Western Railroad Discussion > SLG&W Alco Down UP Coast Line

Caught on today's UP symbol QRVDO on the Coast Sub was Salt Lake, Garfield & Western D.S. 4, an Alco S6, right behind the road power of UP4351-UP1006-UP9379-UP9139. My research shows it to be built as SP1040, b/n 81290, b/d 5/55, renumbered SP1207. Unknown if sold directly to SLG&W-any help from our diesel historians out there would be appreciated. Unit also has reporting marks of SLEX1040, with UP trace showing destination of Santa Paula, CA, site of the Fillmore & Western. Shown below at College Park(San Jose) at about 17:00 tonight in very low light after sunset.

Roller or friction?

Gotta be roller bearings. UP won't transport anything with friction bearings. That's why the Quincy RR loco that belongs to the FRRS can't get towed the 30 miles to Portola.

LarryB @ mp308, UP Canyon Sub

Dan Wilkinson, owner of the Alco, went to Salt Lake City and swapped roller-bearing trucks for the friction trucks. Once on the Fillmore & Western, which is owned by Dan's brother Dave Wilkinson, the Alco will get its original trucks back.

Tony Johnson

As of 12:00 noon today's date, the subject Alco was at Dolores Yard (DO) in Carson and is coupled up to CEFX 3133 (an ex SP SD45).

In addition, the four EMD demos on loan to the PHL are in a consist just behind the Alco. Could be preparing for a trip home maybe?

The Alco's cab was filled with cardboard boxes (spare parts perhaps) and the exhaust stack was covered over with a plastic trash can for protection.

It's a sight to see and is well worth a trip to "DO" if your in the area. . .

Thanks for solving a mystery for me. About a week and a half ago I saw this unit passing through Elko, NV. It was about three cars from the end of an extremely long westbound freight. I posted something on this board about the unit, but nobody knew for sure what it was. Recognized the paint scheme as SLG&W.

Is the SLG&W still in buisness, and if so, what are they using for power now?

JDLX
Elko, NV

I believe the SLG&W is still in business. Dan Wilkinson told me what other power he saw there but I don't remember. I'll probably see Dan tomorrow and will ask him, although I suspect someone reading this knows what the SLG&W uses now.

Just last week Dan moved his two Santa Fe cabooses and SP flatcar from Yreka on the Yreka Western, to CORP for movement north to Medford, OR. We then rode his cabooses from Medford to our new storage are in nearby White City. Riding a Santa Fe caboose on CORP's former SP Siskiyou Line and being interchanged at White City by White City Terminal Railway's ex-SP 70-tonner #5117 makes you scratch your head a bit.

Tony Johnson