Western Railroad Discussion > Need help finding green EMD power in the PNW

OK I need advice here, people of the Great Pacific Northwest / California. I am coming out Saturday for about 10 days, and I would like to run down action involving Cascade Green painted BN units in the original BN scheme, before they are gone completely. Below are links I have seen recently showing examples of not-yet decommissioned units still working. I realize the SD40-2 pool has been relegated to "local" status and de-rated also. Also, some re-numbering into the 1700-1900 has begun.
They are not in the helper pool at Essex Montana anymore, so finding them over the road will be tough. If anyone out there has advice to catch them, I would love to hear it.

I am not up on the mileage a Renton Rocket, or a "Roy Turn" would take, so if you know where they are, I would appreciate the round trip they make and maybe hours they work if you know it. I was also wondering if the Lind Turn out of Spokane might be using EMD power. How about the Kettle Falls trains from Spokane? Or maybe a Sandpoint local?

One note of interest below on these threads is how the BNSF 7034 managed to get loose from Seattle area to Bieber CA now.

Thanks for any help! Paul

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1855877,1856639#msg-1856639

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1972531

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1933300,1942648#msg-1942648

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1971219

Interbay roundhouse, Balmer Yd, and Stacy Yd, the Rocket usually leaves Balmer anytime around noon and works in Renton till 1645 but sometimes they leave Renton earlier depending on how much work they have in Renton.

---

---

---

Are you only looking for SD40-2's? There is still lots of green geeps in the NW.
KEvin

How's this one, the 6370 former C&S

---

There is a limited amount of SD40-2's in Cascade green here but we sure have a good number of GP's and SW's

bnsftrucker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interbay roundhouse, Balmer Yd, and Stacy Yd, the
> Rocket usually leaves Balmer anytime around noon
> and works in Renton till 1645 but sometimes they
> leave Renton earlier depending on how much work
> they have in Renton.

Just a quick question......is the hump still in at Balmer? In the late 60's/70-71 I rode an SD-7 on the hump many a weekend night as well as flat switching at Interbay up by the roundhouse. Your pics brought back some memories and I thought I would ask. Thanks, Bob

Bob, the Balmer hump is in use almost everyday, they have an SD9-3 working the hump but sometimes they have a GP38-2 in it's place.

Here is the cab track the caboose is on and the hump is to the left of that small building on the left.

---

bnsftrucker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is the cab track the caboose is on and the
> hump is to the left of that small building on the
> left.

Looks the same as I remember it. Always was full of Cabooses. The bridge in the background used to have hobo's under it over on the right side. They'd get up to the local taverns and get drunk and you'd find them passed out all over. One night while riding the switcher, we moved some cars down the track right next to the bridge pillar and sent one to his maker after running him over. I was a teen at the time and my engineer friend wouldn't let me out of the cab so I didn't see it personally. Pretty dark in that area under the bridge. They still used oil fired switch lanterns back then and the bo's would steal the oil to lite they're fires with. Pretty much ended the switching for that night and I went on home. Thanks for the pic, I do miss Seattle. Bob

Ah yes, the Dravus st overpass and the Keller spur.CFWRRCEO Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bnsftrucker Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Here is the cab track the caboose is on and the
> > hump is to the left of that small building on
> the
> > left.
>
> Looks the same as I remember it. Always was full
> of Cabooses. The bridge in the background used to
> have hobo's under it over on the right side.
> They'd get up to the local taverns and get drunk
> and you'd find them passed out all over. One
> night while riding the switcher, we moved some
> cars down the track right next to the bridge
> pillar and sent one to his maker after running him
> over. I was a teen at the time and my engineer
> friend wouldn't let me out of the cab so I didn't
> see it personally. Pretty dark in that area under
> the bridge. They still used oil fired switch
> lanterns back then and the bo's would steal the
> oil to lite they're fires with. Pretty much ended
> the switching for that night and I went on home.
> Thanks for the pic, I do miss Seattle. Bob

The 7034 has been working thru Bieber on the Gateway sub,for the last couple of months . This was taken on june 22, in the Bieber yard

---

Spokane's green power right now is BNSF 1655,3006, and 3120. Parkwater also has freshly repainted 2781 and 2344. Several other 2700 series GP39's are also in the erea. Only one number comes to mind, the 2712. The chewelah turn, Lind Turn, and Sandpoint Turn are mostly using these units. The 1655 and a SD9-3 1710 are the yard units currently.

Vancouver WA usually has a few kicking around the south end of the yard. But yesterday there were 2 yellow bonnets instead. I'm sure the green ones are still around, there's almost at least one tied down or switching in easy view of the Amtrak station. Last month we even had a green GP30 back -- they'd been gone since last fall.

I think you will have little trouble tracking down green GPs if you make your way north from Portland up to Vancouver BC.
Ted in WA

Thanks for all the help guys. Geeps are OK, in fact they used to run the trash trains out to Roosevelt, and were such a joy to catch them chanting through the Gorge. The trash trains were the last bastion of SD40-2 haunts. I still can't come to grips with the Dash 9's on this train.

I would prefer SD40-2 to be sure. But I'll take what I can get. That Bieber set looks enticing. How much of a run do they make on their journey, or hardly one at all?

I guess I will just see what I can find. I agree, seems like Portland to Canada would be a good place to begin. Would like to catch that 6370 C&S unit for sure. But the Renton Rocket looks like a real splendid train also, with the street running and MILW heritage.

Also, thanks for the Spokane info. I will look see that area also. I'll be going to Montana anyway to look at the Gas Cans as they seem to be running the old power on the 10th sub to boot. I know, I know, road construction, but oh well.

Appreciate it all!

It's hard to really know what the Rocket's power be on a daily basis, they sometimes change power, the shot of the Rocket I posted had a an SD40-2 and a GP39E and both are in Cascade green.
Out at the service tracks at Interbay, one will see alot of SD60M's still in Cascade green.

---

---

saw a couple in Centralia (WA) just immediately north of the depot yesterday (7/12) a GP-39E and a GP-30, both in cascade green. The GP-30s a white face. think the are both assigned to local service in Centralia.

>.The trash trains were the last bastion of SD40-2 haunts.<<

Correct. I've hardly seen any SD40-2s here in Vancouver in the last 7 months. They sure disappeared fast -- I noticed they were thinning, then I saw about 6 BN SD40-2s Dead-In-Consist headed up the gorge, maybe in late fall? And I knew that was the the end of them. Trash train had matched yellowbonnet GP/SD40s spring 2008.
Ted in WA

The local power based out of Wenatchee has at least one green Geep right now.

Dan

DeutzHDL Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Spokane's green power right now is BNSF 1655,3006,
> and 3120. Parkwater also has freshly repainted
> 2781 and 2344. Several other 2700 series GP39's
> are also in the erea. Only one number comes to
> mind, the 2712. The chewelah turn, Lind Turn, and
> Sandpoint Turn are mostly using these units. The
> 1655 and a SD9-3 1710 are the yard units
> currently.

BNSF #1655 was involved in a remote control accident with the BNSF #1049 entering Yardley (Spokane, Washington).. Both have sustain major damage to the cab areas..

With all of the units in storage, their future is suspect.. Would some of the SD70MAC's or some other AC power come out while these two units' future are decided?? 1655 & 1049 are parked close to N. Fancher St. overpass.


SP8100

For anyone that didn't already see, Sam Drake found a quartet of green GPs in Montana
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1975573