6466 is ex-CB&Q (#525 to be specific). As for what happened there, it's only speculation. Could've been possible that it sideswiped something and the cab took most of the force.
The CZ passing through the hills of Altamont, CA, February 1970 (Thomas G. Acheson) Sierra Railroad 28 leading an excursion through Keystone, CA, May 19, 1973 (Thomas G. Acheson)
That CZ says February, but the hazy appearance in background looks like fire smoke. Those cars behind the Sierra lokey are BSB. Were they ever actually GN owned?
I don't believe they were. It looks like a twin-unit diner, a type that I don't think was ever used by the GN. The pair looks similar to a type used by the NYC and PRR, but I don't know their heritage for certain. As far as I can tell, they were painted BSB by whoever owned them at the time. With little bit more digging, it seems that it's a former Union Pacific twin-unit diner built by AC&F, my guess is that its 5112/5113. They were owned by Great Western Tours in the 1970s, so I'd guess that is who the owner was at the time of the photo.
The weather flattened, chalky look to the blue on those cars is perfect for GN memories. Being non-GN cars, repainted, that owner accidentally did a nice job of matching the effects of time.
I found a 1980 photo of 6466 and it got a new cab. Off roster in 1984, so it still had some life in it to make it worth repairing.
N&W C425 1014, Crewe, VA (Warren Calloway) A California Western doubleheader, Willits, CA, June 22, 1974 (Thomas G. Acheson)
California Western 2-8-2 45, Ft. Bragg, CA, June 22, 1974 (Thomas G. Acheson) (I will say, the CW had some imaginative color schemes for their steam locos.) Western Pacific U30B 3070, 1973 (Bob Jordan)
Santa Fe U25B 6610, Chillicothe, IL, June 24, 1972 (Carl F. Nelson) An excursion on the McCloud River, headed by #25, rolling through Pierce, CA, September 1969 (Thomas G. Acheson)
California Western 46 smoking it up with heading a freight at Milepost 32, June 11, 1972 (Thomas G. Acheson) CW 45 going solo (see earlier photo featuring both 45 and 46 from the same day) near Milepost 14, June 22, 1974 (Thomas G. Acheson)
The Canadian & Nashville, March 1977 (I know very little about the circumstances of this photo other than that I assume is that the CN power must have been leased.) (John Eagan, Jr.) The Baltimore Maryland (The quality is kinda bad on this one, but I thought the loco consist makes up for it), Seville, OH, September 5, 1976 (????)
Yes, the L&N did lease CN power in the latter '70s. Nice shot. I recall seeing numerous CN units in Knoxville, TN at the time. The photographer John Eagan, Jr. owns Hoosier Hobbies in Dyer, IN and is the author of a series of books on the EJ&E.
Exactly. CN had some extra power and L&N needed it. I remember that L&N wrecked quite a few CN locos too. Back in the 60s, CN had an exchange agreement with roads like DM&IR, B&LE, and some of the other steel roads. A slowdown of traffic for one usually coincided with a power shortage in the other. The rate was $100 per day per engine. So you could see some Missabe or Bessemer engines, such as SD9s, on CN rails, and a few months later, CN power on the American roads. That's great for modeling because you can have some variety and it's prototype.
Something I would love to see is this- The NYC leased old Northern Pacific FT sets, about 1966. I should have a couple of such train orders in my collection. But, photos, anyone? Have never seen any!
Yer wish is my command, O Boxy One: DMIR_Toronto_1965a by Mike VE2TRV posted Jul 26, 2017 at 9:36 PM BLE_F7_Edmonton_1967a by Mike VE2TRV posted Jul 26, 2017 at 9:34 PM A couple of Missabe SD9s at Toronto in 1965, and a Bessemer F7A very far from home at Edmonton's Calder Yard in 1967. One could also see the occasional Wabash, N&W, and Ontario Northland plying CN rails.
I'd quite like to see that too! With such a unique move, I would hope that someone out there would've recorded it for posterity.
