Nostalgia & History > The F was alive...

On August 26 I posted a series of three shots on Donner Pass on the Nostalgia board featuring a "wild-haired" kid. In the third shot showing him watching and F unit helper the question was raised whether or not the unit was dead. I found the prior pix to that shot showing the set with plenty of exhaust.

John Bromley
Omaha, Nebraska

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So the 1973 Amtrak pic was taken at the
Soda Springs xing, and the pics of the F-unit
helpers were taken 1/4 mile (?) east of there--
some years before?

I'm not sure. The reason I made the series was the kid looked like the same one in each shot. When I was in college shooting Fs on Donner I think I shot only color print. When I came back after the Navy in 1968 I had different camera, a Pentax I bought in Hong Kong. Then I was shooting Tri-X in black and white and processing my own film. My negative "files" are, shall we say, less than user friendly.

I recall being surprised that the WP was still running some Fs but I can't remember if all the freight Fs were gone on the SP. They were running red and gray Fs on the Reno Fun Train.

JB

Even a PR's spin can't make us believe that these Fs were shot in 1973 ;>)

No SP freight B-unit made it to 1973.

PS -- However, 3 passenger B-Units survived until August of 1973, but I believe all were painted gray. The last Pacific Line freight B unit was retired at the end of 1969. The last TN&O 3-digit freight B-unit was retired in 1972.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/01/14 15:13 by BCHellman.

Strapac says the 377 was retired in 1970.

Use of Fs as helpers ended in 1970 or so.