Nostalgia & History > SP Alco C-628 at Tracy

SP 7121 alongside the diesel service facilities at Tracy, Calif., July 4, 1969.

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Nice shot! Those C-628's were fairly good engines, IMHO. We used them on the N&W but the short hood end was high rather than cut down as you probably know, along with the long hood end being designated as 'front'. Many engineers claim when running at speed the 628's and 630's had a tendency to climb the rail in curves; fortunately I never experienced that and am glad of it. Nothing like feeling the engine lift when looking down the long hood and in a left curve when you can't see squat and are relying on your fireman or head brakeman to look ahead.

Thanks for the photo. Love those old ALCos.

The 7121 later became the frame for the slug #1000 which was used on the hump at West Colton in 1973. Just a little bit of trivial SP history.

JE

Wasn't #7121 the unit wrecked on the L&N and returned to the SP with a GE nose and cab?

John

Lone Star Wrote:
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> Wasn't #7121 the unit wrecked on the L&N and
> returned to the SP with a GE nose and cab?
>
> John


Correct. - Tony J.

I didn't realize that a 628 was rebuilt with a GE cab and nose. Does anyone have a photo by any chance?

> I didn't realize that a 628 was rebuilt with a GE
> cab and nose. Does anyone have a photo by any
> chance?

From Richard Percy's web site at http://espee.railfan.net:

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/c-628_photos/7121_sp-c628-rob_sarberenyi.jpg

Thanks Topper. I appreciate the link to the photo.

The 7121 was one of a group of six-axle Alcos SP leased to the L&N for six months beginning in late 1970. This was actually the second time SP had leased Alcos to the L&N. Between the two leases, most of the units had been leased to the BN.

Sometime in early 1971, the 7121 was involved in some sort of incident while on the L&N that destroyed its cab. Repairs made at a GE contract shop, which explains why it received a GE cab.

It would continue to run on the L&N until the lease ended in May 1971. After the lease ended, SP placed most if not all of the units in storage.

I have a vivid memory of seeing the unit at L&N's Gentilly Yard in New Orleans in April 1971. The hood had not been repainted, and the cab was painted a lighter shade of gray - possibly L&N gray.

In the Spring of 1972 SP began a program to convert the C628s and C630s to yard/hump/transfer locomotives. All but three were done; those not done were sent to a contract shop in Montgomery, Alabama and converted to hump slugs for use as SD38-2/slug/SD38s at West Colton.

7121 became slug 1000. Here's a link to a photo of it:

http://espee.railfan.net/nonindex/humpslug_photos/1000a_sp-slug-bob_dengler.jpg

Topper, there were way more than three in road service in and out of West Colton.
The Mountain Local had three different C630's in a span of two weeks not to mention
the Taylor Hauler power that ran regularly. I've got pictures around 1976 of three,
all running on the inbound HOLAK.

That's what he's saying... It is a bit awkward the way he worded the paragraph, and it threw me at first too. He's saying all were downgraded to yard service locomotives except for three which became slugs.

Mark



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/11 22:56 by mwbridgwater.