Trains on May 13, 2006

I took these train pictures on May 13, 2006. First, I photographed this southbound Union Pacific freight train near the undercrossing of Portland Road NE in Salem, Oregon. Union Pacific #3576 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1979.

I photographed this pair of locomotives from my car as I passed Willbridge Yard on NW St. Helens Road in Portland, Oregon. Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8733 is a 3,800-horsepower GP60 that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in August 1989 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #4033. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8733 on November 19, 1998. Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8632 is a 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40B that was built by General Electric in April 1989 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #7442. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #8632 on February 22, 2000, and was repainted in Burlington Northern Santa Fe's "Heritage I" paint scheme on January 21, 2001.

I took this picture from my car on U.S. Highway 30 in Saint Helens, Oregon. Portland & Western #3006 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1967 as Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific #375. This was one of a group of seven GP40s that the Rock Island was rebuilding to Dash 2 standards in its Silvis shops when the railroad went bankrupt and shut down in 1980. Before the shutdown it was completed as GP40u #3002. 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. This locomotive became GO Transit #721. 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 and this locomotive became EMDX #205. In 2001, EMD transferred the locomotive to Locomotive Leasing Partners (LLPX), a partnership with GATX Leasing, and the locomotive was leased to the St. Lawrence & Atlantic as #3208. St. Lawrence & Atlantic was taken over by Genesee & Wyoming in 2002. The locomotive was transferred to the Portland & Western Railroad in April 2004, where it was considered a GP40-2, even though it lacks all the Dash 2 external spotting features like the water level sight glass, rear cab overhang, and vertical shock absorbers on the trucks. Renumbered to PNWR #3006 in mid-2005, it still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

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.