Glen Frazer was buzzing with activity today. The local had some MOW cars for the sidings for a tie project going on in the Canyon, and the MOW train power, a GP30, was having traction motor problems, so an extra GP35 was added to the power at Ricmond to be dropped off at the siding. Heres a look down on the special load and one of the tie gons exiting the tunnel.
In this shot the trains lead GP30's ease around the curve past the MOW crane unloading a gon. The troubled GP30 is in the foregound.
Took an ice tea break while they switched the cars out. Tie gons next to the MOW crane, and MOW boxes on the siding.
Once this car is back on the train, the crew will set the GP35 over so the MOW crew can stay busy today.
As the shadows got longer I managed one more shot with the telephoto lens. The train will now be speeding along towards Fresno and the Tehachapi Mountains. Better call Dave and tell him to be on the look-out!
This really is a true story behind this. The deal on the California gensets was they would get the federal energy grant only if the 'trade ins' (the GE 70-tonners) were permanently disabled; i.e. cut a hole right through the block. So probably the only way to save her as a running unit is to get her out of the country! That high cab makes it a dimensional load, so it could get routed just about anywhere, wherever it is headed...but even a railroad museum isn't a safe haven to keep her in one piece. Maybe the time machine of N scale can save her...
Thanks for the call Jerry! I hopped in the trusty railfan mobile and hustled down the valley to Bakersfield on the 99, and then eastbound on 58. I saw the train in the distance from the highway at Sandcut, and figured it would be close catching it at Caliente. I drove the hairpins on Caliente-Bodfish Rd as fast as I could safely, and got set up just in time to catch her rounding the Caliente Horseshoe. Looks like they added a C30-7 for the climb up the Tehachapis:
