Once again, I can't stick with just one project at a time, so I decided to pick up 2 sets of 3d printed E2 shells. I know SF-1 went to SP, numbered 6011 and later 6017 (never seen pictures of it when it was pre-rebuild #6017) slightly before it was rebuilt into an E7, but what happened to CNW 5003A? I've never seen any photos of it in any of the various books I own, do any of you know of any books/online archives that might have pictures?
SP 6011 wore some rather monstrous number boards. About all I can tell you on the CNW unit is it was the only one of the early 201-A engine 1800 horse units bodied by EMC that didn't become an E-8m in 1952-53. That, and the CNW had four other E-2-a locomotives. They were a little different though...
It definitely was repainted in C&NW yellow and green. There's a black and white photo of it in Patrick Dorin's Chicago & North Western Power (c. 1972) on page 128 as taken by Fred Ziebe.
I did read where 5003A was scrapped in 1953 after it was destroyed in a head-on collision in Wisconsin. Doug
Thanks, I'll look for a copy of it. I read a bit of it's history, but even if it's black and white, just seeking reference. What sort of trains do you suppose it pulled?
I asked some friends knowledgeable in C&NW and none seems to know. The C&NW continued to operate a lot of passenger trains at the time, so I'm guessing it could have worked most anywhere. I'm looking at my 1954 Official Guide (as close as I can get to the unit's demise in 1953 per @Doug Gosha 's post) and am astonished at the number of passenger trains and the many lines served.
I think it's true that passenger service was still pretty active on many railroads in the early to mid fifties and then the big decline was in the late fifties/early sixties for many roads outside the really big cities. Does that sound like a fairly accurate historical account? I know it was true around these parts. Doug