Nostalgia & History > "Days of Future Past" - Santa Fe's First "Hot Rods" - T

In a photo where they were a year old to the month, a quartet of Santa Fe's GP-40X's spirit a "First Wilmington Turn", past the "One Mile To R.R. Xing" sign at Lairport (El Segundo, CA.).

Looking back, it was a tad unusual to see these units in a service they were (then) unaccustomed to, that of hauling a manifest train. Seventy M.P.H. "Shooters" were more the order of the day.

So, irony of ironies, fast forward to today - look what they're doing for current owner BNSF......

Just "shows to go 'ya".

Thanks for being here,

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

---

Wow, I have to try real hard to recognize that location - no Northrup Grumman parking lot, no fence. The house across the street is still there, but I think it's more green than yellow today. I'll be that power must have sounded good heading up Monaco Hill.

All By CP Tony's ! (well, almost)

- Kit

Awesome! The GP40X remains my all-time favorite EMD 4-axle road unit! In their younger days, the ATSF GP40Xs also worked the York Canyon Coal trains. My friend Eric has some pix of eight ATSF GP40Xs working the York Canyon just west of Cajon Summit.

Cheers,
Harry

good stuff from a place I used to plane foam all of the time - well not this early in the ATSF GP40X lives seeing I was just two months away from being born! I believe your shot is looking north with the airport to the left and inbound landing glidepath to the right - correct? Too bad a heavy or even a 727 or something suitable for the end of the airliner 70's era wasn't landing overhead at the time of your shot...

ATSF100WEST Wrote:

> Looking back, it was a tad unusual to see these
> units in a service they were (then) unaccustomed
> to, that of hauling a manifest train. Seventy
> M.P.H. "Shooters" were more the order of the day.

The 40X's were also tried on the York Canyon-Fontana coal trains. Could these units be getting in a local turn between coal hauls?

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> The 40X's were also tried on the York
> Canyon-Fontana coal trains. Could these units be
> getting in a local turn between coal hauls?
>

Uhhh.. that's precisely what I wrote above Evan!! Guess no one reads my posts! =)

Cheers,
Harry

Sorry about that, Harry. Somehow I missed it.

I've always been partial to GP40X's too. I know they get in the way for folks who have to work with them, but there is something appealing about flared radiators.

Evan, hoping he didn't subliminally read *that* comment somewhere a few minutes ago...

If you look at the left edge of the image, even with the train, you'll see some trees. That is where the 105 Freeway is today (at Imperial Highway), and the main runways are about a quarter mile beyond those trees.

About 15 or so cars into the train (about where the Center Flow Hoppers are visible), is a wig-wag, that protected one of the crossings for an industrial parking lot. Wish I had the foresight to have worked it into the image. Call it the "learning curve".

Yes, it is entirely possible that the power was running a "quick turn" from San Berdoo, while the "YK" unloaded at Kaiser.

Thanks one and all for the kind words.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Bunch of us dating ourselves admitting to remembering standing on the RR r-o-w watching the planes land at LAX. That was a pretty interesting experience too. Or if you really want to date yourself how about the old Shelby plant cranking out the various Shelby Fords on the south side of the airport.

I've always liked the GP40X as well. I caught a shot of a Santa Fe GP40X #3805 leading the San Jac back in August 1997. Fellow EMD GP60 #4039 already pulling "branch line duty" right behind it.

Thanks for sharing,
Tim

---

Where is the picture?