Nostalgia & History > SS: 6 SW1's

1. AMTK/Washington Terminal 738 @ Washington, DC 6/12/88 by Alan Miller
2. C&EI 99 ... by Ed Spitzer Dolton, IL circa 1959
3. Great Western 61 @ Longmont, CO 11/12/70 my shot
three more to follow



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 13:57 by valmont.

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4. RI 4801 no info
5. SP 1010 by Alan Miller?
6. WP 503 no info



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 09:17 by valmont.

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#5 may be at SP's 8th St team tracks or somewhere in that L.A. vicinity off Alameda so. of LAUPT.

There was one of those natural gas tanks in the background in that area.

On #1   AMT/WT 738 seems to have had it's center widows replaced with some off the shelf glass that was available. Anyone think of what that glass was originally intended for? Also on #6. What was that WP gondola #5001 with the home made lid lettered "Keep California Green" used for? The devils in the details and I love to look at all the details!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 09:57 by perklocal.

Woodchips.

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

Yes, as noted the WP gon was used for woodchips.  Some later received modifications and insultation and were used to haul alfalfa.  I have also heard they were used for sugar beets from time to time.

One of these cars (minus the wood chip rack) survives at the WP Museum in Portola.

Love the details on 503, the bell in particular.  And the funny stack wrap / extension.  Interestingly, 503 is the only one of WP's 3 SW1s to be scrapped.  501 and 502 were later sold to the Sacramento Northern.  WP 501 is in running or near running condition at Portola, 502 / SN 402 is in running condition at CSRM in Sacramento.

Z

#6 is in Sacramento, on the North side of the Jeffrey Shops. Maybe a Mel Lawrence photo.
valmont Wrote:
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> 4. RI 4801 no info
> 5. SP 1010 by Alan Miller?
> 6. WP 503 no info

Quite Correct; SP 1010 is at 8th and Alameda, the former PE express yard, still very busy through the seventies. Note all the PE accourtiments for service
on the West Side PE lines; interurban air whistle on cab, exhaust muffler, safety slogans, and class lights still in use! Great catch!   Cheers, Fergie

Judging by the commuter car in the background, the Rock Island #4801 might be in Chicago or Blue Island.......

groundrelay Wrote:
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> Quite Correct; SP 1010 is at 8th and Alameda, the
> former PE express yard, still very busy through
> the seventies. Note all the PE accourtiments for
> service
> on the West Side PE lines; interurban air whistle
> on cab, exhaust muffler, safety slogans, and class
> lights still in use! Great catch!   Cheers,
> Fergie

The end handrails have been replaced with some homemade ones that look more Alco then EMD!

And here's why SP 1010 had the "optional extras":  I caught it working the former PE Santa Monica Blvd. track one night around 1967.  Up until 1958, the City of Los Angeles would not allow non-electric motive power on the PE remnant in Hollywood.  PE had to keep two of their home-brew freight motors in service after all the others had gone to the boneyard in compliance with this restriction.  LA finally allowed diesels after PE agreed to equip them with air whistles and exhaust mufflers.  This allow PE to retire 1622, which was scrapped, and 1624, which was preserved and now runs on special occasions at Orange Empire.

1)  1010 as the Midnight Switcher.

2)  Its predecessor, PE 1624, during PE weekend at OERM 2010.

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DNRY,  Thanks for all of your Southern California postings!  I too grew up in Southern California at the same time you did and for some reason never
ran into you at Orange Empire before leaving for the military and Nor Cal.  Ira Swett stated that it was the City of Beverly Hills that forbid the operation
of diesel locomotives on the West Hollywood-Santa Monica Blvd line; something about not wanting the noise of diesel trains bothering the genteel ears
of the city's residents by the midnight switch crews.  Someone at Espee came up with the idea of air whistles and mufflers, demonstrated the locomotive
to the city officials, and soon the electric switch motors were gone! It became a treat when after going to a movie with my Dad in Culver City, going over
to Culver Jct to witness the return of the West Hollywood Local as it passed through the "forest" of wig-wags at Venice Blvd with locomotive bell ringing
and the melodious air whistle generously being blown by the engineer!    Cheers, Fergie  

It appears that the Amtrak SW-1 center windows are the same as the outer windows but rotated. Sure looks weird!
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