Trains in Salem, Oregon, on March 21, 2007

I photographed these trains in Salem, Oregon, on March 21, 2007. First, leading a northbound freight train along 12th Street, at State Street, Union Pacific #4550 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, and was delivered on February 4, 2001.

A quartet of Portland & Western 3,000-horsepower GP40-2s pulled a northbound freight train along Front Street. These locomotives were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1967 as GP40s for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad.

They were part of a group of seven GP40s that the Rock Island was rebuilding to Dash 2 standards in the Silvis shops when the railroad went bankrupt and shut down in 1980. The last two of the seven were unfinished.

Chrome Crankshaft acquired all seven locomotives along with the shop in 1981, and finished the remaining two locomotives. The seven locomotives were sold to Toronto’s GO Transit in 1982. As they were not equipped with head-end power generators, they had to operate with HEP cars rebuilt from F-units.

In 1994 they were retired and traded in to EMD for new F59PHs. EMD put the locomotives in their lease fleet. In 2001, EMD transferred the locomotives to Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX), a partnership with GATX Leasing, and the locomotives were leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic, which was taken over the Genesee & Wyoming in 2002.

The locomotives were transferred to the Portland & Western Railroad in April 2004, where they were considered GP40-2s, even though they lack all the Dash 2 external spotting features like the water level sight glass, rear cab overhand, and vertical shock absorbers on the trucks. They were renumbered in mid-2005.

Portland & Western #3005 was built as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #374.

After the Rock Island shutdown it was left uncompleted as GP40u #3005, and was completed by Chrome Crankshaft in 1980.

This locomotive became GO Transit #720, then EMDX #202, then was leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as LLPX #3205. It was renumbered to PNWR #3005.

Portland & Western #3006 was built as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #375. Before the Rock Island shutdown it was completed as GP40u #3002. This locomotive became GO Transit #721, then EMDX #205, then was leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as LLPX #3208. It was renumbered to PNWR #3006. It still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

Portland & Western #3007 was built as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #376. Before the Rock Island shutdown it was completed as GP40u #3003. This locomotive became GO Transit #722, then EMDX #206. The locomotive became LLPX #4401 before being leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as LLPX #3211. It was renumbered to PNWR #3007.

Portland & Western #3003 was built as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #380. Before the Rock Island shutdown it was completed as GP40u #3004. This locomotive became GO Transit #725, then EMDX #200, then was leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as LLPX #3203. It was renumbered to PNWR #3003. It still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

Trains in Kalama, Longview & Kelso, Washington, on February 26, 2007

I saw these trains in Kalama, Longview and Kelso, Washington, on February 26, 2007. First, at the Kalama Export Company grain elevator was a set of three BNSF Railway locomotives built by General Electric. BNSF #4304 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in January 1999. 

BNSF #4757 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in May 1998. 

BNSF #4651 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in February 2000. 

Kalama Export Company #632 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1954 as Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad #2027. In 1959 it was renumbered to #632. 

The locomotive was retired in June 1983 and sold to Independent Locomotive Service Company, before being resold to Peavey Grain in 1984. It became Kalama Export Company #632 around 1998. 

Further south in Kalama was another set of three BNSF locomotives, each wearing a different paint scheme.

BNSF #7759 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44DC.

It was built by General Electric in June 2005. 

It was delivered wearing BNSF's new orange and black "Heritage III" paint scheme.

BNSF #710 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in July 1998.

It was delivered wearing the red and silver “Warbonnet” paint scheme of predecessor Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. 

BNSF #7699 is a 4,400-horsepower ES44DC.

It was built by General Electric in February 2005. 

It was delivered in BNSF's orange and green "Heritage II" paint scheme.

A southbound Amtrak Cascades train passed through Kalama, led by Amtrak #459, one of 15 3,200-horsepower F59PHIs built for Pacific Surfliner service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, California, in 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania. Aside from the paint scheme, it is identical to the Cascades F59PHI locomotives, and was presumably filling in for a Cascades unit in need of maintenance in Los Angeles, where all Amtrak’s F59PHI locomotives were maintained. 

Bringing up the rear of the Cascades train is Amtrak Cascades #90230, a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU, which was rebuilt in February from Amtrak #230, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1977, using components from traded-in Amtrak SDP40F locomotive #553. 

I took this picture from my car on State Route 432 along the Longview Switching Company yard in Longview of a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that appears to be Canadian Pacific #9600, which was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

From Gerhart Gardens Park in Longview, I photographed this northbound BNSF freight train across the Cowlitz River, with Ferromex SD40-2 #3215. This locomotive was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1971 as Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico #8539, a 3,000-horsepower SD40. It was rebuilt in March 1992 at FNM’s San Luis Potosí shops as SD40-2 #13087. Following the privatization of the Mexican railroads, Ferromex began operating on February 19, 1998, and this locomotive became Ferromex #3215.

In this train, it was sandwiched between two BNSF Railway locomotives. BNSF #5003 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 2004. 

BNSF #2339 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1972 as St. Louis-San Francisco (also known as the Frisco) #668. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern on November 21, 1980, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #2339. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #2257 and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s “Heritage I” colors on May 8, 2000. 

Arriving at the Kelso depot with a northbound Amtrak Cascades train, Amtrak Cascades #466 is a 3,200-horsepower F59PHI that was built in November 1998 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors with final assembly by Super Steel Schenectady of Schenectady, Pennsylvania. 

Bringing up the rear of the Cascades train is Amtrak Cascades #90253, a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU, which was rebuilt in February from Amtrak #253, a 3,000-horsepower F40PH that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1977, using components from traded-in Amtrak SDP40F locomotive #574. 

Pulling a southbound empty BNSF coal train past the Kelso depot was a trio of 4,000-horsepower SD70MACs that were built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario. Leading is BNSF #9490, which was built in October 1994 as Burlington Northern #9490. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #9490 on January 23, 2002. 

The middle locomotive is Burlington Northern #9633, which was built in June 1995. The trailing locomotive is BNSF #9775, which was built in May 1996. 

Finally, as the coal train passed, a northbound BNSF freight train arrived, led by BNSF #4196, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built in July 2002.

BNSF SD60M #9238 at Albany, Oregon, on February 19, 2007

On February 19, 2007, I photographed this southbound freight train from my car on Interstate 5 at Albany, Oregon. The trailing unit is a 3,800-horsepower SD60M than appears to be BNSF Railway #9238, which was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in February 1990 as Burlington Northern #9238. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #9238 on April 17, 2003.

Albany & Eastern Equipment in Lebanon, Oregon

On December 12, 2006, I managed to catch all three of the Albany & Eastern Railroad's yellow & green diesel locomotives together in the same location near the depot in Lebanon, Oregon.

In the foreground is Albany & Eastern #2001, which was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970 as Illinois Central #9502, one of an order of 20 2,000-horsepower GP38AC locomotives. In 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to become the Illinois Central Gulf, and the locomotive became Illinois Central Gulf #9502. After their original 15-year lease expired, this was one of 18 of the 20 to be leased to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas in 1985, and it became MKT #327. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas was acquired by the Union Pacific, and the locomotive became Union Pacific #1984 on February 6, 1991. After the MKT lease expired, Union Pacific purchased it on October 23, 1996. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1785 on August 27, 1997. It was assigned Union Pacific #285 in December 1999, but was retired by Union Pacific on May 25, 2001, before being renumbered. In 2002 it came to the Albany & Eastern as GP38-3 #2001.

Next, in the distance, is Albany & Eastern #2501, which was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in December 1963 as Southern Pacific #7412, a 2,500-horsepower GP35. After Southern Pacific’s systemwide renumbering in 1965 it became Southern Pacific #6524. On November 30, 1978, it was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen and became Southern Pacific GP35R #6303. It was retired on October 3, 1995, and was sold to Progress Rail on January 30, 1996. It became Willamette Valley Railway #2501, then went to the Albany & Eastern in 1999.

Finally, furthest away is Albany & Eastern #2002, which was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970 as Illinois Central #9511, one of an order of 20 2,000-horsepower GP38AC locomotives. In 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to become the Illinois Central Gulf, and the locomotive became Illinois Central Gulf #9511. After their original 15-year lease expired, this was one of 18 of the 20 to be leased to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas in 1985, and it became MKT #335. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas was acquired by the Union Pacific, and the locomotive became Union Pacific #1992 on March 6, 1991. After the MKT lease expired, Union Pacific purchased it on October 23, 1996. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1792 on July 25, 1998. It was assigned Union Pacific #292 in December 1999, but was retired by Union Pacific on May 25, 2001, before being renumbered. In 2002 it came to the Albany & Eastern as GP38-3 #2002.

Also in this picture is Albany & Eastern's Little Giant Trakrane Model 32. John Lewis Grundon of Des Moines, Iowa, founded the Des Moines Dragline Company in 1946 and incorporated it as the Little Giant Crane & Shovel Inc. in 1960. The company was sold to Avis Industrial Corporation of Upland, Indiana, in October 1995. The Little Giant factory in Des Moines was closed in January 2001, and production was moved to the Badger Equipment Company of Winona, Minnesota, founded in 1945 and purchased by Avis Industrial in 1978. Badger and Little Giant were sold to Manitex International in 2009.

BNSF Intermodal Train at Colton, California, on November 29, 2006

While on a work trip in Southern California, I spotted this southbound BNSF Railway intermodal train at Colton, California, crossing over Interstate 215 between San Bernardino and Riverside. This train was heading south from San Bernardino towards Riverside and had probably come over Cajon Pass. The train was powered by a pair of 4,400-horsepower General Electric Dash 9-44CW locomotives in BNSF's "Heritage II" paint scheme, which was applied to new locomotives between September 1997 and March 2005.

South Santiam River Bridge in Lebanon, Oregon

In 1910, the Southern Pacific Railroad built this bridge across the South Santiam River to bypass a section of railroad leading to Woodburn that was washed out by flooding in 1907.

The line to Woodburn also crossed a line leading from Albany to Detroit and Idanha, and future abandonments resulted in this line going from Lebanon to Idanha.

This line would be cut back to Gates, just past Mill City, with the completion of the Detroit Dam in 1952.

Except for the ravages of time, this bridge remains basically as it was when it was built in 1910.

The west approach consists of a long wooden trestle needed to reach the height of the main spans.

The trestle intersects the access road to the boat launch at Gill’s Landing, and the railroad crosses over the road on a short deck girder span that may have been added later.

The main crossing of the river is made by two identical seven-panel modified Warren through truss bridges which are at the same elevation as the eastern shore, meeting at a concrete pier at midstream.

In March of 1993, the Willamette Valley Railway leased the line from Albany to Mill City from the Southern Pacific.

The railroad has operated as the Albany & Eastern Railroad since 2000.

Union Pacific GP39-2 #1207 & GP38-2 #1045 at Albany, Oregon

On October 3, 2006, I photographed these Union Pacific locomotives from my car on Interstate 5 at Albany, Oregon. Union Pacific #1207 is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1977 as Kennecott Copper Corporation #788, one of a group of 11 built with high-visibility cabs 26 inches higher than normal for service in the Brigham Canyon copper mine near Salt Lake City, Utah. These locomotives were removed from service on September 19, 1983, due to the discontinuance of rail waste trains. On August 2, 1984, this unit was one of nine of the eleven to be leased by Kennecott with Helm Financial as agent to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. The cabs of these nine units were lowered by National Railway Equipment at a leased facility in Clearfield, Utah, between August and October 1984, and they were moved to the MKT in October 1984. This locomotive became MKT #387. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas was merged into the Union Pacific in August 1988, and this was first of the group to be renumbered, becoming Union Pacific #2357 on December 13, 1988. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1207 on October 15, 2002. Union Pacific #1045 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1967 as New York Central #3097, a 3,000-horsepower GP40. On February 1, 1968, the New York Central merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to form Penn Central, and on April 1, 1976, the Penn Central was merged into Conrail. The locomotive retained its original number through these mergers to become Conrail #3097. Retired by Conrail, the locomotive became Kyle Railroad #3118 by 1988, the went to Helm Leasing as #3118. On November 21, 1989, Union Pacific leased the locomotive from Helm Financial, and it became Union Pacific #874. It 1998 it was returned to Helm Financial and rebuilt by Boise Locomotive Corporation into a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 locomotive, though it retained the three radiator fans of a GP40. It was again leased to Union Pacific As #2545 on September 2, 1998, and was renumbered to #1045 on September 15, 2001.