Western Railroad Discussion > A New San Joaquin Valley Genset User

NuWest Milling, located just south of Hughson, CA, now has on lease Railpower demonstrator genset RPRX5405. This model RP20BD had been on lease to the nearby Modesto & Empire Traction until that road received its own fleet and has now been repainted from green to orange and black.

The NuWest facility--which is associated with Sierra Grain Terminal LLC--is located at approx. m.p. 1084 of BNSF's Stockton Sub between Hughson and Swanson. BNSF delivers 110-car unit trains of corn to this location as well as smaller shipments of soybeans and canola. The 5405 is remote-equipped to handle the unloading work. A company profile:
http://www.wattagnet.com/20702.html

The 5405 is seen in three views taken at NuWest yesterday. Those FB-2's give away its heritage of having been built on the frame and trucks of a Norfolk Southern(ex-Conrail) B36-7. The expense of a repainting suggests this might be a long term lease.

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Former Santa Fe GP9 2260 has been displaced by the 5405 and sits in storage fenced in at the north end of the property--unknown what its disposition plans are. The geep was built as AT&SF 700(later 2900) and was Santa Fe's first GP9 built in May 1956.

Final two views show the 5405 then and now: at the M&ET shops in October 2009 and yesterday at NuWest. After a little research I've come up with the following regarding the five Railpower demonstrators that were leased by the M&ET(corrections welcome):

RPRX5402: sold to M&ET
RPRX5403: sold to Foster Farms
RPRX5404: sold to M&ET
RPRX5405: leased to NuWest
RPRX5406: sold to Foster Farms

Can anyone confirm the locations of the Foster Farms units?

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Do the photos deceive, or is there a sag in the frame?

joemagruder Wrote:
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> Do the photos deceive, or is there a sag in the
> frame?

Yes, even the photo from 2009 seems to show it.

Was the 2260 always a low nose geep?

czuleget Wrote:
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> Was the 2260 always a low nose geep?

No!
Mike

czuleget Wrote:

> Was the 2260 always a low nose geep?

All of Santa Fe's GP7's and 9's were built with high short hoods, and all were eventually chopnosed.

> joemagruder Wrote:

> > Do the photos deceive, or is there a sag in the
> > frame?

Locomotives with bent frames are nothing new at NuWest. This was 2260's predecessor:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,712463,712539#712539

What are the silver boxes on either side of the MU gangway on the rear of the unit?

shed47 Wrote:
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> RPRX5406: sold to Foster Farms
>
> Can anyone confirm the locations of the Foster
> Farms units?

RPRX 5406 is at the Foster Farms facility at Traver, CA, along with 3 other units (CF7 2631, SD38-2 201 and GP9 1636).

mojaveflyer Wrote:
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> What are the silver boxes on either side of the MU
> gangway on the rear of the unit?


My guess would be a type of remote control equipment that can be easily moved from unit to unit and plugs into the MU receptacle and has quick connect air lines for brake control

Dick Samuels
Oregon Pacific Railroad