Nostalgia & History > Western Pacific SW1500 1503

As I posted on the Western Board the other day, the Feather River Rail Society is holding its Spring Fundraising Drive. Funds received will benefit work at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum and the FRRS Archives.

One of the projects to benefit from the fundraiser is the painting of Western Pacific SW1500 1503, the last switcher acquired by the WP. She was built in May of 1973 at a cost of $207,134 as part of an order of 3 locomotives numbered 1501-1503. The 1503 could usually be found throughout the 1970s and 80s working the industrial areas of San Francisco, which was served by WP's carferry "Las Plumas" that moved WP rail shipments across San Francisco bay between Oakland and "The City". 1503 Could often be found loading and unloading the Las Plumas in San Francisco.

I received several comments from folks wanting to see more photos of the 1503, so here they are. I felt it was more appropriate to shift them to the Nostalgia page.

If you would like to help keep the WP and the 1503 alive, you can donate through PayPal online at: http://donate.WPLives.org


Thank you!

Eugene Vicknair
FRRS

(Donations can also be mailed to:
FRRS 2014 Fundraiser
P O Box 608
Portola, CA 96122)

Photos:
1 - James Herold caught 1503 in the WP's Oakland Yard along Middle Harbor Road. It is early 1975 and she is less than 2 years out of EMD.
2 - Almost 6 years later, 1503 makes a visit to Stockton and finds herself surrounded by U23Bs. John Brenner snapped this shot with just a bit over 1 year to go before the merger.
3 - FRRS member Bob Sims captured 1503, now disguised as Union Pacific 1042, as work was being done to get her running again. Next track over, wearing her original WP black scheme, is WP SW1 501, the first diesel and first diesel switcher on the WP. As 1503 was the last, we get the alpha and omega of WP diesel switcher history. 34 years of diesel locomotive evolution separate the two.

---

---

---

Here's brand new 1501 at Congress Park, IL waiting to be picked up, along with 1502-3, for delivery to the WP. 6/1/73. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to shoot all three of them.

---