Trains in Albany, Oregon, on August 31, 2006

I took these pictures near the depot in Albany, Oregon, on August 31, 2006.

Leading a freight train, Portland & Western #3003 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 #380. 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 #3004. 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 #725. 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 #200. 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 #3203. 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 #3003 in mid-2005, it still wears its St. Lawrence & Atlantic yellow and black paint scheme.

Next, Willamette & Pacific #1852 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1955 as Southern Pacific #5438, a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was placed in service on May 24, 1955. After the 1965 system renumbering, it became Southern Pacific #3916. On January 9, 1975, it was rebuilt by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops to SD9E #4397. It was retired on November 12, 1993, and sold on March 4, 1994, to the Willamette and Pacific Railroad where it became #1852.

Trailing, Portland & Western #3603 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1970 as St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) #9153, a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was placed in service on January 4, 1970. On January 15, 1985, it was upgraded by Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Shops to Southern Pacific SD45R #7537. It was retired on sold on July 31, 1995, to Helm Financial Corporation and became HLCX #450. In 1996 it was sold to the Buffalo & Pittsburgh, part of the Genesee & Wyoming system, retaining the road number #450. It was transferred to the Illinois & Midland, another Genesee & Wyoming railroad, in 2001 or 2002, still numbered #450, then transferred again to the Portland & Western Railroad in April 2005, being renumbered to #3603.

There was also a pair of Union Pacific SD40-2s near the Albany depot.

Union Pacific #3160 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in February 1972.

Union Pacific #3380 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1977.

This unit still had its red sill stripe, while on the other SD40-2, the sill stripe had been changed to yellow in accordance with a Federal Railroad Administration ruling from March 5, 2005, that required yellow or white reflective striping 42 inches above the rail by May 31, 2010.

After leaving Albany, I spotted this specially-decorated truck trailer heading north on Interstate 5. Carrying the slogan "TRACKS ARE FOR TRAINS! STAY OFF! STAY AWAY! STAY ALIVE!", this trailer #538717 was sponsored by Washington Operation Lifesaver, Washington Utilites and Transporation Commission, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Union Pacific Railroad, and the trailer was donated by Interstate Distributor Company.

Railfanning at Hampton, Oregon, on July 20, 1997

I took these pictures at Hampton, Oregon, on July 20, 1997. This location is Union Pacific's the former Southern Pacific's Cascade Line, also known as the Natron Cutoff. This has always been a busy line, and all of these trains passed through with a short period of time, and all were northbound. It had been less than a year since Southern Pacific had been merged into Union Pacific, but the effects of the merger were already very evident in the locomotive consists of these trains.

The first train we saw was a freight train led by Union Pacific #5048, a 3,600-horsepower SD50 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in December 1984. It was originally delivered in Union Pacific colors but with Missouri Pacific lettering. It was relettered for Union Pacific in August 1990.

The second unit in the train, Southern Pacific #7512 was originally a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1967 as Southern Pacific #8903. On June 29, 1984, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops to an SD45R and was renumbered to Southern Pacific #7512.

The train's third locomotive was Union Pacific #3258, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1974. In April 1976, it was converted for 80-mph high-speed freight service, becoming Union Pacific SD40-2H #8018. It was converted back to a standard SD40-2 in April 1981 and regained its original number.

The train's trailing unit was Chicago & North Western #6860, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1974. The Chicago & North Western was merged into the Union Pacific on April 24, 1995.

The next train was another freight, led by Southern Pacific #9810, a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in June 1994.

The second locomotive in the train was Union Pacific #3216, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1973.

The third locomotive was Union Pacific #B4250, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1978 as Missouri Pacific #3250. After the Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific in 1982, the locomotive became Union Pacific #4250 on July 13, 1988. On July 29, 1992, it was changed to trailing-unit-only service with the removal of cab signals, refrigerators, toilets, and cab seats, and was renumbered with the "B" prefix.

The fourth locomotive was Denver & Rio Grande Western #3098, a 3,000-horsepower GP40-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1972. The Denver & Rio Grande Western had merged with the Southern Pacific in 1988, but Rio Grande locomotives were still rare in the Pacific Northwest.

The last locomotive in this train was Union Pacific #6329, a 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in September 1992.

Next came a four-unit helper set. The lead locomotive, Southern Pacific #8676, was originally a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1968 as Seaboard Coast Line #2023. After SCL was merged into CSX it became CSX #8923. It was retired and sold to VMV Enterprises in Paducah, Kentucky, where it became VMV #8923. In 1993, Southern Pacific contracted with MK Rail Corporation for 133 rebuilt 3,000-horsepower SD40M-2 locomotives. This locomotive was acquired by MK Rail and was rebuilt at its locomotive shop in Mountain Top, Pennsylvania, and was released on November 11, 1994, as Southern Pacific SD40M-2 #8676.

At the other end of the helper set was Southern Pacific #8283, a 3,000-horsepower SD40T-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1980.

The last train we saw was a freight train led by Union Pacific #6188, a 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in June 1989.

The trailing unit in this train's consist was Union Pacific #6154, a 3,800-horsepower SD60M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in May 1989.

Trains in Oakridge in 1996

As the summer of 1996 came to an end, I took these train pictures in Oakridge, Oregon. This was shortly before the Southern Pacific was merged with the Union Pacific on September 11, 1996, making these some of the last pictures of the independent Southern Pacific.

Southern Pacific #9818 is a 4,000-horsepower SD70M that was built by the General Motors Locomotive Group in London, Ontario, in July 1994. Southern Pacific's group of 25 SD70Ms would inspire Union Pacific to order 1,000 more following the merger.

Southern Pacific #7556 was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in May 1967 as a 3,600-horsepower SD45. It was originally numbered Southern Pacific #8920. On October 28, 1985, it was upgraded at Southern Pacific's Sacramento Shops to an SD45R and was renumbered to Southern Pacific #7556. It was the first of five SD45R's to receive the  red-and-yellow "Kodachrome" paint scheme of the proposed Southern Pacific Santa Fe merger, which it was still wearing over a decade later, even though the merger never happened.

Southern Pacific #4843 is a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in July 1980. It still featured its full Southern Pacific light package.

This piece of snowfighting equipment is Southern Pacific Jordan Spreader #4047, which was originally built in 1929 and was rebuilt in 1953. It was still in service, waiting with one of Southern Pacific's wood-bodied flangers for the snow to return to Oregon's Cascade Range.