September 2, 2007 in San Antonio. Harold Schroeder's car repair shop was evicted from the old Southern Pacific shops in San Antonio. He was leasing them from the UP and doing a lot of work for them as well as private rail car owners. But I guess UP decided they needed a more efficient operation so decided to take over and expand into all the space being used for private varnish. So Harold was parking cars wherever he could find a secure location. Power company sidings are well fenced in so with a little video surveillance he was able to keep the vandal at bay while his employees worked on the cars.
Chargers are new generation diesel electrics. https://www.cnet.com/news/charger-into-the-future-inside-amtraks-new-charger-locomotive/
Functional, I am certain. But sure flunks in the appearance category. With the ongoing service cutbacks, I wonder how many of these they still actually need to purchase?
Two looks at SOU power. The 2677 is a GP-35 at Montgomery, AL in August 1985 and the 3948 is a U-23B at Seneca, SC in November 1989.
Well, now you have jerked my chain. Amtrak, what can we say? Another post stated the "Builder" would be cut from two trains to one. Just in time for tourist season. The article does explain leading edge technology in the "innards", but why can't they do something cool with design. Where is Raymond Loewy when you need him? And the "Builder"? Are current folks aware of "The Empire Builder"? Or even The Great Northern? Amtrak? Some modelers are running great looking stuff with Amtrak markings. I do not criticize them. They do a good job and have fun. The actual trains: Not so much! "But sure flunks in the appearance category". I could not have said it any better. They have a history of mediocrity and downright ugliness. Well run railroads, sharp, crack passenger trains, workers with loyalty and pride in their work. I feel "robbed"! I could rant like this for hours but I will have mercy on the hapless chance reader of this and stop.
At least they didn't paint waves on the sides (although that scheme is ugly). Some of the light rail trains in the Twin Cities look like they turned a bunch of kindergarteners loose on painting them and this is NOT meant to be a criticism of kindergarteners. Doug
Another couple of SOU units, GP-38 2804 and GP-30 2609, both taken the same day in March 1986 at Prattville, AL.
I doubt it. Stuffed and mounted on a short piece of track with the caboose. Notice that the cab has no doors or glazing and there is no head light or bell cord.
I was sorting through my roster slides this afternoon and stumbled upon one "new" Pickens image I'd forgotten about, taken 03/21/2006 of their U-18B 9503 in the drizzle at Belton, SC.
Every time I see a U18B, I see an advertisement in a model RR magazine many years ago for a model of the U18B, entitled "Baby U-Boat or Pocket Battleship". I'm a nerd.... That's a distinctive scheme, and bold! Love that orange.
I love the U18 Baby Boats as well. The SCL bought just over 100 of 'em; these were both taken in the spring of 1990 in Montgomery, AL.
A look at three SBD units, all captured in Montgomery, AL. The 8051 is an SD-40-2 and looks regal in her fresh French Gray paint [April 1985] as does MP-15T 1221 [April 1987]. Amidst a collection of Family Lines geeps, the 5776 is a U36-B. [April 1986].
Our hometown, Alliance, Ohio, is at the intersection of Norfolk Southern's east-west, and north-south lines in our part of the state. As a result, we see, and hear, trains somewhere between regularly and constantly. The most common are the intermodal consists. Last Friday (June 19, 2020) my wife and I stopped at a crossing just as the gates came down. I wasn't quite fast enough to catch the head end (sorry), but recorded the rest of what is (for us) a fairly short train. But, since I know a lot of folks are modelling these intermodal consists with deep-well cars, I thought I'd record it, and post it for anyone that might not see these every day like we do.
Worn SCL paint is revealing this GP-40's SAL heritage. The SAL owned 51 GP-40s, renumbered under SCL and renumbered again under CSX! [August 1989 - Montgomery, AL]
I wasn't sure what to make of it when it was new, but time has made me a fan of it too. Their new "Dark Future" blue seems to suck every available photon of light from a shot and its color often registers oddly with my camera.
