Western Railroad Discussion > Big power on UP Ft. Collins, CO local

The UP local train from LaSalle, CO to Fort Collins and Boettcher, CO, that recently has been the bastion for 3 or 4 Geeps, including usually one or two still-D&RGW GP-40's, has been assigned SD-40's, and showed up in Fort Collins, CO today with no less than FOUR UP SD-40's for the first time, certainly one of the largest consists ever in terms of tractive effort on the UP branch line here. These big units are not allowed on the wye in north Fort Collins. So in preparation of the reassignment, the unused MP "Doghouse" caboose next to North College Drive next to Ken's Muffler, on the tail track of the wye, which has been a fixture there for over two years, was dragged out by the lighter geeps last week. There has been much track work between LaSalle and Riverside Drive in Fort Collins to accept the SD-40's, however tomorrow the big C-C's (don't know how many) are reportedly supposed to go beyond Riverside Drive and cross the rickety wood trestle over the Cache La Poudre River for the first time and trundle up to Boettcher, CO, to the cement plant, on track that has had no upgrades.

So it continues - - seems like in my railfanning lifetime, whenever something REAL NEAT was replaced and gone, there was a *%#@$&^%%@! SD-40 parked there the next day! - - - - JLH

You just knew that it wouldn't last forever. What an amazing change that will be. Luckily the DRGW gp's were on there most days this past winter so those who made the effort were rewarded. Just another neat little diversion that will no longer be there, when all else failed, DRGW 3109 needed a warrent into north yard. So I wonder if the 2 DRGW's that have been commonly working the local are going to get assigned into service somewhere else. Probably just a matter of time untill Burnham gets a yellow square on them.

Might be worth grabbing video of the SD's crossing the trestle because that bridge is going to be stressed to the max...

TME

I'd almost pay you guys to go get a photo of those SD40's on that bridge. In the late 1970's when my dad was still UP agent at Ft. Collins, supposedly there were plans to replace that bridge. Now, of course with the closure of cement operations, that bridge will not be replaced. Probably the roundhouse foreman (use that term loosely) at LaSalle is using whatever power he has available.

Jim Burrill

Damn, I would have loved to get a shot of the MP caboose on the move again....sigh....

Tolland, I'll see what I can do....

Barf. I guess it's better than selling the line to Omnitrax and Central Kansas wannabee's handling the traffic. Course I've always liked UP SD40's even if the Good Professor doesn't. The one thing we disagree on huh JLH? Won't be long and we'll be searching for anything that's not a widecab on a class 1. (Actually, I think a lot of us already are....)
Wish I would have had the chance to do more on this line lately. My last chase was with the "otto Be" unit on the point eastbound. Thanks to you guys there has been quite a few postings here on TO that can be enjoyed.

Well, I spent the majority of my day chasing those SD-40-2's, around Fort Collins, CO because it is their FIRST time out to the cement plant, as well as over the Poudre River trestle. They used three today, a mighty big-looking consist on the Poudre River trestle! The crew purposely shoved twice the usual amount of loaded cement hoppers they usually shove up the problematic steep last half-mile to the cement plant at Boettcher, CO with the geeps. The ground shook and they shoved them up at record speed! Everything stayed on the bridges and on the rails, so it looks like we are stuck with them for a while.

No, as one poster surmised, they are NOT using whatever is available, they are trying to use the same power they use on the local that brings stuff down from Cheyenne every night, so they don't need to have as much power sitting around LaSalle, CO.

The cement plant is NOT ceasing operations, such as they are now. They went from producing cement outbound to storage and distribution of cement inbound.

I think SD-40-2's are darn good motors, I know them inside and out from running them, they are simple and reliable. Their new carded circuitry was genius for its time. If I owned a railroad I would want 1000 of them. But I just got tired of seeing them everywhere (to me, straight 40's and -2's are lumped together in appearance if not electricals)! Mid-80's to mid-90's b-o-r-i-n-g! Now SD-40's are here. Do you think I will chase them tomorrow? Not unless they slip up and assign "United Spirit" 3300, but it's too busy working between Council Bluffs and Proviso. - - - - - JLH