII version of its Daylight paint, with "SOUTHERN PACIFIC" in large lettering in the orange band. It would retain this paint scheme for nearly 20 years, longer than it had been in regular service.

SP Daylight #4449 at Kalama, Washington on May 12, 2007

In 2000, #4449 was painted black with white pinstripes and BNSF heralds to pull Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Employee Appreciation Special, and was later modified to recall the all-black scheme applied during World War II.

SP Daylight #4449 at Centralia, Washington on May 12, 2007

In 2002, #4449 returned to its American Freedom Train paint in remembrance of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

SP Daylight #4449 at Centralia, Washington on May 12, 2007

In 2004, #4449 was repainted into the current Daylight colors; the original, as-delivered version, with "SOUTHERN PACIFIC LINES" in small letters in the upper red band.

DLMX #5811 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

During my August 2002 visit, #4449 was visiting the Oregon State Fair and wasn't in the roundhouse (the photos above were taken at other events), but 4449's tool car #5811, Yes Dear, was there. Formerly Union Pacific RPO/Postal Storage Car #5811 it was one of three built by American Car & Foundry in 1949. Union Pacific transferred it to maintenance of way service as #903672 in 1973. It was sold to Doyle McCormack for use by #4449 in 1985. In 2011, this car was sold to the Canadian Pacific for use with its steam program.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

Spokane, Portland & Seattle Baldwin E-1 Class 4-8-4 #700 is one of three 4-8-4s built for the SP&S in 1938 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

These locomotives were identical to A-3 class locomotives then being delivered to SP&S's parent, the Northern Pacific Railway, except that the SP&S locomotives burned oil instead of coal.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

By 1955, the SP&S had completed dieselization and was ready to retire the last of its steam locomotives.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

After pulling 1,400 passengers on a 21-car Farewell to Steam Excursion between Portland and Wishram, Washington on May 20, 1956, #700 joined the rest of SP&S's steam locomotives in a scrap line.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

SP&S donated #700 to the City of Portland on January 13, 1958, and it was put on static display at Oaks Amusement Park. It is the only SP&S or NP Northern and one of only two SP&S steam locomotives to survive.

SP&S #700 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

15-year-old Chris McLarney founded the Pacific Railroad Preservation Association in 1977 to restore #700, which came to Brooklyn in 1986 & returned to operation in 1990.

OR&N #197 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

Oregon Railway & Navigation Company P-77 Class 4-6-2 #197, later known as Union Pacific #3203, was one of a group of four built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in May, 1905. It was rebuilt at Union Pacific's Albina Shops in Portland in 1923. It was retired in the 1950s, donated to the City of Portland and put on static display in Oaks Amusement Park in 1958.

OR&N #197 cab at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

The locomotive was removed from Oaks Park on February 10, 1996 and moved to the Brooklyn Roundhouse for restoration as OR&N 197. Only one other Union Pacific 4-6-2 still exists: #3206 on display in Spokane, Washington.

Tenders at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

In the foreground, the tender to #197 is outside the roundhouse. The larger of the two tenders is #700's auxiliary water tender. It originally came from Great Northern 4-8-4 #2575 and was later used for firefighting around Klamath Falls. Burlington Northern donated it to the PRPA in 1985. It has a water capacity of almost 18,000 gallons.

Ex-D&H PA-1 #18 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

After being in Mexico since 1978 and being returned to America in 2000, Doyle McCormack's former Delaware & Hudson PA-1 #18, originally built in December, 1948 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #62L, is being restored as Nickel Plate Road #190.

Ex-D&H PA-1 #18 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

Doyle McCormack's father was a Nickel Plate engineer, and the real Nickel Plate #190 (long since scrapped) was the first locomotive Doyle ever rode in.

NKP PA-1 #190 at Portland Union Station on May 10, 2014

Sister locomotive D&H #16 came back with #18 and was to be restored to its original appearance as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #59L for the Smithsonian. It ending up being stored until 2011 and is now being restored by the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, Texas.

GN F7A #274 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

Doyle McCormack's Great Northern F7A #274 was built in October 1950 as #274B. It later became Burlington Northern #610. It was sold to the Seattle & North Coast in December 1980, becoming #101.

GN F7A #274 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

The Seattle & North Coast was liquidated in 1985 and #101 was sold to a private owner and stored a the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad in Mineral, Washington. Doyle McCormack purchased it in 1996 or 1997 and restored it to its original colors. It has since been donated to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad.

NKP RSD5 #324 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

This Alco RSD5 was built in November 1955 as Utah Railway #306. It was retired in May, 1982. It was sold to Industrial Salvage & Metals of Salt Lake City in November 1983 and was traded to the Promontory Chapter of the NRHS in January 1984. Doyle McCormack purchased it in October 1993 and painted it as Nickel Plate Road #324, though it actually carries the DLMX reporting mark. Nickel Plate didn't actually have any RSD5s, but they did have the similar 4-axle RS3s. The number 324 was an unused number on the Nickel Plate roster, between the road's Baldwin AS16s and Alco RSD12s.

SP&S FA-1 #866 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

Spokane, Portland & Seattle #866, built in December, 1950, was the last FA-1 built. It later became Burlington Northern #4120. It went to the Long Island Railroad and was rebuilt as cab car #613. It came back to Portland in 2001 to be cosmetically restored to SP&S colors.

DLMX #9201 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

#4449's crew sleeper #9201, the Clackamas River, was built in 1941 for the Southern Pacific, Union Pacific and Chicago & North Western's City of San Francisco as 10 roomette-5 bedroom sleeper Rincon Hill. It was transferred to SP in 1947 as #9201 & was retired in 1966. The Friends of SP 4449 acquired it in 1990 from a private individual in North Dakota. Though an SP car, the Daylight paint isn't correct as it was only used on day trains, not sleeping cars.

PRPX #475 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

SP&S #700's tool car, PRPX #475, the Kenny Prager, was built around 1912 as a sleeping car and was later converted to a rider-baggage car by the Great Northern in 1948. Kenny Prager was a former SP&S employee and a volunteer engineer for the 700. The PRPA acquired a new crew car in 2003, and subsequently sold this car in 2004.

SP&S Coach #1124 at Brooklyn Roundhouse on August 25, 2002

44-seat coach #1124 was built by Pullman-Standard in 1946 as Great Northern  #1124. It became Burlington Northern #4804 in 1970. In 1973 it was sold to New Jersey Transit and converted to a 108-seat commuter coach. It was retired in September 1987 and was donated to the United Railroad Historical Society of New Jersey in 1991. It was sold to the PRPA painted back in Empire Builder colors, and named John G. Melonas, after a former SP&S employee and PRPA volunteer. Though a GN car, it carries SP&S reporting marks in honor of its namesake's employer. SP&S did own similar cars for Empire Builder service. Pictured here in 2002, it is looking a little worse for wear.

DLMX #8645 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

Heater Car #8645, Little Boy, was built in 1928 by the St. Louis Car Company as Great Northern #1. It was sold to the Western Pacific in 1968, becoming #591.

DLMX #8645 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

The boiler car is used to supply steam to the boiler of #4449 the night before it is fired up, which is easier and less expensive than using the fire in the locomotive’s firebox to build up the steam pressure. The car is painted in Southern Pacific's Daylight colors to match #4449.

GP30 #3005 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

This GP30 was built in October 1962 as Baltimore & Ohio #6918. It went on to become CSX #4239 and Ohio Central #4239. It was sold to Arizona & California in 1996, becoming #3005 and was transferred to sister road Puget Sound & Pacific in 1997.

GP30 #3005 at the Brooklyn Roundhouse on September 6, 2007

Acquired by a private individual, it came to the Brooklyn Roundhouse in 2006 for storage. It is now stored in White City, Oregon, with the collection of the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society.

Related Links:
Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation
The Friends of SP 4449
Pacific Railroad Preservation Association
Friends of OR&N 197
Nickel Plate Road #190
Brooklyn Roundhouse at Waymarking.com
Brooklyn Roundhouse by Brian McCamish
Portland's Roundhouse Relics at Rose City & North Western