Western Railroad Discussion > SW-1 delivered to Holcim N. of Ft. Collins today

Continuing from yesterday's post, today in Fort Collins, CO the Great Western Railway shoved the diminutive 1939-vintage originally-FW&D and CB&Q GNAX 1 SW-1 onto a siding off Riverside Ave. to wait for the UP LaSalle-Fort Collins Local to pick it up to go out to the Holcim-LaFarge cement plant loadout.

Photo 1 - Here GWR's OMLX ex-CN ratty GP40-2LW's push the little one into place. The building behind was the power house for UP's roundhouse in Fort Collins, since converted into first a steam laundry, then subdivided and converted to various uses. Now the smokestack is idle except as a support for numerous antennas. I am told the front door of the present Culver's restaurant behind this building was the approximate location of the front door of the roundhouse, which I never saw. Considerable difficulty with heavy buried foundation pieces and old rails and buried steel scrap was encountered when they constructed the Culver's restaurant several years ago.

Photo 2 - The UP Local has grabbed the SW-1 and is pulling it ahead of the cement loads next to Riverside Ave. on its way to the BNSF diamond and Boettcher, where the cement plant loadout is closest to.

Photo 3 - Continuing work to shore up the Poudre River trestle with new steel pilings has come to a halt to let the Local pass, here the SW is reflected in the Placid Cache La Poudre River as it trundles over the trestle. Imagine, this EMC SW-1 was erected in June of 1939, and the first FT's, EMC 103, the "Diesel That Did It", had not even left the plant yet! In 11-39, a full 5 months after this was built, the first EMC FT's left the gates at LaGrange, IL to prove that diesel locomotives had value as road locomotives. 


There's mooore...



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 08:31 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 4 - Crossing State Highway 287 north of Fort Collins, CO on the way to Boettcher. Note the identical GNAX AAR reporting mark on the covered hopper, belonging to Holcim Cement.

Photo 5 - Passing over West County Road 56 near Boettcher, CO that recently received crossing gates, the overhead signal necessary because of a rise in the road just west of the crossing that I am standing in the middle of.

Photo 6 -  After changing directions at the wrong-way switch at Boettcher, the little SW feels the buff force of many horsepower shoving the first cut of loaded cement cars up the steep incline leading to the Holcim Cement Plant loadout.

One mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 07:13 by highgreengraphics.

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Photo 7 - The last photo, of GNAX 1 entering the Holcim Cement Plant grounds, where it won't be seen too much, but hopefully they clean it up a bit. I am going to try to keep tabs on how this unit is doing. Wow, predating the barnstorming EMC FT's by 5 months, it would be a crime for this diminutive SW-1 to ever be scrapped! 

Happy SW-1 railfanning! === === = === JLH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 08:36 by highgreengraphics.

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Nice series!

Cheers,
Jack

Start taking donations to hire someone to get her painted! :)

Nice pics!!

Jim, what is the approximate times the UP got to town and then in the afternoon, left for LaSalle?

Gee, yur gasoline is sure high.

The UP Local was a bit later today, it arrived at about 11:30 am. They were nailed good by the BNSF Dispatchers at the diamond about an hour each direction. I did not note when they departed, but after a meal stop in Fort Collins, that would have been in the 4:00 to 5:00 pm range, and I do not know if they had a dogcatch crew later on or not. I also do not know if the Local hauled out the old EX-GW SW in exchange or not, but if I were Holcim, I would at least hold onto the other one until seeing how this one works, as it is smaller... === === = === JLH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 07:20 by highgreengraphics.

Two things about photo #2:  You can get non-ethanol unleaded gasoline.   Our beloved fearless leaders in Washington State mandated that ALL gasoline contain 10% ethanol.

Second: Your gas is cheap: Today, 7/31, the average price of gasoline in the Tacoma, WA area is $3.179 a gallon.  At 0001 8/1 the price goes up $0.07 a gallon to $3.249 a gallon with the new state gas tax.  Next July they will tack on another $0.05 a gallon.

Great photo set, thank you.

Regards, John

You really think that the cement company will let you paint it?
Notice I said CEMENT company..... the paint job won't last very long.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/15 09:38 by PHall.

Was wondering where that one got to. Have shots of it at Holcim in Portland Co along the ol Tenn Pass ML. Haven't seen it for awhile. My question as to where it went, apparently, has been answered.  Thanks for sharing.  Ben