Trains on April 8, 2006

I took these train pictures on April 8, 2006.

We begin at the Portland & Western's small base of operations on Salem Industrial Drive NE in Salem, Oregon, with Willamette & Pacific #2316 “Albany.”

This is a 2,300-horsepower GP39-2.

It was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #3615.

 

It was retired in December 1992 and was sold to the Willamette & Pacific Railroad in June 1993.

Portland & Western #3004 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 #381.

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 #3000. 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 #726. 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 #201.

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 #3204. 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 #3004 in mid-2005, it still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

This base of operations formerly belonged to the Oregon Electric (O.E.) Railway, later the Burlington Northern Railroad and now the Portland & Western Railroad. The Oregon Electric was owned by the Spokane, Portland & Seattle (SP&S) Railway, which also operated the route to Astoria nicknamed the "A Line." This safety sign, which depicts the East Coast railroads in the game of Monopoly while declaring "Railroading is not a game: work safely when on board" was erected by the O.E. - A Line Safety Committee, and may predate the 1970 merger that absorbed the SP&S into the Burlington Northern Railroad.

Moving on to Portland, Oregon, I took this photograph from my car of a Union Pacific freight train crossing over Interstate 205, led by Union Pacific #4707, a 4,000-horsepower SD70M built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, and delivered on October 6, 2001.

From my car on Interstate 5 near Martin’s Bluff near Longview, Washington, I took this photograph of Norfolk Southern #7516, a 4,000-horsepower ES40DC built by General Electric in November 2005 and delivered in primer gray so it could be placed in service as soon as possible.

Finally, I photographed this pair of 3,000-horsepower GP40-2s in the Longview Switching Company yard in Longview, Washington, from my car on Washington State Route 432. Union Pacific #1422 & #1434 were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March and April of 1980 as Southern Pacific #7671 and #7949. After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 11, 1996, Southern Pacific #7671 became Union Pacific #5322 on October 10, 2002, then was renumbered to #1422 on October 30, 2003, while SP #7949 became Union Pacific #1434 on December 20, 2000.

Trains on February 25, 2006

I took these train pictures from my car on February 25, 2006. The first was taken along Interstate 5 near Martin's Bluff near Longview, Washington. Leading a southbound train, Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7916 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1979 as Colorado & Southern #7916. Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of Burlington Northern, and its locomotives were painted in Burlington Northern colors. The Colorado & Southern was formally merged into the Burlington Northern on December 31, 1981, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #7916. Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #7916.

Closer to Longview Junction, Washington, is this southbound train led by Union Pacific #3143, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1972. Trailing is Union Pacific #2419, a 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in November 1990 as Union Pacific #6263 and was renumbered on January 6, 2005.

At the Longview Switching Company yard in Longview, Washington, Union Pacific #1434 is a 3,000-horsepower GP40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1980 as Southern Pacific #7949. After the Southern Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific on September 11, 1996, this locomotive became Union Pacific #1434 on December 20, 2000.

Espresso Express Caboose in Longview, Washington

This old caboose turned espresso stand is located at 745 Ocean Beach Highway in Longview, Washington. According to owners Dan & Laura Estey, it was built in 1933 for the Northern Pacific Railway, and it was eventually acquired by the Weyerhaeuser Woods Railroad as their #6 and was used on log trains around Longview. Dan & Laura Estey purchased it from Weyerhaeuser in 1996 and kept "Old #6's" Weyerhaeuser number.

4449 in Black Paint in June 2000

Growing up, my home in Rainier, Oregon, overlooked the Columbia River and the mouth of the Cowlitz, and we had a view of the railroad drawbridge across the Cowlitz River that connects the Longview Switching Company yard to the BNSF mainline at Longview Junction. One day in June of 2000, my dad happened to see a steam locomotive cross that bridge. He said it was Southern Pacific #4449 painted black. This didn't sound right to me, as #4449 was painted in its famous Daylight colors of red and orange. We rushed over to the Longview Switching yard, and sure enough, #4449 was there, its Daylight colors painted over with glossy black!

It wasn't long before #4449 was back out of the yard back towards the main line. Longview Junction forms a wye, allowing #4449 to turn around for a return trip to Portland.

We headed south to Kalama, where a pedestrian overpass provided a good vantage point for pictures. #4449 had picked up some freight cars for its trip back to Portland.

This was apparently some sort of test run, to make sure the locomotive was working properly. Longview Junction is a convenient destination for such test runs, because of its wye junction and because, at about 50 miles from Portland, it is far enough away for the locomotive to get a good run at mainline speed, but is still nearby if something did go wrong.

We still had no idea why #4449 had been painted black. At this time it had no lettering except its road number and data. It made this trip with its tool car, the Yes, Dear, which was still in Daylight colors.

It turned out that #4449 was going to be used by Burlington Northern Santa Fe for some employee appreciation excursions, but BNSF didn't want to use a locomotive that was painted for a predecessor of its main competitor. Thus, #4449 was painted black. It would receive BNSF heralds before it actually began making the excursion runs beginning on July 8, 2000.

Warbonnets in Washington in 1999

Photo by Cliff West

After the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern merged in 1995, the new Burlington Northern Santa Fe found itself in search of a paint scheme. Even after the introduction of the Great Northern-inspired "Heritage" orange and green paint scheme for the new Dash-9-44CWs assigned to former Burlington Northern territory, BNSF continued to receive otherwise identical locomotives in a variation of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe's silver & red Super Fleet "Warbonnet" paint scheme, with BNSF initials replacing the billboard "Santa Fe" lettering on the sides. Neither the BNSF nor the earlier Santa Fe "Warbonnets" were particularly common on the former Burlington Northern lines of the Pacific Northwest, but on one spring day in 1999, I think it was in April, they seemed to be out in force on the Portland-Seattle main line.

Photo by Cliff West

My dad and I caught this northbound BNSF unit grain train at the south end of Kalama, Washington, with a pair of "Warbonnets" leading a matched consist of nearly new BNSF mineral red covered hopper cars.

Photo by Cliff West

My dad's pictures from this day came out slightly underexposed, but on the other hand, his camera did have a powerful zoom lens that mine couldn't compete with.

This train was led by Burlington Northern Santa Fe #755, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 1997.

The train's second unit was Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #635, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in February 1994.

The train slowed down to go through Kalama, so we were able to get ahead of it and get more pictures of it at the north end of Kalama.

Photo by Cliff West

From this location, the long matching consist of covered hoppers can be appreciated.

Photo by Cliff West

The train appears to have slowed to a crawl and may have even come to a brief stop here.

Just north of this spot, the railroad crosses over the Kalama River. Continuing the chase by car, however, would require returning to Interstate 5, and this spot is between exits, so we made sure to get plenty of pictures here while we could.

Photo by Cliff West

This picture shows that in addition to the BNSF initials on the sides, there are also BNSF initials in the "cigar band" on the nose, where earlier locomotives had "Santa Fe" lettering

My last picture of Burlington Northern Santa Fe #755 was also by far the best.

I also got a better picture of Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #635. Though both of these locomotive are the same model, and were built for essentially the same railroad only a few years apart, there are some subtle differences besides the lettering. One of the more noticeable differences is the ditch lights: they are below the platform on ATSF #635 but are above the platform on BNSF #755.

Photo by Cliff West

Next, we continued north to Longview Junction. I don't remember if we hoped to see the grain train again, or if we knew it had gotten away from us. In any case, the next train we saw was a northbound BNSF general freight train.

Photo by Cliff West

Leading a mixed consist of motive power was another "Warbonnet:" Burlington Northern Santa Fe #812, a Dash 8-40CW that was built by General Electric in April 1992 as Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #812.

Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #812 was repainted with BNSF lettering on its sides on August 21, 1996. BNSF #812 still had "Santa Fe" lettering in the "cigar band" on the nose, as the BNSF version of the "cigar band" wasn't introduced until July 1997.

A block of woodchip cars was on an adjacent track, including this former Great Northern woodchip car, still in three-decade old Big Sky Blue paint. Built by Gunderson Brothers in Portland, Oregon, in 1968, this 60'-7" woodchip car was one of 100 numbered 174200-174299 on the Great Northern. On Burlington Northern they were assigned numbers 585500-585599, though many, like this one, were never repainted or even renumbered. 89 of these cars were still on the roster in 1995, and were assigned BNSF numbers 540158-540246, though few, if any, would ever actually wear them. The Great Northern followed this group of cars in 1969 with 125 nearly identical Ortner cars numbered 174300-174424. They were assigned Burlington Northern numbers 585600-585724. 94 of this group were still on roster in 1995 and were assigned BNSF numbers 540247-540340.

Next came a northbound Union Pacific double-stack container train led by Union Pacific #9513, a 4,135-horsepower Dash 8-41CW that was built by General Electric in September 1993.

Finally, another northbound BNSF freight train came along with another pair of "Warbonnets," led by Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #631, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built in February 1994. It is a sister unit to Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe #635, which was the trailing unit on the grain train seen in Kalama earlier.

This train's trailing unit was Burlington Northern Santa Fe #754, a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in August 1997. It is only one number away from sister unit Burlington Northern Santa Fe #755, which led the grain train in Kalama that started things off, bringing things full circle as the day of railfanning came to a close.

Mid-1992 Train Pictures

Photo by Cliff West

Here are some more of my dad's train pictures. He usually got his train pictures developed as slides, but he got prints of these as well. These were taken in mid-1992.

Photo by Cliff West

Union Pacific #9366 is a General Electric Dash 8-40CW, or C40-8W, that was built in January 1990.

Photo by Cliff West

Pictured at Union Pacific's Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, UP #9366 still looks very new despite being more than two years old.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #3100 is a GP50 built by the Electro-Motive of General Motors in December 1980. It is pictured at BN's Hoyt Street Yard in Portland, Oregon. This was BN's first GP50. It was the first of a group of ten originally ordered by the St. Louis-San Francisco, or Frisco. It was originally intended to be SLSF #791. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern before these locomotives were completed, and they were delivered as Burlington Northern #3100-3109. They were the only GP50s to receive BN's standard paint scheme. BN would order more GP50s, but they would be painted with orange and black nose stripes and a different lettering arrangement.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #1800 is a GP9 originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1958 as Great Northern #727. Like all Great Northern GP9s, it was built with the long hood designated as the front, and even after Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in 1970, it retained this configuration, and received its white diagonal stripes on the long-hood.

Photo by Cliff West

This northbound Burlington Northern freight train was photographed across the Cowlitz River from the boat launch at Gerhart Gardens Park in Longview, Washington. All four of these Burlington Northern locomotives were built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. Burlington Northern #7865 is an SD40-2 that was built in October 1978. Burlington Northern #7300 is an SD40G that was originally built in March 1971 as Missouri Pacific SD40 #770. It was renumbered to #3070 in May 1978. After Missouri Pacific was merged into Union Pacific, it was assigned UP #4070, but was not renumbered before its original 15-year expired, and Union Pacific retired it on June 1, 1986. It was used in short-term lease service as HLCX 5070 and then GATX 5070 before being rebuilt in April 1989 and leased to Burlington Northern as one of a group of ten. Burlington Northern #8058 is an SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1979, and Burlington Northern #8019 is an SD40-2 built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1978.

Photo by Cliff West

This is Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade #15 pulling a Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Association excursion train in Chehalis, Washington. This steam locomotive is a 2-8-2 and was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September, 1916. The locomotive was originally built for the Clear Lake Lumber Company, based in Clear Lake, Skagit County, Washington. The locomotive was lettered for the Puget Sound & Cascade Railway Company (presumably a wholly owned subsidiary of the Clear Lake Lumber Company) as their #200. It was later repossessed by Baldwin in 1926 as Clear Lake Lumber and the Puget Sound & Cascade had gone into bankruptcy. It was resold to the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade, and became their #15.

Photo by Cliff West

After many years of service on the Cowlitz, Chehalis & Cascade, the locomotive was donated to the city of Chehalis in 1955 and placed on display in a park. In 1986, the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad Association was formed to restore #15. Beginning in 1987, it was restored to operating condition at the shops of the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, and scheduled excursions began in the summer of 1989.