Union Pacific GP38-2s #1035 & #1045 at Albany, Oregon

On September 15, 2006, I photographed this southbound Union Pacific freight train from my car on Interstate 5 at Albany, Oregon, powered by Union Pacific 2,000-horsepower GP38-2s #1035 & #1045. These two locomotives were originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 3,000-horsepower GP40 locomotives. Union Pacific #1035 was originally built in May 1966 Seaboard Air Line #602. On July 1, 1967, the Seaboard Air Line merged with the Atlantic Coast Line to form the Seaboard Coast Line. Seaboard Air Line locomotive #602 became Seaboard Coast Line locomotives #1517. On December 29, 1982, the Seaboard Coast Line merged with the Louisville & Nashville to form the Seaboard System Railroad, and the locomotive became Seaboard System #6674. On July 1, 1986, the Seaboard System Railroad became CSX Transportation, and the locomotive became CSX #6674. Retired by CSX, the locomotive joined the VMV Enterprises lease fleet by 1988, becoming VMVX #6673. On January 19, 1989, Union Pacific leased the locomotive from Helm Financial, and the locomotive became Union Pacific #858. Union Pacific #1045 was originally built in October 1967 as New York Central #3097. 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 through these mergers to become Conrail #3097. Retired by Conrail, the locomotive became Kyle Railroad #3118 by 1988, then went to Helm Leasing as #3118. On November 21, 1989, Union Pacific leased the locomotive from Helm Financial and it became Union Pacific #874. In 1998 they were returned to Helm Financial and rebuilt by Boise Locomotive Corporation into GP38-2 locomotives, though they retained the three radiator fans of a GP40. The former Union Pacific #858 was again leased to Union Pacific as #2535 on August 14, 1998, and the former Union Pacific #874 was again leased to Union Pacific as #2545 on September 2, 1998. Union Pacific #2535 was renumbered to #1035 on August 21, 2001, and Union Pacific #2545 was renumbered to #1045 on September 15, 2001.