Albany & Eastern #3859

Albany & Eastern #3859 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1959 as 1,750-horsepower GP9 #456 for the Texas & New Orleans, a subsidiary of Southern Pacific.

After the 1965 system renumbering, it became Southern Pacific #3660.

On January 9, 1978, it was upgraded by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops as GP9R #3859.

It was retired on February 20, 1991, and was sold on February 5, 1992 to the Willamette Valley Railway.

It was later leased to the Albany & Eastern, which purchased it in 1999.

Trains in Lebanon, Oregon, on January 19, 2006

I took these pictures on January 19, 2006, near the Santiam Travel Station in Lebanon, Oregon, on the Albany and Eastern Railroad.

Albany & Eastern #5129 is a 50-foot 5347 cubic foot boxcar, one of 300 built by the FMC Corporation for the Green Bay & Western in December 1979 and January 1980 in the 16000-16299 series. Cars 16100-16149 went to the Northwestern Oklahoma Railroad (NOKL) around 1993, and later became AERC 5100-5147. This car still wears its original yellow paint, with the “Green Bay Route” logo changed to read “Santiam River Route.”

Southern Pacific #4716 is a C-50-9 Class Bay-Window Caboose that was built by PACCAR in 1980 as part of an order of 75 that would be Southern Pacific’s last new cabooses.

The Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1996.

This caboose was no longer on Union Pacific’s roster in January 2002.

TTX Boxcar TBOX #666396 is a 60-foot boxcar built in 2004 by National Steel Car of Hamilton, Ontario.

This boxcar was on jacks while work was being done on its trucks, which were disassembled nearby.

Albany & Eastern #3859 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1959 as 1,750-horsepower GP9 #456 for the Texas & New Orleans, a subsidiary of Southern Pacific.

After the 1965 system renumbering, it became Southern Pacific #3660.

On January 9, 1978, it was upgraded by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops as GP9R #3859.

It was retired on February 20, 1991, and was sold on February 5, 1992 to the Willamette Valley Railway.

It was later leased to the Albany & Eastern, which purchased it in 1999.

Willamette & Pacific #1801 in Rainier, Oregon, in Summer 1998

In the summer of 1998, the Portland & Western Railroad assigned Willamette & Pacific GP9R #1801 to work on the Astoria Line between St. Helens and Wauna, Oregon. This locomotive was notable for being painted in Southern Pacific's "Black Widow" paint scheme from the 1950s, but with "Willamette & Pacific" lettering. This locomotive had been used on the line previously, and my dad had taken pictures of it, but this was my first chance to take my own pictures of it as it passed through Rainier, Oregon, with a short eastbound train.

Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1959 as Southern Pacific GP9 #5830. (Interestingly, this locomotive was delivered after Southern Pacific had changed its locomotive paint scheme to Lark Dark Grey and Scarlet, and thus never wore the "Black Widow" colors while owned by Southern Pacific.) In Southern Pacific's system-wide renumbering of 1965 it became Southern Pacific #3693. On September 14, 1977, it was rebuilt at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops to a GP9R, and was renumbered to Southern Pacific #3855. It retained its original 1,750-horsepower rating after the rebuilding. Southern Pacific retired the locomotive on December 10, 1992, and it was sold to Willamette & Pacific on May 14, 1993. It was painted in the "Black Widow" colors in November 1993.

Willamette & Pacific GP9R #1803 "Sherwood" in Rainier, Oregon, in June 1998

Admittedly, this is not a very good picture, but this is Willamette & Pacific GP9R #1803 Sherwood in Rainier, Oregon, in June 1998. This was the largest locomotive to run through Rainier since Portland & Western had taken over the line from Burlington Northern Santa Fe a year earlier. This locomotive was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1957 as Southern Pacific GP9 #5739. In Southern Pacific's system-wide renumbering of 1965 it became Southern Pacific #3579. On June 29, 1976, it was rebuilt at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops to a GP9R and was renumbered to Southern Pacific #3790. It retained its original 1,750-horsepower rating after the rebuilding. Southern Pacific retired the locomotive in March 1987, and it was sold on March 13, 1987 to the Louisiana & Delta (another railroad owned by Genesee & Wyoming like the Willamette & Pacific and the Portland & Western) where it was renumbered to #1752. In 1994, it was transferred to the Willamette & Pacific, becoming #1803.

Willamette & Pacific #1801 in St. Helens, Oregon, in Fall 1997

Photo by Cliff West

In the fall of 1997, the Portland & Western Railroad assigned Willamette & Pacific GP9R #1801 to work on the Astoria Line between St. Helens and Wauna, Oregon. This locomotive was notable for being painted in Southern Pacific's "Black Widow" paint scheme from the 1950s, but with "Willamette & Pacific" lettering. Somehow, my dad got advance notice, and went to St. Helens to photograph it. I had other plans, but I gave him my camera so he could take some pictures for me.

Photo by Cliff West

Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1959 as Southern Pacific GP9 #5830. (Interestingly, this locomotive was delivered after Southern Pacific had changed its locomotive paint scheme to Lark Dark Grey and Scarlet, and thus never wore the "Black Widow" colors while owned by Southern Pacific.) In Southern Pacific's system-wide renumbering of 1965 it became Southern Pacific #3693. On September 14, 1977, it was rebuilt at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops to a GP9R, and was renumbered to Southern Pacific #3855. It retained its original 1,750-horsepower rating after the rebuilding.

Photo by Cliff West

Southern Pacific retired the locomotive on December 10, 1992, and it was sold to Willamette & Pacific on May 14, 1993. It was painted in the "Black Widow" colors in November 1993.

California Western Freight Train

Photo by Cliff West

The California Western Railroad was originally built in 1885 by the Fort Bragg Lumber Company as the Fort Bragg Railroad. In 1904, passenger service was inaugurated. On July 1, 1905, the railroad was renamed the California Western Railroad & Navigation Company. The railroad was completed to Willits and a connection with the Northwestern Pacific Railroad on December 11, 1911. Self-propelled gas-powered railcars were added for passenger service in 1925, they were nicknamed "skunks" because of the smell of their exhaust. The "skunks" soon took over passenger service, and regular steam-powered passenger train service ended in November 1929.  On December 19, 1947, the name was shortened to California Western Railroad. In June 1987, the California Western was sold to Kyle Railways.

Photo by Cliff West

California Western GP9R #64 is pictured arriving in Fort Bragg with a freight train on March 17, 1992. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1955 as Southern Pacific #5607. In 1965 it was renumbered to #3444. It was rebuilt at Southern Pacific's Sacramento General Shops to GP9R #3311 on May 11, 1970. It was retired by Southern Pacific on December 17, 1986 and sold to Metal Processing, Inc. in Vinton, Texas on January 2, 1988. It was resold later that year to Kyle Railways as #1750, and was transferred to the California Western in May 1989.

The second locomotive is California Western RS11 #62. It was originally built by Alco Products in April 1959 as Southern Pacific #5854. In 1965 it was renumbered to #2919. It was sold to Kyle Railways on January 10, 1980, and was later assigned to the California Western.