Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in August 1998

I took these pictures in August 1998, at the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association (now the Northwest Railway Museum) in Snoqualmie, Washington, where our family stopped briefly on a trip to Stevens Pass. Weyerhaeuser Timber Company #1 is a 1200-horsepower H12-44 that was built by Fairbanks-Morse of Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1951. This locomotive was originally used by Weyerhaeuser on the White River Branch, a 4-mile logging line that ran from Enumclaw to a site called Upper Mill. A few years after the locomotive was acquired, the logging line was supplanted with trucks, and the locomotive was used only to interchange freight cars with the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee Road. This operation ceased in 1975, and the locomotive was transferred to Weyerhaeuser's operation at Vail, Washington, and was renumbered to #714. It was retired in 1977 and sold to Pacific Transportation Services of Tacoma, Washington, where it became #121. It was leased to Continental Grain in Tacoma in the 1980s before being purchased by the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in 1987.

Kennecott Copper Company #201 is an RSD-4 built by the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in 1951. A total of 36 RSD-4s were built from 1951 to 1952, compared to 204 RSD-5s built from 1952 to 1956, which were identical except for the main generator. This was the only RSD-4 purchased by Kennecott Copper and is the only remaining RSD-4 in existence. It was donated to the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association in 1983.

45-Tonner #7320 was built by General Electric in 1941. It was originally used in the construction of the Elwood Ordinance Plant in Wilmington, Illinois by contractors Sanderson & Porter. It was later transferred to the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and became #7320. It was transferred to the U.S. Navy around 1956 for use at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. After it was retired, the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association leased it from Washington State Parks in 1976.

Northern Pacific Railway #10 is a steam-powered rotary snow plow that was built by the American Locomotive Company's Cooke Works in Paterson, New Jersey, in November, 1907. This rotary plow spent its career assigned to clear winter snow in Washington's Stampede Pass. It was retired in 1964 and was donated to the Puget Sound Railway Historical Association by the Northern Pacific in 1968.

Railfanning at Interbay Yard in Seattle in 1994

While visiting Seattle in early June of 1994, my dad and I visited Burlington Northern's Interbay Yard. In those days, a man and his 12-year-old son could freely wander around Interbay as long as they stopped in the office to sign waivers, borrow hard hats, and promise not to go in the inspection pits. (Note: This is NOT the case today.) Originally a Great Northern facility, Interbay was Burlington Northern's main engine terminal on the west coast, and is still used today by the BNSF Railway.

Burlington Northern #2834 was the first locomotive I photographed here. It was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in October 1962 as Union Pacific GP30 #874. It was originally powered by a 2,250-horsepower turbocharged 16-cylinder 567 engine. It was retired by Union Pacific in 1989 and sold to a dealer, who traded it to Burlington Northern. It was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen in Boise, Idaho, in April 1990 as a 2,300-horsepower GP39M.

In the yard across the turntable sat a Burlington Northern crane. I believe this is Burlington Northern D-258, a 250-ton crane that was built by Bucyrus-Erie in August 1944 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #204376 and was originally assigned to Galesburg, Illinois. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern S-258. It was converted from steam to diesel power sometime in the 1980s and was renumbered to D-258. It was typically accompanied by Burlington Northern boom car #966026.

Burlington Northern #6198 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in September 1957 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #451. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6198.

Burlington Northern #6142 is a 1,750-horsepower SD9 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1954 as Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #340. After the CB&Q was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #6142. Note that it has white diagonal stripes on the end of the long hood.

Montana Rail Link #360 is a 3,600-horsepower SD45 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1971 as Burlington Northern #6513. It was retired in June 1986, and was sold to the New York, Susquehanna & Western in January 1987, becoming NYSW #3624. It was later sold to Montana Rail Link where it operated for a time in Susquehanna colors as seen here.

CSX Transportation #5866 is a B36-7 that was originally built by General Electric in 1985 as Seaboard System #5866. When the Seaboard System merged with the Chessie System to form CSX in 1986, it kept its original number, becoming CSX #5866.

Grand Trunk Western #5917 is a 3,000-horsepower SD40 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in January 1970.

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD9 #6142. This picture shows that it has diagonal white stripes on the end of the short hood, as well as on the end of the long-hood as seen in the other picture. Burlington Northern typically only painted the white diagonal stripes on the front end of its locomotives, which in this case would have been the short hood, but on some locomotives that were operated in both directions in branch line service, the stripes were painted on both ends for improved visibility at grade crossings. This idea was apparently suggested by a Burlington Northern locomotive engineer in 1973.

Riding the Interbay turntable is Burlington Northern #7813, a 3,000-horsepower SD40-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in June 1977 as Colorado & Southern #943. Colorado & Southern was a subsidiary of Burlington Northern, and its locomotives were painted in Burlington Northern colors, but they had their own numbering system. These locomotives began to be renumbered into the Burlington Northern's main numbering system in December 1978, and this locomotive became Burlington Northern #7813.

Photo by Cliff West

Meanwhile, parked with its nose in one of the roundhouse stalls is Burlington Northern #2286, a 2,000-horsepower GP38-2 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in August 1974 as St. Louis-San Francisco (SLSF, also known as the Frisco) #431. The Frisco was merged into the Burlington Northern in 1980.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 is pushed off the turntable and into one of the stalls of the Interbay roundhouse for maintenance.

Serving as the Interbay shop switcher is Burlington Northern SW12 #193, which had the honor of pushing SD40-2 #7813 into its roundhouse stall.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #193 is a 1,200-horsepower SW1200 that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in April 1956 as Northern Pacific #134. After Northern Pacific was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #193 and was classified as an SW12.

Rotary Snowplows for the mountain passes of the Washington Cascades are maintained at Interbay. Rotary Snowplow #972561 was originally built by American Locomotive Company's Brooks Works in November 1927 as Great Northern X-1510. It was converted from steam to electric power in 1961. After Great Northern was merged into Burlington Northern in March 1970, it became Burlington Northern #972561.

Photo by Cliff West

The rotary snowplow cannot operate by itself. The electric motors that power the blade need a power supply. The power supply comes from another locomotive that is coupled to it. Originally, any available locomotive was used, but eventually retired locomotives were converted into dedicated Rotary Snowplow Power Plants.

Photo by Cliff West

The diesel engine of the Rotary Snowplow Power Plant is used to supply power to the electric motors in the rotary snowplow. The Rotary Snowplow Power Plant no longer has traction motors, so additional locomotives are required to move the rotary snowplow along the track.

Photo by Cliff West

Burlington Northern #972577 is a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant that was originally built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in March 1956 as 1,750-horsepower F9B Northern Pacific #7013C. It was renumbered to #6705B, then became Burlington Northern #9811, and finally Burlington Northern #777. It was retired in June 1982, and was subsequently rebuilt as a Rotary Snowplow Power Plant.

Photo by Cliff West

Here is another picture of Burlington Northern SD40-2 #7813 inside the Interbay roundhouse. Yes, we walked through the roundhouse, and nobody questioned it. Also in the roundhouse was another high-hood SD9 that had been repainted in the "white face" paint scheme, but its nose was so close to the back wall of the roundhouse that a picture wasn't possible.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland

I originally posted information about Antique Powerland on my website in a PLACES page on November 23, 2007 and last updated it on December 18, 2009. I am posting the railroad-related information here, with pictures and information from the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up. All of my information about Antique Powerland can be found at PlacesPages.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

This piece of railroad equipment is a ditcher-spreader called a Jordan Spreader. It is used to clear the track for snow and debris, spread ballast and shape the land along the tracks to create drainage ditches. In addition to the large blade in the front, the wings on the side extend outward, allowing the spreader to clear an area much wider than that of a single track. A Jordan Spreader has no means of propulsion of its own, and must be pushed by a locomotive. The Jordan Spreader was invented in 1900 by Oswald F. Jordan, roadmaster of the New York Central's Canada Southern Railway in Ontario. Jordan formed his own company, the O. F. Jordan Company of East Chicago, Indiana in 1905 to build his invention. Today, the company is part of Harsco Track Technologies.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

This Jordan Spreader was built in March 1925 as serial number 582 and ended up serving the Southern Pacific Railroad as #4057. It is 38 feet long, 14 feet high, 10 and a half feet wide and weighs 137,600 pounds. Its last assignment for the Southern Pacific was working out if Ashland, Oregon on the Siskiyou Route, until it was retired and donated to the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It currently carries the reporting marks of the Willamette and Pacific Railroad, as it was on loan to them for a time. It's last use was to clear debris from the Portland & Western Railroad's Astoria Line in 1999.

Jordan Spreader #4057 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

Continue to Willow Creek Railroad at the 2009 Great Oregon Steam-Up…

Southern Pacific Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland

I originally posted information about Antique Powerland on my website in a PLACES page on November 23, 2007 and last updated it on December 18, 2009. I am posting the railroad-related information here, with pictures and information from the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up. All of my information about Antique Powerland can be found at PlacesPages.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

This piece of railroad equipment is called a flanger. It is used to clear snow and ice from between the rails, using two large funnel-shaped blades mounted under the frame, one for each side. The blades can be raised and lowered individually as needed from inside the cab. The flags on the roof indicate the position of the blades to others. Like a snow plow, a flanger has no way of propelling itself and must be pulled or pushed by a locomotive, and it can only be used in one direction; the entire car must be turned on a turntable or wye to clear snow in the other direction. Flangers are typically used in conjunction with snow plows or Jordan Spreaders, following directly behind to pick up what the larger equipment cannot reach between the rails. This flanger was built by the Southern Pacific Railroad as #328, most likely in their Sacramento, California freight car shop. It was completed on November 6, 1945. It is 37.5 feet long and weighs 44,000 pounds. It was retired in 1981 and donated to the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. It may be the last wood-bodied flanger in existence.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Flanger #328 is currently under restoration; in 2007 the wooden cab was in white primer and the metal components were in red primer.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on August 3, 2008

By the 2008 Great Oregon Steam Up, the wooden cab had been painted in its original bright orange color with correct Southern Pacific lettering.

Flanger #328 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

By the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up new windows had been installed. With these windows the flanger looked quite good.

The PNWC-NRHS page about #328, including a pre-restoration photo.

Continue to Jordan Spreader #4057…

East Side Railway Snow Sweeper #1455

I originally posted information about Antique Powerland on my website in a PLACES page on November 23, 2007 and last updated it on December 18, 2009. I am posting the railroad-related information here, with pictures and information from the 2010 Great Oregon Steam-Up. All of my information about Antique Powerland can be found at PlacesPages.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

Snow sweeper #1455 was built for Portland's East Side Railway in 1899 by the McGuire Car Company. It is the oldest car in the OERHS collection. Streetcar companies were required by their franchise agreements with cities to clear the street of snow and dust. Often, this was necessary for the streetcars to operate anyway. On a snowy day, #1455 would go out in the morning ahead of the first streetcar to clear the tracks, and if it was snowing during the day, it might have to go out to rescue a stuck streetcar.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on August 4, 2007

The snow sweeper wasn't retired until the end of interurban service in 1958, but snow is relatively rare in Portland, and the last time it was used to clear snow was in 1954. After retirement, the snow sweeper was put on display at Oaks Amusement Park for a time before being donated to the OERHS.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

The snow sweeper hadn't seen much more progress by the 2010 Steam Up but it was much better location for pictures.

Snow Sweeper #1455 at Antique Powerland on July 31, 2010

Links to Historical Photographs:
#1455 in service in Portland (Dave's Electric Railroads)

Continue to Los Angeles Railway H-Class Streetcar #1318…

Union Pacific Rotary #900075

Union Pacific #900075 is a steam-powered rotary snow plow, built in December 1949 by Lima-Hamilton as Union Pacific #079. Rotary snow plows are still used today, though almost all are now powered by diesel engines. Rotary snow plows are used to clear tracks after the most severe winter storms. Their large rotating blades are capable of clearing snow higher than the plow itself, and throwing the snow one hundred feet from the track. This plow was retired in April 1979. It was originally donated to the Smokey Hills Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society and was displayed at a railroad museum in Kansas City. It came to the Illinois Railroad Museum sometime later.

Continue to Union Pacific Boxcar #907149…