Nostalgia & History > When/where to have spotted best diesel power variety?

The thread below sharing photos of the UP's North Platte yard in the 70's got me wondering. That yard was known to have great diesel power variety in the 70's with about everything the UP could offer plus a huge amount of run through power from almost every major road in the country. What other possible yards could challenge the variety of diesel types and paint schemes? I'm thinking somewhere on Conrail (Enola?) during the early years could challenge or possibly even be better since I'm sure all Conrail predecessor roads would have shown up there plus they had about every diesel type you could imagine. Any other potential yards come to mind? Anyone want to attempt to list all of the combinations possible for your choice? I'm sure the total combinations (unit types/paint schemes) could be a pretty amazing number for the winning location.

Conrails exNYC Elkhart IN yard was the eastern close (but no cigar) equivalent of UP's North Platte yard with runthrough power from every Chicago connection. Nothing compared to North Platte with run through power and cabooses for both east and west. It was THE place to visit in the seventies.
JB

From my "era", I would have to say the SP in the early-mid 90s.

Not counting lease power, you had SP, Cotton belt, SP "Kodacrome", SP "speed lettering", as well as DRGW marked locos. Power ran from GP/SD9s, SD40s, to SD70Ms.

> The thread below sharing photos of the UP's North
> Platte yard in the 70's got me wondering ... What
> other possible yards could challenge the variety
> of diesel types and paint schemes?

If you're considering both types and paint schemes on diesels, pretty much any of CR's principal yards would have equaled or beaten No. Platte for variety. The main CR yards had their own RR's varieties plus many runthrough types added in. The other yard that comes to mind as a possibility is Clearing in Chicago. The times I visited, they normally had many oddball units from many RRs laying over there.

Take care,

Mark

My early seventies were spent in the Allentown-Bethlehem (PA) area. 5 railroads (CNJ, LV, L&HR, PB&NE and Reading) and pool power from B&O, WM, D&H and perhaps others, plus EMD, Alco, GE and an occasional Baldwin or F-M. Hard to beat!

Tom Y

Let's not forget Rutherford on the Rdg. Near Harrisburg. All of Rdg's units at one time, but usually GP30/35/7,SW1001/SW1500/SW7/9/ Baldwins/ The Trainmasters (H24-66) All the ALCO's they ran RS3/C424/C430/C630/ U30C's and the SD45's. Then throw in B&O/C&0/WM/NW/CNJ/PC. Great place back in the 1970's. When CR started you had all the merged roads plus the leased and run thru power. So add EL/BAR/LHR/SP/CN/PNC/Ex SLSF GE's (Hi Hood U25B's to boot), UP/LV/CNW/SP&S/GT. What a place. A diesels spotters dream. Ben