Western Railroad Discussion > SP-10 is tied down!

The odyssey is over. (Sighs of relief all around.)

SP-10, Southern Pacific's only Budd Rail Diesel Car, tied down in Woodland, California inside the property of the Sierra Northern at 4:50PM Pacific Standard Time. It left museum grounds in Galveston, Texas -- its location for 38 years -- on November 16, and reached its temporary home of Woodland, California in the Sacramento region today. Many thanks to BNSF, Union Pacific, and Sierra Northern for their gracious considerations and careful handling of this rarest of one-car streamliners!

Scott Inman and Mark Brown, two principals in the move, were out today under threatening and occasionally drizzly skies to record the last lap to base camp. SP-10 will be secured, stabilized, and inventoried while in Woodland, and work will commence there to restore for non-operational display. The eventual destination is the planned Southern Pacific Railroad History Center, to be built in Rocklin, California northeast of Sacramento.

Enjoy the images!

~ Bob Zenk

1.) and 2.) SP-10 aboard XTTX 146298 and under the command of SERA 47 crosses the Elkhorn Trestle on the old Sacramento Northern Elkhorn Branch alignment. Scott Inman photos.

3.) SP-10 passes Birch. Mark Brown photo.

 

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4.) Passing a very fitting billboard in Woodland! Scott Inman photo.

5.) SP-10 enters the SERA destination grounds. Scott Inman photo.

 

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And a couple rather immersive and spectacular videos on the Elkhorn Trestle by Mark Brown, to wrap up the installment! What a sight for eager, worried eyes!

When everyone catches their breath (and after the cranes lower SP-10 to SERA rails, of course) we'll have a chance to assess the artifact in more detail, and will undoubtedly have more to share. Thanks to all the followers on TO!

​~ Bob Zenk

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Are they planning just a cosmetic restoration are full restoration? A full one would be cool.

Posted from Android

Full visual. Static indoor "star attraction" display. Too much damage from floodwaters and corrosion to make a running restoration practical, but the car is intact and will make a beautiful, protected display piece.

And yes, if you noticed a drooping engine cover, you've spotted correctly. Somewhere during the transit of most of the Southwest, one of SP-10's engine shrouds gave up its aft attachment point. We think it was a combination of corrosion and perhaps some nudging by one of the tiedown chains. The load was inspected several times during handoffs, and the part was never in danger of departing the flatcar.

The fact that the car made the journey without disturbance -- with this one minor deviation -- is truly remarkable, and kudos to the railroads for keeping our intact artifact intact!

~ BZ



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/16 18:42 by Notch16.

Without ferreting through older threads.....When was the last time SP-10 ran under its own power?  Last time it ran in revenue service for SP and otherwise?  sphogger 

 

FRIGGIN AWESOME

upheritage6 Wrote:
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> Are they planning just a cosmetic restoration are
> full restoration? A full one would be cool.
>
> Posted from Android

Sure, just provide the money. It won't be cheap!

sphogger Wrote:
> When was the last time SP-10 ran under its own power?

I'm unsure of the date at this moment. It had to be before 2008 and the Galveston flood after Hurricane Ike. One of the transmissions had been damaged in the late 1970s in Oregon excursion service, and while in Galveston one of the motor blocks was damaged by freezing when the coolant was not drained over the winter. 

Last service for SP/NWP was in April of 1971; the Willits to Eureka service which began in late 1959 didn't make the Amtrak cut on May 1. 

~ BZ
 

PHall Wrote:
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> upheritage6 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are they planning just a cosmetic restoration
> are
> > full restoration? A full one would be cool.
> >
> > Posted from Android
>
> Sure, just provide the money. It won't be cheap!

I'm sure that California's notorious graffiti artists will decorate the car for free!

Amazing oddessy, Mr. Zenk!  Thanks for keeping us all posted!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

I'm sure that California's notorious graffiti artists will decorate the car for free!

Do not imagine that, please. Or even utter it? 

~ BZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/16 18:59 by Notch16.

In my teen years I used to ride the NH RDC's to Boston,

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL

They were more plentiful back East than out West, for sure. Wish we had a nearby source of a "parts car" -- but we probably have exhausted our one gratis transcontinental Budd Car move!

~ BZ

35 days in transit is a disgrace but unfortunately is all too typical of contemporary loose carload service.

Best regards,

Rob L.

That SP RBL would make a good addition to the history center.

I count 21 days in transit.

Bring it back on the NWP. The SMART power is already getting crankshaft replacement from Cummins and they haven't turned a revenue mile. Glad to see it back in California.

Love that last video, cool perspective.  Glad to see it made it safe and sound to Woodland.

Nathan

We are too! A rail transit in the neighborhood of 2,000 miles was generously donated to a newly-formed group, albeit with well-vetted individual membership. The amount of time the car spent in transit is pretty much not a factor in the overall picture, and probably should not reflect on projections of average performance for conventional revenue moves by the railroads in question.

The car was protected while in transit, and arrived safely. The three carriers showed an abundance of good will to help this move of a minor historic relic with no real marketable value to any of the carriers, and they did so with amazing fluidity. The car only waited a couple of days at each junction of the journey. When it moved, it moved smartly and according to schedules. 

Everyone is quite happy with the performance by all concerned at BNSF, UP, and SERA, all of whom have protected and facilitated this move. We're grateful. This doesn't happen every day, and we were very, very fortunate.

~ BZ



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/07/16 20:07 by Notch16.