Author Archives: briannpman

UP at Argo in May 1980

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Living in Yakima, WA now I really do miss getting to see the Union Pacific in Western Washington where really, it was so common.

Going back to 5-23-80 to relive some old memories.  It was a Friday afternoon when I stopped by Argo, WA on my way home from work.  First thing I photographed was UP GP30 800.

01) UP 800 Argo, WA 5-23-80

UP 800 was the first of Union Pacific’s fleet of 152 EMD GP30′s which included the GP30B’s.  800-874 were delivered in July to August 1962.  The 800 itself was retired 12/84 and scrapped.

Also at Argo was a power set of 8018/NW 1587/8081/8096  (SD40-2M/SD40/SD40-2M/SD40-2M)

02) NW - UP power Argo, WA 5-23-80

NW 1587 was a straight SD40 built in May 1966.  Set up to run long hood first, this is the front end.

03) NW 1587 Argo, WA 5-23-80

And this would then be the rear end.

04) NW 1587r Argo, WA 5-23-80

The SD40 was later repainted to NS 1587 after the NW and Southern merger.  Sometime after 2006 the 1587 was rebuilt to RPU6 875.  Photo is here:  https://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1307765

Also in that set of power was UP SD40-2M 8081 which was looking pretty dirty that day.

05) UP 8081 Argo, WA 5-23-80

The 8081 was from a group of high-speed, 80 mph SD40-2Ms 8075-8099 built in 1979.  The 8000 series was given to them because they were geared for 80 MPH.  They were also give then nickname “Fast Forties”

The high-speed modifications were removed and units renumbered to UP 3584-3608 in November 1980 through November 1981, the 8081 renumbered to UP 3590.  This information comes from Utah Rails and their great website.

Behind the 8081 was SD40-2M 8096, from the same group.  It was later renumbered to 3605.

06) UP 8096 Argo, WA 5-23-80

That was pretty much all that I saw that day.  Nothing more was photographed before I headed for home.

 

Arizona – Feb 20, 1995

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In February of 1995 I made a second trip to Flagstaff, AZ, the first being February of 1994, both times by flying Alaska airlines into Phoenix, AZ.

Arrival into Phoenix this trip was on Sunday 2-19-95 and then I drove up to Flagstaff for the night.  The next morning, Monday 2-20-95 I was out railfanning the Santa Fe soon after the sun came up.  I drove east from Flagstaff out to the Cosnino area and first train I caught was an eastbound merchandise train at MP 333 behind 913/601/864  (C40-8W/C44-9W/C40-8W) at 0925 AM.

01) ATSF 913 E E. Flagstaff, AZ 2-20-95 MP 333

Next train was a westbound general merchandise led by 660/5437/5856/3831 (C44-9W/SD45u/SD45-2u/GP50) at 11:25 AM, again at MP 333.  Nose door open when it wasn’t really that hot out.

02) ATSF 660 W E. Flagstaff, AZ 2-20-95 MP 333

Here is a roster of the second unit, SD45u 5437

03) ATSF 5437 Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

The 5437 was built as SD45 1806 in 1966, then renumbered to 5509 before being rebuilt to 5437 in 1982.

The next train was identified as the PXKC with 5207/5257/5014/5818/5106/945/694/845  (SD40-2/SDF40-2/SD40/SD45-2u/SD40-2/C40-8W/C44-9W/C40-8W)  Too bad I could not get the entire consist in but the curve kind of kept that from happening.  This train was by MP 333 at 11:33 AM.

04) ATSF 5207 E Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

Next was a few rosters as the train passed, first was ATSF 5257, former Amtrak SDP40F 622.

05) ATSF 5257 Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

Then Santa Fe C40-8W 945

06) ATSF 945 Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

At 11:35 AM some westbound lite power passed by.  They were the 2354/2726 headed towards Flagstaff.  GP30u 2726 I roster shot.

07) ATSF 2726 Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

The 2726 was built as GP30 1226 in 1962, later renumbered to 3226.  The 2354 was a GP38u so I think I was happy to go with a photo of the GP30u.

Being as it was around lunchtime it appears I went back to Flagstaff for some fast food.  Seems logical as this set of 10 Warbonnets passed through Flagstaff next led by B40-8W 543.

08) ATSF 543 W Flagstaff, AZ 2-20-95

At 1:11 PM I was at McPhetridge, AZ (MP 336) where local LAZ081 passed under the Route 66 overpass headed east behind GP20u 3010.

09) ATSF 3010 E McPhetridge, AZ 2-20-95 MP 338

Then it was back to MP 333 Cosnino for the rest of the afternoon.  1-197-18 was next at 2:39 pm with 3840/3805/3844  (GP50/GP40X/GP50)

10) ATSF 3840 W Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

A roster shot of GP40X 3805.  Santa Fe only purchased 10 GP40X’s  (3800-3809) so it made sense to photograph the 3805.

11) ATSF 3805 Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

The ATSF 7445 West was next at 3:39 PM with autoracks.  7445/5124/5045 (B40-8/SD40-2/SD40-2) leading the way.  Nice, only B40-8 seen all day and it was leading a train!

12) ATSF 7445 W Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

Coming the other way at 3:41 PM was an eastbound autorack train with 3823/3808/9556/4019  (GP50/GP40X/SF30C/GP60)

13) ATSF 3823 E Cosnino, AZ 2-20-95

Getting roster shots of the 3808 or 9556 would have been nice but for some reason, no pics of them.

Then it was back to Flagstaff for the night.  I’d spend a few more days around Cosnino before heading for New Mexico and then on to El Paso, TX for some SP action winding things up Feb. 26 before heading back to Phoenix and the flight home..

Pennsylvania – October 7, 2004

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Back on 10-7-04 a friend and I made an Autumn trip to Pennsylvania landing at Pittsburgh that morning.  After getting the rental car we started east and stopped about 6 miles out of Pittsburgh at Homestead, PA where we found an impressive bridge crossing the Monongahela River between Rankin and Homestead.  This is the CSX (former P&LE RR) bridge that was once double tracked.  In 1968 the bridge was single tracked, note the wide piers the bridge rests upon.

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Copper Basin Railway – 1995

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Back in February 1995 I planned a trip flying into Phoenix, AZ with plans to spend around a week near Flagstaff on the Santa Fe, El Paso, TX on the Southern Pacific and finally a day at Hayden, AZ on the Copper Basin.  Easy to understand the first two but why Hayden you ask?  My goal there was to try and find a GP9, a former Northern Pacific GP9.  The Copper Basin had a GP9 numbered 204 that was ex-BN 1704, built as NP 204.  The 204 was purchased to work the joint NP/UP Camas Prairie lines in Idaho.  Nice CBRY renumbered it back to its original NP number!

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