Nostalgia & History > Cheyenne Signal Sunday w/UP power mix 1971

Signals at the west end of Cheyenne with an eastbound led by SD24 #417, GP30 #734, SD24 #425 and DD35B #? - April 1971.

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That is a classic UP photo. Thanks for posting it Val. I remember when in college in the latter 1960's seeing the SD24's on the Atlantic City ore train to Geneva Steel in Orem, Utah as they maneuvered through Salt Lake City.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

brakeshoe smoke?

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> brakeshoe smoke?


sure looks like it ....

Classic photo of a loaded reefer train, likely loaded with lettuce out of California's Salinas Valley. Note all the different colors and shapes of the reefer cars - a great color photo example for modelers...

Do you suppose, this is where the UP got their Sea Foam Green paint scheme, from the WP? Or was it the other way around. (The signals)


Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
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> Do you suppose, this is where the UP got their Sea
> Foam Green paint scheme, from the WP? Or was it
> the other way around. (The signals)
>
>
> Nudge

WP used Turquoise on it's signals.

Bob3985 Wrote:
> That is a classic UP photo...

Absolutely!! It makes me feel like we should be able to step out and shoot a scene like that today!
Gorgeous slice of RR history.

Lance

billmeeker Wrote:
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> Classic photo of a loaded reefer train, likely
> loaded with lettuce out of California's Salinas
> Valley.

I think it's a PNF (Pocatello - Nampa Fruit). Potatoes were strong in April, and the PNF was due into Cheyenne in the morning. The power is more consistent with a PNW train than an Ogden train. It was a little too early in the year for lettuce from Salinas, in fact overall California volume was pretty low in April. That would change big-time in May and subsequent months.

Those SD24s would soon be off the hot trains and relegated to coal trains and other drags.

Best regards,

Rob L.

If the train was from Salinas it would have been solid PFE reefers with maybe a couple of TOFC cars with PFE trailers on them.

santafe199 Wrote:
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> Bob3985 Wrote:
> > That is a classic UP photo...
>
> Absolutely!! It makes me feel like we should be
> able to step out and shoot a scene like that
> today!
> Gorgeous slice of RR history.
>
> Lance

Second both motions. Terrific image. Appreciate also, as always, the comments on the traffic.

MC
Columbia, Missouri

Great shot, Vince! Thanks for posting a blast from the past...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Any idea what the light colored roofs further back in the train would be? First thought was wood chips but that doesn't match reefer loads on a hot trains, or going east into Wyoming.

Great thread, interesting to see the variations in weathering. I guess all those wood be ice reefers?

TCnR Wrote:
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> Any idea what the light colored roofs further back
> in the train would be? First thought was wood
> chips but that doesn't match reefer loads on a hot
> trains, or going east into Wyoming.

The newer PFE mechanical reefers had white roofs, and these are quite possibly some of those. I like the fact that there were still block occupancy indicators being used. UP's green on signals and bridges and m-o-w equipment was nicknamed Kenenfick Green and as mentioned previously was not the same color WP used on their signal masts.

KC

A great shot from one of my favorite cities!

An awesome view.
JB

Absolutely the best looking unit train, and powered the way we wish power was today.
Brian Stevens

> I think it's a PNF (Pocatello - Nampa Fruit).
> Potatoes were strong in April, and the PNF was due
> into Cheyenne in the morning.

Rob,

As I recall, you had mentioned here in the past that FGEX cars were most often seen on trains originating on the WP - it appears that many of the cars in the view are FGE's. I wonder if this could be a CN-WP type train that was put together in Salt Lake City? That set of power would have been common in/around SLC and on LA&SL trains at that time also, correct?

The green that you see on the signals was their standard color at that time for signals & most other metal structures, including bridges. It was also applied to UP's MOW-assigned rolling stock starting around that same time. As far as I know it had no relation to WP's green.

Take care,

Mark

mamfahr Wrote:
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>
> As I recall, you had mentioned here in the past
> that FGEX cars were most often seen on trains
> originating on the WP - it appears that many of
> the cars in the view are FGE's.

I see only three. The first car is a PFE icer. Many PFE mechanicals are further back in the train. PFE routinely supplemented its remaining icer fleet with other icers. I could be wrong, but my money is still on this being a PNF.

> I wonder if this
> could be a CN-WP type train that was put together
> in Salt Lake City?

I am not sure, but I think by 1971 the days of perishables handled on the CN were over.

I don't think it's likely that in 1971 a WPX and a CN would be consolidated, that would be a really big a train. Also, in April there would be little perishable coming off the WP. This train would seem to have way too much.

> That set of power would have
> been common in/around SLC and on LA&SL trains at
> that time also, correct?

1971 was getting pretty late for SD24s on the LA&SL. I suppose some were still there, but not like earlier years when they were dominant down there.

Best regards,

Rob

Hey Vince, a classic shot of the UP in the era that I love to model. Classic power, mixed cars (old and newer reefers)and a caboose. Thanks for posting

Larry