Western Railroad Discussion > How Far Would You Go to Chase the Last of the SP?

Really. But first, before you answer that question, I present to you a short story about chasing the last of the Espee from last fall.


Last year shortly after I had purchased my faded SP Gray Tundra, I drove down with Bay Area neighbor "Mikey" 750 miles on a last minute plan-as-we-go railfan trip to the Imperial Sand Dunes of Southern California - just east of the Salton Sea on the ex-SP Sunset route. The crazy objective of that day? The last SP SD40R in service, speed lettered SP 7328, was reported here on trainorders.com to be leading a westbound "baretables" empty intermodal train form Texas to Long Beach. We left bright and early from the Bay Area at just before 5AM, made the City of Angels by late morning. We were then delayed (and totally hosed) with a failed attempt to try to catch the northbound almost-all-SP AC4400 "Oil Cans" at Burbank after spotting it stopped on the main at Taylor. Finally after a cell phone debriefing from a good UP engineer buddy source down there, we found out that the SP7328 was getting hosed "way east" of Colton. This called for a dash east out into the desert past that salty sea in finally catching the train in late afternoon about 15 miles east of Niland (ever drive a dirt road at 70mph?).

So guess what, yup - the SP7328 WAS TRAILING, NOT LEADING AS REPORTED!!! Fighting off major disappointment (and trying not to think about my gas bill for the day), we tried to get some pacing shots of the darn trailing SP unit (second of just two locos) and even attempted some night shots when they stopped with an unforeseen air hose problem just west of Mecca, CA (15 miles east of Indio). After finally giving up and thinking about the long trip home, we got a quick pit-stop energy refill dinner from "espeemom" (Mikey was introduced to a Japanese American grub favorite - "Spam Musubi") at the central L.A. home I was raised in (off the ex-SP Santa Monica branch). Then after a Red Bull and a coffee and lots of cold air to keep me awake we made it back into the Bay Area just after 4AM after a 1,500 mile 24 hour roundtrip! Since you haven't seen any of these pics of this trip posted until now, it is safe to say that the photo opportunity of going to catch this trailing SP unit in the desert wasn't so great.


So back to my question, how many of you have driven long and far to catch the last of the SP? likewise, how many of you have driven far to catch any sign of a fading RR for that matter???


Oh and please check out the thread above for a recent example of chasing the last of the Espee...


-Ryan aka that crazy "espeeboy"
on the ex-SP/WP Oakland Sub MP11.2

---

Back around 2000 and 2001, when the 9800's starting appearing again on the Coast Line, I'd make a King City roundtrip about every other week. It was cool to see them just before Uncle Pete managed to mangle them to death. Now unless it comes from a museum, I don't have much interest in going very far to see an SP engine owned by Uncle Pete. They are either peeling or patched by now. Not the way I used to remember it.

First view of the train we got as it zipped by at 65+ mph. Oh, to see the look on our face when we saw that SP7328 trailing...

---

But then again Sam, you'll drive 100+ miles just to feed PhotoBob donuts and shoot the s--t? ;)

(missed ya at Winterail this year)

samreeves Wrote:
> Now unless it
> comes from a museum, I don't have much interest in
> going very far to see an SP engine owned by Uncle
> Pete.

As I took this second shot, the insane thought of us driving all day only to get this cool 37 year old unit trailing in crapola shadow light was just starting to dawn on me

Shortly after we got back to "chase speed" on the dirt road, we passed by a couple of two older wgite men sitting in their front porch of the only housr out there on that dirt road along the tracks. We had passed them earlier so it was no big deal but this time we looked at them sitting there in their skinnies and they both (as if it had been rehearsed) waved with their right hands while holding onto twin shotguns with their left hand! Wish I had my digicam ready for that! So yup, California red-necks DO exist!

---

a meet with an eastbound stacker at Niland shot through the windshield at 65 mph

---

Getting hosed at Border Patrol even though we had wizzed by going east just an hour before. After speeding to catch up to this trian for some pace shots, we had to do it all again after what seemed like an eternity waiting for the bozos ahead of us to clear through. Mikey, remember how the border patrol guy reacted when I said we had come from Oakland in answering his question? He was of course standing there looking really confused since we were now officially starting our return trip north to Oakland

---

Remember that Espeeboy loves to document the lovely interaction of Law Enforcement with the railfan hobby!

Hmmm, upon second review this INS guy kinda looks like the Latino version of Mocococococococo Mike!

---

The weathered faded SP Gray Tundra (named "Pinky" by railfan_girlfriend) poses with another weathered faded SP workhorse.

---

a last light stop at a siding west of Niland (Wister?, Frink?, Bertram?) sees another hot eastbound stacker passing this last-of-a-kind SD40R. The surviving SP SD40R's and SD45R's were among a few classes of locomotives not assigned a UP renumbering series after the 1996 merger.

---

I believe this is Mikey shooting the SP7328 flying across the Salton Creek bridge at the tiny "beach town" of Salton. CimaScramb or anyone else wanna correct me?

---

Good thing Mikey was watching the road because I wasn't right at this moment. Darn sunset setting on us too early...

---

one last dark not-so-clear pace shot (since this is basically all we got out of this trip)

>:(

---

Darkness finally hindered the pacing shots and we were lucky to get the air hose problem to stop the train for this lowlight dusk shot. There is something so beautiful about being out there in the desert at dawn or dusk. This unscheduled stop was in the town of Mecca. Besides the obvious Muslim Middle Eastern relevance, did anyone used to watch Pee Wee's Playhouse on T.V. with that Geenie and all?

Say it with me, "Mecca lecca high, mecca high-nee ho!"

---

This was not my first night encounter with the SP7328

---

And this may be the shot of the last time I saw SP7328. Only time will tell. As of today she is still kicking out there on the road as a survivor trying to make it to 38 years old. Currently she is assigned to a local out of Gooding, Idaho.

Hope you have enjoyed this little photo essay.


-Ryan aka "espeeboy"

---

espeeboy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> a last light stop at a siding west of Niland
> (Wister?, Frink?, Bertram?) sees another hot
> eastbound stacker passing this last-of-a-kind
> SD40R. The surviving SP SD40R's and SD45R's were
> among a few classes of locomotives not assigned a
> UP renumbering series after the 1996 merger.

I think this one is actually at Niland while the sun was behind the clouds. I don't think it stopped anywhere else where there were three tracks.

Foamin' foamin' foamin'... keep those foamers foamin'...

Awesome photo work Ryan! Now's the time to get whats left of the SP before it all fades to yellow. Many thanks for sharing these great pics and keep up this fine work.

Phil

Maybe the border police were confused because you plate frame says Escondido, you are in LA area and you say you live in Oakland. And you were here to chase a train?? We had fun last summer during a road trip across the US. A border patrol dude stopped us about 1/4 way through TX and asked us if we were from the US. Bare in mind, we could not get any whiter. If we go to the beach, my husband has to wear a tee shirt on top of using sun block just so he does not get burned. Everything about us screamed family vacation, yet my new brother in law had no problem crossing the border illegally. Crazy
Audra

My Japanese mom never served me that! Must be Hawaiian (spam everywhere).