Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Motorcar 2503, Bloomington, IL, November 6, 1955 (Photographer unknown) Indiana Northern 0-4-0 4, Pacific, MO, December 26, 1955 (Photographer unknown)
Milwaukee Road 4-4-2 2, Milwaukee, WI, June 1941 (Ralph H. Payne) Milwaukee Road EP-3 E10, Possibly at Seattle, 1940s (Photographer unknown)
I'm thinkin' the E10 is at Butte, Mt. They never ran these on the Coast Division that I know of, that was the Bi-poler's domain.
Milwaukee Road EP-3 E18, Butte, MT, 1940s (Photographer unknown) Milwaukee Road EF-3 E29B, 1940s (Photographer unknown)
Man oh man, the shots of the MILW electrics are knockouts! Just love all of that fascinating detail, including the wonderful truck complexity on display (cast sideframes, springs, hangers, bearings and brake rigging), rooftop gear and even steam locomotive-type pilots (on the EF3s) and big ol' headlights. Just so super cool. I'll bet these sounded as awesome as they looked.
I agree those MILW electrics are awe-inspiring. I love the detail on the truck sideframes. The intricate network of rods, springs, plates, etc. is fascinating. All that makes them look even bigger.
Number Two, you seven foot drivered, 300 psi boilered little ALCO you, I know this pic of you is kind of overexposed. But after seeing all this gushing over all these admittedly rare pics of great, growling ugly boxes, I just had to give you some love.
I am also thinking Butte. These did make a very rare appearances on the Coast, when they came to Tacoma for work, or were trying them out in service. But by this date, I don't remember any references to such trips. I do have at least one train order showing an EP3 in the Cascade Mountains. Somewhere I have notes from a conversation with Noel Holley naming several others.
Not much sound at all. Aside from flange noise on rails, you could hear the traction motor blowers, the compressor kick on, a few odds and ends of creaks and grinds. The gearing would make a Rurrr, rurr, rurr sound as they moved along. When a pantograph was raised a very slight hiss as the cylinder pushed it up, to slap against the trolley wire. The quiet one was a Bipolar. Lacking any gearing, they could really sneak up on a person. I well remember this from when I saw a couple as a boy.
The bells on them really got a good work out from from warning people trackside it was rolling thru-virtually noise-less!
My memory is hazy after nearly 40 years since I last saw a GG-1, but I seem to recall that you could hear and feel a deep bass as they passed by. When my mother and I rode the Broadway from Trenton, NJ west to Chicago in '71, I remember feeling the G's presence with a vibration in my feet as a pair rolled past to a stop.
Milwaukee Road Motorcar 5901, Great Falls, MT, August 8, 1949 (Ralph H. Payne) Milwaukee Road EP-2 Bipolar 10251, 1930s (Photographer unknown)