Nostalgia & History > BN 6377 South with WP power

Here are some photos of BN #139 at Argo interlocking in Seattle 5-11-80 being led by BN 6377/WP 2252/WP 3015/BN 2227. The Airport Way bridge in the background appears to be getting some rebuilding.

Can someone please explain the signals on the left and why they are cut back as they are? I could understand close clearance on the lower one but the upper too?

Seven years later BN 6377 would be wrecked on the first day of the MRL startup and is now MRL 250.

Photo 2 shows WP U23B 2252 trailing the 6377. I remember photos in the old CTC Board of this unit leading train #138 on 12-9-72 at Lava, OR when it hit BN #139 head on destroying BN GP35 2538 leading the #139 when the 2252 rode over it. The photos showed the 2252 with everything ahead of the cab completely gone. 8 years later it looks just fine.

Brian Ambrose
Renton, WA

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Brian, it's always great to see the WP off-road - especially in pool service on Inside Gateway trains The close alliance between BN and WP was critical for WP in regards to traffic and to remain competitive. But unintended by-product was of this was that WP fans and BN fans could always look forward to something exciting happening in regards to run through-power.

Interesting that WP3015 still sports a Pyle National headlight at this late date instead of a twin seal beam. Very soon after this photo it will be heading off to MK in Boise for a rebuild.

WP 2252 was not even a year old when it was wrecked on BN in 1972. I photographed BN6377 in pool service on the SP on Tehachapi shortly before her wreck in 1987.

Thanks for posting.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/21/11 19:03 by billmeeker.

BrianA Wrote:
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>
> Can someone please explain the signals on the left
> and why they are cut back as they are? I could
> understand close clearance on the lower one but
> the upper too?

The signal heads are closer to the track than normal because the bridge support restricts visibility. UP normally centers signals on its mast, but here they are side-mounted and thus would violate clearance standards had they not been "shaved." (I don't know the standards for UP).

The Lava OR wreck was a result of the crew of 139 not paying attention of their train orders. Somehow they got it in their head that they were supposed to hold the main. Luckily headend crew on 138 were able to jump off as they were parked waiting for 139. They ran for the switch to line them in but couldnt get it in time. It was a miracle nobody got killed. There were two auto racks with Milpitas Ford pickups that got flattened with a bulldozer and buried in the woods. I have a lot of pics from that one, someday when I get a scanner I will share. An engineer that was around in those days told me the WP was mad because we were supposed to turn that power back to the WP. Whether thats true or not I dont know but they were probably mad we trashed one of their near new GE's. Either way just some more interesting folkore for the Inside Gateway...