Nostalgia & History > Grande Power and it's NOT the 5771!!!

I've been scanning some really old film over the past few days. Here's a few from the archives...

Shortly after the Rio Grande purchased the Southern Pacific, D&RGW power started roaming away from home rails. D&RGW 5516 leads a Cotton Belt SD45T-2 down the SP's Coastline. The train was the BALAT and I captured it just past the siding at Sea Cliff, between Santa Barbara and Ventura, California.

D&RGW SD45 5339 looks like a well worn warrior at rest in the Rio Grande's North Yard in Denver Colorado.

Rio Grande GP30 3017 pauses for a short time while performing switching duties at North Yard in Denver.

Andy

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Great railfanning during those times. One could see all kinds of power variety from Espee, DRGW, and SSW power roaming all over California. It's all Armour Yellow now.

Terry
Berkeley,CA.

What do you mean "Really OLD Film" ? This stuff seems like just yesterday to me. Always like seeing images from "back home" even if it makes me feel really Ancient and Older than Old. Heck this was the "new" power when I started rail photography.

It didn't seem like that long ago till a buddy of mine mentioned what year the GP30 picture was from... 1984. He can remember stuff like that. Then when you realize that 1984 was 26 years ago, I can only think damn... It seems like yesterday...

Andy

Thanks Andy. Now I really feel Old. I first started taking rail pics in the late 60's.(Incidentally the GP30's were produced from 1961 to 1964). If 1984 is really Old now I feel well........ what is older than really, really old. I guess the good news is that I started young, or that is my excuse to make me feel not quite so ancient when we talk about 1984 being old. I can remember intentionally not taking photos of the "new power" because it will be around for a long time. In hindsight, what lost opportunities. Photograph everything you see, digital is cheap and 30 years from now you will be glad you did.

As a side note, I am scanning some of my early slides and first 5000 or so are done and I have still not reached 1984.

Hindsight... Amen... Shoot it all.

COFLZephyr Wrote:
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> Thanks Andy. Now I really feel Old. I first
> started taking rail pics in the late
> 60's.(Incidentally the GP30's were produced from
> 1961 to 1964). If 1984 is really Old now I feel
> well........ what is older than really, really
> old. I guess the good news is that I started
> young, or that is my excuse to make me feel not
> quite so ancient when we talk about 1984 power
> being old. I can remember intentionally not taking
> photos of the "new power" because it will be
> around for a long time. In hindsight, what lost
> opportunities. Photograph everything you see,
> digital is cheap and 30 years from now you will be
> glad you did.
>
> As a side note, I am scanning some of my early
> slides and first 5000 or so are done and I have
> still not reached 1984.

I sure do like those.

Love the Ventura shot! Any guesses on the year? Later down the road, that SD50 worked in Tehachapi helper service for a while.

Fizzboy7 Wrote:
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> Love the Ventura shot! Any guesses on the year?
> Later down the road, that SD50 worked in
> Tehachapi helper service for a while.

Well, the merger was 1988...