Trains at Salem, Oregon, on April 20, 2007

I took these pictures in Salem, Oregon, on April 20, 2007. First, heading south near the depot, Union Pacific #300 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1972 as Missouri Pacific #658 under a 15-year lease. As part of a 1974 system renumbering it became Missouri Pacific #2009. It was returned to the lessor at the end of the 15-year lease in 1987 and was sold to Helm Financial to become Helm Leasing #2009. It was leased by Union Pacific in February 1989 and became Union Pacific #1800 on October 2, 1989. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #300 on April 1, 2001. 

Moving south to the Union Pacific yard, we find Union Pacific #1836, a General Electric B40-8.

It was built by General Electric in September 1987 as Southern Pacific #8036, a 3,900-horsepower B39-8. 

After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 25, 1996, it was upgraded to a 4,000-horsepower B40-8 on January 29, 1999.

It became Union Pacific #5645 on August 31, 1999, and was renumbered to Union Pacific #1836 on April 15, 2004. 

Union Pacific #549 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1975 as Union Pacific #2049. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #549 on July 22, 2003.

Trains in Salem, Oregon, on April 6, 2007

I took these train pictures in Salem, Oregon, on April 6, 2007.

Leading the northbound Coast Starlight at the Amtrak depot is Amtrak #119. 

It is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC that was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

The trailing unit is Amtrak #507.

It is a 3,200-horsepower Dash 8-32BWH.

It was built by General Electric in December 1991.

A total of 20 of these locomotives were built for Amtrak.

Further south, a number of Union Pacific locomotives were at the Salem yard.

Union Pacific #536 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1974 as Union Pacific #2036. 

It was renumbered to Union Pacific #536 on December 16, 2000. 

Union Pacific (UPY) #568 is a 1,500-horsepower GP15-1 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1976 as Missouri Pacific #1568. 

After the Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1982, this locomotive was renumbered to Union Pacific #1568 on April 15, 1991. 

It was transferred to Union Pacific’s new UPY reporting mark for yard locomotives as UPY #568 on June 15, 2000. 

Union Pacific #300 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1972 as Missouri Pacific #658 under a 15-year lease. As part of a 1974 system renumbering it became Missouri Pacific #2009. 

It was returned to the lessor at the end of the 15-year lease in 1987 and was sold to Helm Financial to become Helm Leasing #2009. It was leased by Union Pacific in February 1989 and became Union Pacific #1800 on October 2, 1989. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #300 on April 1, 2001. 

Union Pacific #549 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1975 as Union Pacific #2049. 

It was renumbered to Union Pacific #549 on July 22, 2003.

Amtrak Trains in Salem, Oregon, on April 3, 2007

I took these train pictures at the Amtrak depot in Salem, Oregon, on April 3, 2007. 

First is Amtrak’s northbound Coast Starlight.

Leading the train is Amtrak #114.

It is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC.

It was built by General Electric in September 1997. 

While making the station stop, the train temporarily blocked Mill Street.

The trailing unit is Amtrak #192.

It is a 4,250-horsepower P42DC.

It was built by General Electric in September 2001. 

Leading southbound Amtrak Cascades Train #507, Amtrak #461 is one of 15 3,200-horsepower F59PHIs built for Pacific Surfliner service between San Luis Obispo and San Diego, California. 

It was built in August 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. 

It was presumably filling in for a Cascades unit in need of maintenance in Los Angeles, where all Amtrak’s F59PHI locomotives were maintained. 

Amtrak Cascades #7101 is a Talgo Series 6 Baggage Car from the Mt. Baker Cascades trainset, built in 1999 for the Washington State Department of Transportation. 

Bringing up the rear of the Cascades train is Amtrak Cascades #90250, a Non-Powered Cab Unit or NPCU.

It was rebuilt in February 2000 from Amtrak #250, 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 #560.

Portland & Western GP39-2 #2309 at Rainier, Oregon

Photo by Cliff West

Portland & Western #2309 “Philomath,” is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3608. 

Photo by Cliff West

It was retired in December 1992 and was sold to the Willamette & Pacific Railroad in June 1993 and later transferred to the Portland & Western. My dad, Cliff West, photographed it in Rainier, Oregon, in April or May of 2007.

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.