This shot was taken when the WP U23B's were newly delivered from GE in November 1972. It was on the local out of Stockton to Modesto. Since there was no turning facilities, it would run down the Tidewater Southern backwards. Notice the EMD trucks under this unit? Some F unit gave up theirs in a trade in. The engine and track are now gone. The engine fared a little better, since GE rebuilt it into a Super 7 unit. The right of way may become a bike path, or worse another street. Enjoy, Greg Elems
It's good to know the engine may still be out there at work. Where might it be today? Those EMD trucks do look a bit out of place. Sad to know that yet another piece of once tax paying property, will now become a new bottomless pit of tax revenue consumption. Boxcab E50 [ 27. April 2003, 01:18: Message edited by: BoxcabE50 ]
Greg, Great picture, the EMD trucks makes me wonder who had that idea? Must have been someones bad dream. My book on these and other WP locomotivies is over 20 years old now, but as of the print date of May 1982, the 2252 was still on the books. I was built 5/25/72 and the serial was 38398. I will email my source and find out if he knows what happened to the locomotive. Keep the great WP pics comming. Shannon WP LIVES
UP retired those engines and returned them to GE at the expiration of their lease. GE then rebuilt them into Super 7 series engines and sold them to the Monongahela Railroad. IIRC some 7 or so years ago, they were merged into another eastern road. Not sure if it was CR or CSXT. Either way, they engines were returned to GE, and from there I don't know who ended up with them. It would be interesting to see where they are today. I do know, they don't look like they did on the WP. Greg Elems
My understanding of the EMD trucks is that WP wanted to minimize it's parts inventory and stanardize it's maintance procedures. Putting the EMD trucks on the GE's was one way of doing this. Dave Fowler
Parts inventory and trade in credit. Supposedly the crews didn't like the ride of the GE trucks under the demonstrators, although the EMD trucks were rough riding under the GE's. Especially the U30B's. Greg Elems
This shot was taken a few 100 feet west of the U23B picture but in January 1980. This was the engine that ran the Tidewater Southern for the most part of the WP's last years. As much as I got tired of this engine, I sure do miss it. Fortunately we have WP 2001 at Portola. Greg Elems
Two questions- Where was the color view (previous post) taken? Am trying to recall some WP loco info. Is the 2009 a GP20? Boxcab E50
The color photo was taken in Portola at the museum. It is a U30B, on trade in trucks also. The 2009 is a high hood GP20. WP and GN received the first GP20's and they were the high hood configuration. WP almost got some high hood GP30's too. That is a different story for another thread. Greg Elems
