Can anyone tell me what engines ran in the Minneapolis to Seattle areas from the merger to the early 80's. I am trying to configure a Fallen Flags layout to the 80's (including NP, GN, SP&S and CB&Q). I think it would be interesting to have a multiple RR consist with different colored engines. It is my understanding that many engines were more regional. Any help would be great. Eric
Transcontinental main line power? Or branches as well? Much of the time, power tended to stay where it had been, just renumbered and then repainted. Main line would have been mostly EMD and GE, with now and then an ALCo straying out. They just continued using much the same units as pre-merger. Quite a rainbow for a while. Otherwise non-EMD or non-GE power tended to be clustered.
High line was sd40's on freight, sd45 and f45 on grain. This was the standard but their was a varience to that every day. Stuff like a U33c leading a fast freight (#110).
Also U23C, U25B/C, U28B/C, U30C aplenty in the early half of the 1970's- Seems like those wandered everywhere for a while. Often Geeps on locals across the High Line and branches. An occasional GP40 off the ex-CB&Q. Am trying to recall SD7/9 presence. Am sure I saw a few of those. It's only been 40+ years now. In addition to those from GN, new F45 which had been on order pre-merger showed up in fresh green summer of 1970 as did the new SD45 series which NP had on order from 1969. After the ex-Q SD40 engines, their first new SD40 units started showing up toward the end of 1971. Can't remember when their first new SD40-2 batches started showing up, but do recall there was quite a batch that hit, about 1975 or 1976. As far as colors go, it had to be the most interesting merger which ever came about.
All of BN's ALCos were based out of Interbay (Seattle). They roamed all around the Pacific Northwest, as far south as California. As for how far east they went, I'm not to positive, but I don't believe that they went any further then Spokane. Dan
In railroading, we'd never say "never." As I noted earlier, a few of the ALCo units did stray east of Spokane.
a few did, but BN wanted to keep them near Interbay as the SP&S was Alco heavy, so their shop forces knew how to maintain them.
I am fairly certain they did not move everything to Seattle. Those old SP&S facilities were home to the last operating BN ALCo power I ever saw. Which was a C415 and either a C424 or C425. I'd need to dig out the slides for a date.
Considering the concentration of ALCo power on the SP&S, moving it to Seattle does not seem to add up well. I do not remember it that way. Interbay was pretty heavily EMD by the merger and if I recall what I saw, some GN ALCo power started to be traded in before the merger. They had new engines coming such as F45 and SD40. Of course this is over forty years ago, and between those who were not around then and us old farts with memories fading.... For those who were not around back then- Be really careful when placing full reliance upon books, magazines and so on. You can find errors. Wild, digressing example- There was a recent article on the Seattle & North Coast RR which even claimed to have quoted my research work, yet they'd never even been in contact with me! That article is almost completely a fabrication! But now that it is out, people quote it as factual when seeking to support their side of a discussion. And my name being attached will forever be an embarrassment placed upon me by someone else. :tb-mad: