Trains in the Twin Cities in September 2003

I took these pictures in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the morning of September 6, 2003, while traveling on Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder. St. Paul was a highlight for me, as the Minnesota Commercial and Soo Line equipment visible from the train seemed exotic to an Oregonian like me.

Switching at Amtrak’s Midway Station in St. Paul during the Empire Builder’s service stop, Minnesota Commercial #83 is an 1,800-horsepower RS18u that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in April 1958 as Canadian Pacific RS18 #8785. In 1987 it was rebuilt as RS18u #1837. On July 16, 1998, it was sold to Minnesota Commercial as #83.

Bringing up the rear of the Empire Builder, Amtrak Superliner I Sleeping Car #32009 was completed by Pullman-Standard on May 22, 1981. It was the last Superliner I and the last passenger car built by Pullman-Standard. As a result, it was named George M. Pullman in honor of Pullman-Standard’s founder in a ceremony at its completion, before being delivered to Amtrak in July 1981. It is one of only two Superliner I cars to have a name applied.

Parked at Midway Station, Amtrak (AMTZ) #462113 is a 53' Duraplate-van RoadRailer trailer built by the Wabash National Corporation. It is the 10,000th RoadRailer trailer built. RoadRailer trailers could be operated on rails without the use of flatcars, supported by a specialized railcar truck between trailers. Amtrak began purchasing RoadRailer trailers in May 1998 to carry mail and express shipments.

Minnesota Commercial #35 is a 2,000-horsepower M420W that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in December 1976 as Canadian National #2574. It was renumbered to #3574 in 1986-1987. 

After being retired on February 5, 1998, it was sold to National Railway Equipment in Illinois in June 1998 and subsequently resold to Minnesota Commercial as #35.

Minnesota Commercial #35 is seen here alongside the Empire Builder's motive power.

Leading the Empire Builder, Amtrak P42DC #80 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in April 1997.

The Empire Builder's second unit, Amtrak P42DC #206 is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in October 2001.

Also part of the Empire Builder's consist, Amtrak Superliner II Sightseer Lounge #33034 was built by Bombardier in 1994. It was involved in an accident in Nodaway, Iowa, in March 2001 and returned to service on August 27, 2003, as one of the first Superliner cars to wear Amtrak’s new paint scheme, with the new logo and red sill stripe.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes Minnesota Commercial’s nearby roundhouse in Minneapolis. Minnesota Commercial #68 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in March 1979 as Conrail #1972. It was retired in 1999 and sold to the Quincy Bay Terminal, where it became #22. It was resold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway, where it became #68.

Minnesota Commercial #316 is a 2,400-horsepower RS-27 that was built by Alco Products in March 1962 as Chicago & North Western Railway #903. Only 27 examples of the RS-27 were produced; the Chicago & North Western owned four, which were returned to Alco in 1966 in trade for C-424s. Alco leased them to various railroads in 1967 and 1968. This unit was sold to the Green Bay & Western in 1968 and became #316. It was later joined by two of the others. On August 27, 1993, the Green Bay & Western was merged with the Fox River Valley Railroad to form the Fox River & Western, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Central, and this locomotive was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad.

Conrail #1998 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in July 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Conrail #2002 is another 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in August 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Minnesota Commercial #80 is a 1,000-horsepower RS23 that was built by Montreal Locomotive Works in September 1959 as Canadian Pacific #8031. It was retired in March 1999 and ended up with the Minnesota Commercial as #80.

Northern States Power Company (NSPX) #501 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200RS that was built by General Motors Diesel Limited in February 1956 as Canadian National #1576 and was renumbered by the end of the year to #1205. It was retired in 1991. It was acquired by the Northern States Power Company and was used at the High Bridge Generating Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota, where is it pictured here. This coal-fired power plant at 501 Shepard Road was completed in 1941.

Canadian Pacific #4611 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1966 as Milwaukee Road #180. In 1968 it was renumbered to Milwaukee Road #2025. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985, and this locomotive became Soo Line #2025. The Soo Line was consolidated into owner CP Rail in 1991, and in October 1997 it was rebuilt by Canadian Pacific and became Canadian Pacific #4611.

Trains in the Twin Cities in September 2002

I took these pictures in St. Paul, Minnesota, on the morning of September 8, 2002, while traveling on Amtrak’s eastbound Empire Builder. St. Paul was a highlight for me, as the Minnesota Commercial and Soo Line equipment visible from the train seemed exotic to an Oregonian like me.

Switching at Amtrak’s Midway Station in St. Paul during the Empire Builder’s service stop, Minnesota Commercial #316 is a 2,400-horsepower RS-27 that was built by Alco Products in March 1962 as Chicago & North Western Railway #903.  Only 27 examples of the RS-27 were produced; the Chicago & North Western owned four, which were returned to Alco in 1966 in trade for C-424s. Alco leased them to various railroads in 1967 and 1968. This unit was sold to the Green Bay & Western in 1968 and became #316. It was later joined by two of the others. On August 27, 1993, the Green Bay & Western was merged with the Fox River Valley Railroad to form the Fox River & Western, a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Central, and this locomotive was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad.

Parked on a track at Midway Station were three privately-owned passenger cars, the Caritas, the Sierra Hotel, and the Puget Sound.

The Caritas was built in 1948 by Pullman as a 4-Bedroom, 14-Roomette Sleeping Car for the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, or Frisco for short. The car was originally named Pierre Laclede after the founder of St. Louis. The car was originally assigned to the Texas Special, which ran between St. Louis, Missouri, and San Antonio, Texas, over the Frisco and the Missouri-Kansas-Texas. The Frisco discontinued its portion of the Texas Special (the northern portion) in 1959. In 1964, this car was sold to the Canadian National and named Churchill Falls. High Iron Travel bought the car in 1983 and rebuilt it to its current configuration, with 3 double bedrooms and a master room, dining area, galley, wine cellar, and lounge. I had seen the Caritas here before in 1999 wearing a red and white paint scheme; it had since been repainted in the same pattern but using Milwaukee Road colors, as shown here.

Sierra Hotel was built by the Budd Company in October 1948 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #251 Silver Lounge for use on the California Zephyr between Chicago and Oakland. This mid-train Dome-Dormitory-Buffet-Lounge car originally included dormitory space for 15 crew members, a lounge under the dome that was remodeled into the “Cable Car Lounge” in 1964, and a buffet with seating for 19 passengers. After the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it became Burlington Northern #251. The California Zephyr made its last run on March 24, 1970, and when Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 it was sold to become Amtrak #9811. It was used on Amtrak trains including the North Coast Hiawatha and the Texas Chief before being retired in October 1981 and being sold into charter service as Vandalia Railroad #9811. In 1989 the car was rebuilt by Midwest Railcar as open-end observation car Sierra Hotel. The open observation deck was built into what was originally the front of the car, so it now typically operates in the opposite direction of what was intended when it was built.

Puget Sound was built by the Budd Company in June 1955 as Great Northern #1323 for use on the Empire Builder between Chicago and Seattle. It was originally built as a Great Dome coach with 46 revenue leg-rest seats plus seating for 24 people in the dome. After the Great Northern was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it was assigned Burlington Northern #4603, but it did not receive this number before Amtrak took over passenger service on May 1, 1971 and it was sold to become Amtrak #9463. It was retired in 1985 and sold into private ownership and stored in Fargo, North Dakota, and Sault Ste Marie, Wisconsin, until being converted into sleeping car Puget Sound by Avalon Railcar in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 2000. As part of the rebuilding, its original smooth side panels were replaced with fluted panels to match Sierra Hotel.

Amtrak’s Empire Builder passes Minnesota Commercial’s nearby roundhouse in Minneapolis. Minnesota Commercial #1978 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in April 1979 as Conrail #1978. It was retired in 1999 and sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway, where it retained its original number.

Conrail #2002 is a 2,250-horsepower B23-7 that was built by General Electric in August 1979. It was retired by Conrail in 1999 and was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railroad, but has yet to be placed in service and still wears full Conrail paint and lettering.

Minnesota Commercial #1B is a 1,600-horsepower RS3 that was built by the American Locomotive Company in September 1950 as Lake Superior & Ishpeming #1504 and was soon renumbered to #1604. It was retired in September 1989 and was sold to Clint Jones. It was sold to the Minnesota Commercial Railway in 1998 and was rebuilt as 1B in 1999.

Soo Line #4002 is a Fuel Tender that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1958 as Milwaukee Road #2371, a 1,750-horsepower GP9. Milwaukee Road renumbered it to #263 before rebuilding it into “GP20” #949 in the 1970s. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985. The locomotive was rebuilt into Fuel Tender #4002 in November 1987. Coupled to it is a CP Rail 40-foot boxcar, which was rare to see in the 21^st century. It is painted in the “Multimark” paint scheme, which was applied from 1968 to about 1987.

Soo Line Flatcar #954541 is a flatcar with an Operation Lifesaver display of crossing signals and an automobile involved in a grade crossing accident. Also pictured here are former Soo Line #1400 & #1401, 1,500-horsepower SW1500s that were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1966 as Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern #36 & #37. The Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern was merged into the Soo Line on January 1, 1986. These were the only SW1500s on the Soo Line. They had been recently retired with their road numbers stricken out. Also pictured here is a Soo Line extended vision caboose. The road number is unclear but appears to be either #60 or #80. In either case, it was built by the International Car Company in 1973.

Soo Line MP15AC #1548 is a 1500-horsepower MP15AC that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1975 as Milwaukee Road #482. The Soo Line purchased the bankrupt Milwaukee Road in February 1985, and this locomotive became Soo Line #1548. It was never repainted into Soo Line colors and remains in its Milwaukee Road paint with its former road name and number painted out with black paint. Patched former Milwaukee Road locomotives on the Soo Line were known as “bandits.” In the background is one of four former North Louisiana & Gulf MP15DCs #42-45, built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1975, that has been acquired by CP Rail in 1996 and became CP Rail #1434-1437. The North Louisiana & Gulf was purchased by the MidSouth Rail Corporation on September 8, 1987, which operated it as the MidLouisiana Rail Corporation. On January 11, 1994, MidSouth was taken over by Kansas City Southern. Also (barely) visible is a Soo Line extended vision caboose in the later brown paint scheme.

Soo Line MP15AC #1538 is another 1500-horsepower MP15AC that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1975 as Milwaukee Road #472. This MP15 was paired with CP Rail #776, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1974 as Soo Line #776, for hump yard service at Pig’s Eye Yard in St. Paul. The Soo Line was consolidated into owner CP Rail in 1991, and in March 1993 SD40-2 #776 received the new CP Rail System paint scheme combining the American and Canadian flags, symbolizing CP Rail’s operations in both the United States and Canada.

Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in August 1998

I took these pictures in August 1998, at the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association (now the Northwest Railway Museum) in Snoqualmie, Washington, where our family stopped briefly on a trip to Stevens Pass. Weyerhaeuser Timber Company #1 is a 1200-horsepower H12-44 that was built by Fairbanks-Morse of Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1951. This locomotive was originally used by Weyerhaeuser on the White River Branch, a 4-mile logging line that ran from Enumclaw to a site called Upper Mill. A few years after the locomotive was acquired, the logging line was supplanted with trucks, and the locomotive was used only to interchange freight cars with the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee Road. This operation ceased in 1975, and the locomotive was transferred to Weyerhaeuser's operation at Vail, Washington, and was renumbered to #714. It was retired in 1977 and sold to Pacific Transportation Services of Tacoma, Washington, where it became #121. It was leased to Continental Grain in Tacoma in the 1980s before being purchased by the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in 1987.

Kennecott Copper Company #201 is an RSD-4 built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1951. A total of 36 RSD-4s were built from 1951 to 1952, compared to 204 RSD-5s built from 1952 to 1956, which were identical except for the main generator. This was the only RSD-4 purchased by Kennecott Copper and is the only remaining RSD-4 in existence. It was donated to the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in 1983.

45-Tonner #7320 was built by General Electric in 1941. It was originally used in the construction of the Elwood Ordinance Plant in Wilmington, Illinois by contractors Sanderson & Porter. It was later transferred to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and became #7320. It was transferred to the U.S. Navy around 1956 for use at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. After it was retired, the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association leased it from Washington State Parks in 1976.

Northern Pacific Railway #10 is a steam-powered rotary snow plow that was built by the American Locomotive Company's Cooke Works in Paterson, New Jersey, in November, 1907. This rotary plow spent its career assigned to clear winter snow in Washington's Stampede Pass. It was retired in 1964 and was donated to the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association by the Northern Pacific in 1968.

Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad in August 1998

I took these pictures at the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, Washington, in August 1998, where our family stopped briefly on a trip to Stevens Pass. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad was established in 1981 on seven miles of the former Tacoma Eastern Railroad, a one-time subsidiary of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad, also known as the Milwaukee Road. After the Milwaukee Road abandoned its western lines on February 29, 1980, the former Tacoma Eastern was taken over by the Weyerhaeuser Corporation. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad operates tourist trains between the towns of Elbe and Mineral.

Hammond Lumber Company #17 is a 2-8-2T that was built by the American Locomotive Company in Schenectady, New York, in September, 1929, as Crossett Western Co. #11 for use in Wauna, Oregon. In 1943, it was sold to the Hammond Lumber Company in Samoa, California, where is operated as #17. A forest fire in 1945 destroyed some of the logging railroad trestles and stranded the locomotive in the woods, where it was abandoned as the company did not consider it worth recovering. It was still there when Hammond Lumber was purchased by Georgia-Pacific in October 1956. In June 1965, the locomotive was sold to Gus Peterson of Klamath, California, who recovered it from the woods for use on his Klamath & Hoppow Valley Railroad, where it operated as #17 into the 1970s. In October 1982, it was sold to the Western Washington Forest Industries Museum and moved to the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad. It was restored to operation in 1994.

Pickering Lumber Company #10 is a 3-Truck Heisler that was originally built by the Heisler Locomotive Works of Erie, Pennsylvania, in May, 1912, as Blue Jay Lumber Company #10, named P.J. Lynch. This was the first successful 3-truck Heisler ever built, and would be the only 78-ton Heisler ever built. In May of 1919 it was sold to the Edward Hines Lumber Company in Lumberton, Mississippi. Later, it was sold to the Standard Lumber Company in Standard, California where is operated as #10. The Standard Lumber Company became the Pickering Lumber Company in 1926, and then the Pickering Lumber Corporation in March 1937. In January 1958, the locomotive was sold for scrap to the Connel Motor Truck Company in Stockton, California. In June 1966, it was donated to the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association, and was sold in December 1966 to Gus Peterson for his Klamath & Hoppow Valley Railroad where it operated as #10. In October 1982, it was sold to the Western Washington Forest Industries Museum and moved to the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe, where it was placed on static display, lettered for the Silver Creek Logging Company and named R.J. "Bud" Kelly.

Here is another picture of Hammond Lumber Company 2-8-2T #17 being serviced in Elbe for its next excursion trip to Mineral.

This old truck was parked near the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad in Elbe. I don't know if it actually had anything to do with the railroad or not. It appears to be a GMC CCKW 2-1/2-ton 6x6 cargo truck, used by the United States Army during World War II. The flat vertical windshield suggests this was originally an open-cab version from 1944-1945, with a solid roof and doors grafted on later.

DLMX Nickel Plate Road RSD-5 #324 at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Displayed at the 100th Anniversary of Union Station in Portland, Oregon, on May 11, 1996, this Alco RSD-5 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 RSD-5s, but they did have the similar 4-axle RS-3s. The number 324 was an unused number on the Nickel Plate roster, between the road's Baldwin AS-16s and Alco RSD-12s.

Sumpter Valley Railway 2-8-2 #19 at the Portland Union Station Centennial

Sumpter Valley Railway #19 is the first of a pair of narrow-gauge 2-8-2 Mikados built for the eastern Oregon railroad by the American Locomotive Company in 1920. #19 & #20 were replaced on the Sumpter Valley in 1940 by a pair of used Baldwin articulated 2-6-6-2 Mallets. The tenders from the Mikados were put behind the Mallets, and the Mikados were sold to Alaska's White Pass & Yukon, where they served until 1957. The Mallets were sold to a railroad in Guatemala in 1947, and the tenders went with them. The Sumpter Valley reacquired the two Mikados in the 1970s and got the tenders back from Guatemala.

#19 was restored at the Brooklyn Roundhouse in Portland, Oregon, in the early 1990s. It had recently been completed and was brought to Union Station's 100th Anniversary on May 11, 1996, before being returned to the Sumpter Valley. A section of track at Union Station was converted to the narrow 3-foot gauge to allow #19 to be fired up and operate back and forth.

Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3985 in Portland, Oregon, in 1995

Union Pacific's articulated 4-6-6-4 Challenger steam locomotive #3985 came to Portland, Oregon, on September 26, 1995. It was built by the American Locomotive Company in July 1943 as part of Union Pacific's 4664-4 Class, the railroad's fourth group of Challengers. It was retired in July 1962 and retained for the railroad's permanent collection. It was placed on display next to the depot in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

In September 1979, the Challenger was removed from display for restoration to operation. It was reinstated to the Union Pacific roster in March 1981 and returned to service in April 1981. It was converted from coal to oil in July 1990. The locomotive has an operating weight of 633,500 pounds (1,070,000 pounds with tender), with 407,500 pounds on the drivers.

The Challenger's cars were left at Union Station while it was serviced and displayed across the river at Albina Yard. Many of these cars would have visited Union Station many times while in regular passenger service with the Union Pacific prior to Amtrak's creation in 1971. As Union Pacific's merger with the Chicago & North Western had occurred earlier in the year, the train also included two cars from the C&NW fleet.

The train included the following cars:

• UP Coach #5486 City of Salina
• UP Coach #5468 Katy Flyer
• UP Dome Diner #7011 Missouri River Eagle
• UP Power Car #208
• UP Dome Coach #7015 Challenger
• UP Dome Diner #8008 City of Portland
• C&NW Full Dome #421 Powder River
• UP Dome Lounge #9009 City of San Francisco
• C&NW Inspection Car #420 Fox River

Each of these cars will be covered in its own post.

Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in 1994

In 1994, we stopped by the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association (now the Northwest Railway Museum) in Snoqualmie, Washington. I photographed the equipment by the depot, even though most of it was in the shade.

Spokane, Portland & Seattle combine #272 was built by Barney & Smith in 1915 as a coach. It was converted to a combine in 1955. The Spokane, Portland & Seattle was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970. The museum purchased the car from Burlington Northern in 1977.

45-Tonner #7320 was built by General Electric in 1941. It was originally used in the construction of the Elwood Ordinance Plant in Wilmington, Illinois by contractors Sanderson & Porter. It was later transferred to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and became #7320. It was transferred to the U.S. Navy around 1956 for use at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. After it was retired, the museum leased it from Washington State Parks in 1976.

U.S. Army Ambulance Kitchen Car #89601 was built by St. Louis Car Co. in 1953. It was originally built to provide meal service for ambulance trains carrying injured troops, but soon after it was built, aircraft became the Army’s primary means of transporting troops. It was stored at Fort Lewis for over 20 years without ever being placed in service. After retirement, it was sold to the Kennecott Copper Company to be converted to a tool car at a Utah mine, however the mine was shut down before the car was converted. It was donated by Kennecott Copper Company in 1987.

Great Northern baggage car #485 was built by Pullman in 1921 as a 12 Section - 1 Drawing Room sleeping car named Epicurus. It became Tourist Sleeper #1056 in 1941. It was retired in 1948 and sold to Great Northern and rebuilt as baggage car #485. The Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970. After Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971, Burlington Northern assigned the car to maintenance of way service as #950190. It was purchased from Burlington Northern in 1986.

This Kershaw Ballast Regulator was built in 1963 for Great Northern.

This former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy caboose is in the yard of a home in Snoqualmie near the depot, but is not part of the museum.

Spokane, Portland & Seattle coach #276 was built by Barney & Smith in 1915. The Spokane, Portland & Seattle was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970. It was purchased from Burlington Northern in 1972.

Spokane, Portland & Seattle coach #213 was built by Barney & Smith in 1912. The wooden car was retired by 1950. The museum purchased it from a private owner in 1977.

Kennecott Copper Company #201 is an RSD-4 built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1951. A total of 36 RSD-4s were built from 1951 to 1952, compared to 204 RSD-5s built from 1952 to 1956, which were identical except for the main generator. This was the only RSD-4 purchased by Kennecott Copper and is the only remaining RSD-4 in existence. It was donated to the museum in 1983.

The Snoqualmie Depot was built in 1890 by the Seattle, Lake Shore & Eastern Railway. In 1896, the railroad was reorganized as the Seattle International Railway, and it was taken over by the Northern Pacific Railway in 1901. The Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March, 1970, and by the mid-1970s, freight trains to Snoqualmie were being routed over the Milwaukee Road line. The Burlington Northern abandoned the line in 1975, donating the Snoqualmie depot and several miles of track to the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association. In 1981, the depot was restored to its 1890s appearance.