Albany & Eastern Ballast Hopper #9900

I photographed Albany & Eastern 70-ton ballast hopper car #9900 in Lebanon, Oregon, on May 23, 2006. I don’t know the history of this car but according to its lettering it was built in January 1959 and is classed by the Albany & Eastern as BC70-1. This car may have originally been built as a 2-bay covered hopper car and had its roof removed and ballast chutes installed.

Albany & Eastern Fairmont TKO Tie Remover/Inserter

This is a Fairmont TKO Tie Remover/Inserter belonging to the Albany & Eastern Railroad. It uses rail clamps and jacks to lift the rails to allow an old tie to be removed and a new tie to be inserted with minimum disturbance to the track. On one side, a telescoping tie remover/inserter boom with an articulated gripper head helps to remove old ties and pick up new ties from trackside and guide them into position.

Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc. was founded in 1905 by Frank E. Wade as Fairmont Machine Company, a small machine shop in Fairmont, Minnesota. Fairmont began producing small single cylinder engines in 1907, and was incorporated in 1909 and began to manufacture handcar-like rail vehicles powered by the two-cycle engines. Fairmont Railway Motors became Fairmont Gas Engine and Railway Motor Car Company in 1915, and then became Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc. in 1923. Fairmont acquired Mudge & Company of Chicago, another railway motor car business, in 1928. In 1940, Fairmont developed HY-RAIL® attachments to allow automobiles and trucks to be used on rails as well as roads, developed the first hydraulic spike puller in 1953, and acquired the railcar interests of Fairbanks-Morse in 1955. In 1979, Fairmont was acquired by Harsco Corporation, a company based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with a history that dates back to 1853, when it was founded as the Harrisburg Car Manufacturing Company. Under Harsco, Fairmont became a major supplier of tie replacement equipment and other track maintenance equipment. In 1992, Harsco Corporation acquired the Tamper Corporation, which was founded in Canada in 1934, creating Fairmont Tamper. In 1999, the Pandrol Jackson Company was merged with Fairmont Tamper to form Harsco Track Technologies.

Trains in Lebanon, Oregon, on March 3, 2006

 

I took these pictures on the Albany & Eastern Railroad near the depot in Lebanon, Oregon, on March 3, 2006.

Albany & Eastern #2001 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970 as Illinois Central #9502, one of an order of 20 2,000-horsepower GP38AC locomotives.

In 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to become the Illinois Central Gulf, and the locomotive became Illinois Central Gulf #9502.

After their original 15-year lease expired, this was one of 18 of the 20 to be leased to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas in 1985, and it became MKT #327.

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas was acquired by the Union Pacific, and the locomotive became Union Pacific #1984 on February 6, 1991.

After the MKT lease expired, Union Pacific purchased it on October 23, 1996.

It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1785 on August 27, 1997.

It was assigned Union Pacific #285 in December 1999, but was retired by Union Pacific on May 25, 2001, before being renumbered. In 2002 it came to the Albany & Eastern as GP38-3 #2001.

Southern Pacific #4716 is a C-50-9 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.

This caboose still had its round radio antenna and rooftop red light.

Though still lettered for Southern Pacific, I believe this caboose was owned by the Albany & Eastern at this point.

Southern Pacific #263 looks like a boxcar but is actually an Air Repeater Car.

It is one of seven Air Repeater Cars numbered 260 to 266 that Southern Pacific placed in service between November 1975 and March 1977, all converted from existing 70-ton boxcars.

Southern Pacific Air Repeater Car #263 was converted from B-70-6 Class Boxcar #673652, originally built by Pacific Car & Foundry in March 1961.

It was built as a 50’-1” long insulated box car with 9’-0” Youngstown plug doors, a Hydra-Cushion underframe, a Car Pac loader, and a capacity of 4,644 cubic feet.

It was converted to an Air Repeater Car at Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops in December 1976.

An Air Repeater Car was placed at or near the middle of a long freight train to improve the response of the air brakes during cold weather, using an on-board diesel-powered air compressor to receive pneumatic signals from the brake pipe from the front of the train and relay those signals to produce a corresponding action brake pipe at the rear of the train.

The Air Repeater Car features a diesel fuel filler and fuel level light glass for the diesel-powered air compressor.

The cars could be operated in either direction, with two air connections at each end.

The green pipe connected to the front of the train and the yellow pipe connected to the rear of the train.

Air repeater cars were used at Eugene, OR, Sparks, NV, and Roseville, CA.

Later, they were used as stationary air compressors wherever they were needed.

The last date on the COTS (Clean, Oil, Test & Stencil) Stencil under IDT (In-Date Test) is February 19, 1981, suggesting it was not used much after that date, however it did remain on the property long enough to become Union Pacific Building 7910.

Despite all indications that this car was still Union Pacific property, I believe at this point it was owned by the Albany & Eastern.

Little Giant Trakrane Model 32. John Lewis Grundon of Des Moines, Iowa, founded the Des Moines Dragline Company in 1946 and incorporated it as the Little Giant Crane & Shovel Inc. in 1960. The company was sold to Avis Industrial Corporation of Upland, Indiana, in October 1995. The Little Giant factory in Des Moines was closed in January 2001, and production was moved to the Badger Equipment Company of Winona, Minnesota, founded in 1945 and purchased by Avis Industrial in 1978. Badger and Little Giant were sold to Manitex International in 2009.

The Trakrane featured this herald for the Albany & Eastern Railroad Company.

Later in the day, I saw this train at the Tangent Street railroad crossing, pulled by Albany & Eastern #2002, sister engine to #2001.

Albany & Eastern #2002 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1970 as Illinois Central #9511, one of an order of 20 2,000-horsepower GP38AC locomotives. In 1972, the Illinois Central merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio to become the Illinois Central Gulf, and the locomotive became Illinois Central Gulf #9511. After their original 15-year lease expired, this was one of 18 of the 20 to be leased to the Missouri-Kansas-Texas in 1985, and it became MKT #335. The Missouri-Kansas-Texas was acquired by the Union Pacific, and the locomotive became Union Pacific #1992 on March 6, 1991. After the MKT lease expired, Union Pacific purchased it on October 23, 1996. It was renumbered to Union Pacific #1792 on July 25, 1998. It was assigned Union Pacific #292 in December 1999, but was retired by Union Pacific on May 25, 2001, before being renumbered. In 2002 it came to the Albany & Eastern as GP38-3 #2002.

Trains in Portland & Vancouver in March 2002

My dad, Cliff West, took these pictures around March of 2002.

Photo by Cliff West

First, at Union Pacific’s Albina Yard in Portland, Oregon, Union Pacific SD70M #4867 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was assembled by Bombardier Inc. in Sahagun, Mexico, for the General Motors Locomotive Group in January 2002.

Photo by Cliff West

Moving to the Amtrak depot in Vancouver, Washington, Chicago & North Western #8603 is a 4,380-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in November 1993. The Chicago & North Western was merged into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #3547 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1957 as Great Northern 1,200-horsepower SW1200 #31. After the Great Northern was merged into the Burlington Northern on March 2, 1970, it became Burlington Northern #163 and was classified as an SW12. 

Photo by Cliff West

Following the merger of the Burlington Northern and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe on September 22, 1995, this locomotive became Burlington Northern Santa Fe #3547 in July 1998.

Photo by Cliff West

This is a Harsco Track Technologies RGH10C Rail Grinder. It uses independently adjustable grinder heads to restore the profile of the rail and remove irregularities to extend rail life, reduce wear on equipment, and reduce fuel use. Harsco is a company based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with a history that dates back to 1853, when it was founded as the Harrisburg Car Manufacturing Company. It became Harrisburg Steel Corporation in 1935, and in 1956 it became Harsco Corporation with three divisions: Metals & Minerals, Rail, and Industrial. In 1979, Harsco Corporation merged with Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc., founded in 1905 by Frank E. Wade as Fairmont Machine Company, a small machine shop in Fairmont, Minnesota. Fairmont began producing small single cylinder engines in 1907, and was incorporated in 1909 and began to manufacture handcar-like rail vehicles powered by the two-cycle engines. Fairmont Railway Motors became Fairmont Gas Engine and Railway Motor Car Company in 1915, and then became Fairmont Railway Motors, Inc. in 1923. Fairmont acquired Mudge & Company of Chicago, another railway motor car business, in 1928. In 1940, Fairmont developed HY-RAIL® attachments to allow automobile and trucks to be used on rails as well as roads, and in 1955, Fairmont acquired the railcar interests of Fairbanks-Morse. In 1992, Harsco Corporation acquired Tamper Corporation, which was founded in Canada in 1934, creating Fairmont Tamper. In 1999, the Pandrol Jackson Company was merged with Fairmont Tamper to form Harsco Track Technologies. Pandrol Jackson had been formed in 1990, when Pandrol International, which in 1980 had formed a North American rail grinding joint venture with Speno Rail Services, acquired a 75% interest in ultrasonic rail flaw detection company Dapco Industries, as well as a controlling interest in Jackson-Jordan, Inc., which was created when Jackson Vibrators of Ludington, Michigan purchased the O.F. Jordan Company. Corwill Jackson founded the Electric Tamper & Equipment Company in Ludington, Michigan, in 1923, and created the electric vibrating hand tamper. Electric Tamper & Equipment Company was incorporated as Jackson Vibrators in 1937. In 1960, the O.F. Jordan Company was purchased by Jackson Vibrators of Ludington, Michigan, forming the Jackson-Jordan Company. The O.F. Jordan Company was founded by Oswald Falcus Jordan in 1898 to produce Jordan spreaders based on his 1891 patent with Robert Potts in Chicago, Illinois.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern Santa Fe #1040 is a 4,400-horsepower Dash 9-44CW that was built by General Electric in October 1996.

Riding the Eastbound Empire Builder through Montana & North Dakota

July 24, 1999 was the second day of my trip aboard Amtrak's eastbound Empire Builder to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. That morning, the train stopped alongside Great Northern NW3 #181 in Whitefish, Montana. Built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1942 as Great Northern #5406, this 1,000-horsepower diesel locomotive was the last of the only seven NW3s built, all for the Great Northern. It was renumbered to #181 in 1943. On August 30, 1965, the Great Northern sold #181 to Anaconda Aluminum in Columbia Falls, Montana, where it became their #900. When no longer needed, Anaconda Aluminum donated the locomotive to the Stumptown Historical Society in Whitefish, Montana. It was restored to Great Northern colors and placed on permanent static display next to the Whitefish depot on November 19, 1990.

East of Whitefish, Montana, the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder skirts the south edge of Glacier National Park as its parallels the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, as seen here near Nyack, Montana.

In addition to the Middle Fork of the Flathead River, Amtrak's Empire Builder also parallels U.S. Highway 2, which featured red-tinted pavement near Nyack, Montana.

The eastbound Empire Builder is climbing into the Rocky Mountains by this point. Shortly after passing Essex, Montana, the railroad passes through Snowshed #12, the first of a number of structures that protect the railroad from winter slides and avalanches. At the end of Snowshed #12 is this view of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River. The bridge carrying U.S. Highway 2 Bridge over the river is visible in the background.

The eastbound Empire Builder eventually crosses the Middle Fork of the Flathead River near Nimrod, Montana on Java Trestle, at the point where Java Creek flows into Middle Fork of the Flathead River. This view from Java Trestle shows the clear blue water of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.

Leaving Glacier Park, the eastbound Empire Builder stops at East Glacier, Montana. Visible from the train during the station stop is the Glacier Park Lodge. The Glacier Park Lodge was built in 1913 by the Glacier Park Company, a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway, and its design was based on the Forestry Building from the 1905 Lewis & Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon.

As the eastbound Empire Builder continues out of the Rocky Mountains into eastern Montana. One of the major stops on this part of the trip is Havre, Montana, which is a service stop for the Empire Builder. If the Empire Builder is running on time, it will stop here for about 20 minutes, giving passengers an opportunity to step off the train and stretch their legs.

On static display next to the Amtrak depot in Havre is Great Northern steam locomotive #2584, an S-2 Class 4-8-4 that was built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1930.

This locomotive is an example of the type of locomotives that pulled passenger trains like the Empire Builder through Montana during the age of steam.

A sign next to the locomotive tells its history:

THIS NORTHERN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, SURVIVOR OF THE LAST STEAM ENGINES ACQUIRED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY FOR MAIN-LINE PASSENGER SERVICE, WAS PLACED ON PERMANENT EXHIBITION HERE ON MAY 15, 1964.

A POWERFUL AND SPEEDY LOCOMOTIVE, THIS ENGINE NOW LOOKS EVERY BIT THE ARISTOCRAT THAT IT WAS DURING THE YRS. OF ITS PRE-EMINENT ASSOCIATION WITH THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE ORIENTAL LIMITED. THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS INAUGURATED ON JUNE, 1929, AND WAS PULLED BY A MOUNTAIN TYPE LOCOMOTIVE, BUT POPULARITY OF THE TRAIN LED TO ADDITION OF CARS TO THE CONSIST, AND THIS NECESSITATED MORE POWERFUL ENGINES.

IN 1930 GREAT NORTHERN ACQUIRED 14 CLASS S-2 STEAM LOCOMOTIVES FROM BALDWIN LOCOMOTIVE WORKS FOR SERVICE ON THE EMPIRE BUILDER AND THE FAST MAIL TRAINS. THIS ENGINE - No 2584 - IS THE LAST OF THE 14 ENGINES. SAMUEL VAUCLAIN, PRESIDENT OF BALDWIN DESCRIBED THE CLASS S-2 ENGINES AS "THE FINEST, MOST POWERFUL STEAM PASSENGER LOCOMOTIVES EVER BUILT UP TO THIS TIME." THESE ENGINES WERE OPERATED IN FREIGHT SERVICE AFTER THE EMPIRE BUILDER WAS STREAMLINED AND DIESEL POWERED IN 1947, AND WERE RETIRED IN 1955.

LOCOMOTIVE AND TENDER ARE 103 FEET 3 INCHES LONG, WEIGHT 764,680 POUNDS, AND HEIGHT FROM RAIL TO TOP OF STACK IS 16 FEET. No 2584 WAS AN OIL BURNER AND DEVELOPED 58,305 POUNDS OF TRACTIVE EFFORT. EACH OF THE 8 DRIVE WHEELS IS 80 INCHES HIGH.

THE TRACK ON WHICH No 2584 STANDS IS LAID TO THE GREAT NORTHERN MAIN LINE SPECIFICATIONS. THE CREOSOTED TIES ARE SUPPORTED ON A SUB-BALLAST CONSISTING OF 6 INCHES OF ROCK CHIPS AND A BALLAST CONSISTING OF SIX INCHES OF CRUSHED PINK QUARTZITE ROCK, BOTH OF WHICH ARE QUARRIED BY THE GREAT NORTHERN IN MONTANA. WELDED RAILS FULLY TIE PLATED AND ANCHORED, WEIGHT 115 POUNDS TO THE YARD.

After departing the Havre depot, the eastbound Empire Builder passes Burlington Northern Santa Fe's Havre yard and engine shop, where Burlington Northern Rotary Snowplow Power Units #972571 & #972570 are pictured. Both were originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors as 1,750-horsepower F9A diesel locomotives for freight service. Burlington Northern #972571 was built in September 1954 as Northern Pacific #7003A. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #812. Burlington Northern #972570 was built in March 1956 as Northern Pacific #7011D. On April 11, 1966 it was reassigned to passenger service and renumbered to Northern Pacific #6704C. After the Northern Pacific was merged into the Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #9818. Following the creation of Amtrak in May 1971, it was transferred to freight service and was renumbered to Burlington Northern #784 in July 1973. Both of these locomotives were retired in December 1981 and rebuilt by Burlington Northern as Rotary Snowplow Power Units, or RSPUs. Their traction motors were removed and they were rewired so their diesel engines and main generators could provide power for a rotary snowplow.

Much later in the day, the eastbound Empire Builder reaches another service stop in Minot, North Dakota, where I managed to get a picture of the train's cook in the doorway of the dining car while it was being restocked.

Here are the locomotives for the eastbound Empire Builder being refueled in Minot. Amtrak #817 & #800 are 4,000-horsepower Dash 8-40BPs that were built by General Electric in 1993.

Just to the west of the Amtrak station in Minot, and visible from its platform, is a crossing of the BNSF Railway and the Canadian Pacific Railway. Seen here leading a westbound freight train, Canadian Pacific #8559 is a 4,400-horsepower AC4400CW that was built by General Electric in 1998.