Western Railroad Discussion > Colorful Rail America lineup in Centralia WA

I ran across this gathering of power sitting on a track near Blakeslee Junction.

I'm guessing PSAP 3877 is a former NS Unit, is that correct?

Other members of this group were PSAP 3802 in what looks to be California Northern colors, or is this just a common Rail America scheme?

CORP 3832

HATX 520 in a Purple and Blue paint. What's the history on this one?

HATX 801 and 800. Photo to follow. What's their history.

The track these units were sitting on, just west of Blakeslee Junction, show as abandoned on my Street Atlas map. It runs all the way to Saginaw. Is any of it active now under PSAP? Can someone give me a brief history on the line?

Thanks

Steve Carter
MSVRR

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Here's a shot of HATX 800.

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Its official. Shortlines are now just as ugly as the Class 1s!

--jag

DelMonteX Wrote:
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> HATX 801 and 800. Photo to follow. What's their
> history.

Former Rocky Mountain Railtours units.


TCS - what? no tunnel motor?

DelMonteX Wrote:

> I'm guessing PSAP 3877 is a former NS Unit, is
> that correct?

Yes, originally Southern 2817.

> Other members of this group were PSAP 3802 in what
> looks to be California Northern colors, or is this
> just a common Rail America scheme?

It was the scheme of the Park Sierra Rail Group, which owned PS&P, Arizona & California, and California Northern. Park Sierra sold out to RailAmerica a few years ago.

As was correctly stated in the previous post the green and white colors were from when PSAP was owned by parent company Park Sierra Rail group, which also owned California Northern and Arizona & California, which all shared the same colors. Originally the PSAP started with a GP30, a 38 or 38-2, and 4 GP10's, all in the sharp green, white and yellow. Then they picked up a couple of switchers, then there were a couple of MRL geeps, then some big power.

PSAP has experienced so much growth lately, that they have picked up leasor units left and right, and since the sale to Rail America, thankfully have not repainted any more into the red silver and blue.

Its a all geep show for PSAP now, as they have moved off property the ex-SP tunnel motors and the Utah Railway SD50 they had for a couple of years.

The line from Blakesee that you are talking about is the "Raisch line" which is the original UP line that ran to Cosmopolis on Grays Harbor. The line was abandoned just past the industrial spur at Raisch in 1985. The line now extends a mile or so past to the industrial park. PSAP uses that to block and store cars for the BN, as most of the time the 3 interchange tracks at Lakeside are all plugged up.

Robert Scott
FoamersNW.Org
Rochester, WA