Nostalgia & History > Just about the end for a Wabash F unit!

I caught this ex Wabash F-7 at Bellview Ohio in the deadline summer of 1978. Never saw one active as this had to be close to the end for them. I like the way they adapted the Wabash scheme in the NW.

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Those F's ran out their miles around Buffalo on the Wabash trains to and from Canada. A lot to look at in this shot. More impressive to me is the high nose C420 next to the F unit. Not many outside of Long Island where I grew up besides the one on the Monon and the N&W's. Also, having an intense interest in all things Alco I couldn't help notice the D&H C628 in the left background of the photo.
Steve B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 07:04 by stevelv.

I shot a number of the x-Wabash units in Buffalo, most were repainted and lettered for the N&W.

Here are a couple of those x-Wabash F's:

1. posted because it's the same unit as in your picture (3658, if I am reading the # in your pic correctly), albeit looking healthier. This was taken by R.E. Minnis @ Windsor, ON in Nov. 1973. Probably made a few runs across the southern Ontario to Buffalo

2. Here's my shot of the 3659 @ Buffalo, decked out in full N&W paint, June 1973



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 07:54 by valmont.

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What most people don't realize about the Wabash "Canadian F's" is that the shop forces there bucked the trend to change. While many stateside F's succumbed to the Wabash' solid blue with dulux gold striping scheme starting in the early '60's, they were reluctant to repaint a single unit - but eventually did.

The "graybacks", IMHO, were their thumb to the nose about the N&W lease of the Wabash - note that the gray was NOT repainted - but it was masked off.

God bless 'em.

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

Here is an image of the 3659, Simcoe, Ontario, June 1975. I can't recall all the details, derailed on a overpass in Simcoe, unit went over, caught fire, unfortunately the crew perished.

Image of the 3725 at Windsor, Ontario Oct 1978. I can recall these units running across southern Ontario on the CN Cayuga sub at Canfield Jct. The "Canadian" F units were in more or less captive service for in Canada, tax and customs duty reasons. good liklihood my Grandfather ran these units, he was an Engineer on the Wabash Canada Divison, started as a fireman in 1911, promoted to Engineer in 1916 and retired after 47 years. Doug



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 10:29 by hoggerdoug.

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As many of us know, the two remaining Wabash F units are GMD build Canadian units, one now on display at Bellevue, Ohio and the other in operation at Monticello, Illinois. The fact that the Canadian ones were in service longer than their U.S. counterparts, saved two for posterity.

When I summarized time book entries from my Wabash Conductor Friend Clarence Montgomery for my "Railroading on the Wabash Fourth District" book, I discovered that just a very few of the Canadian units including the 1189 did operator stateside on the Fourth District at least once. (I don't think the loco numbers in his time books were typos.) Perhaps they were headed for work at Decatur or LaGrange? Reportedly, the reason that the Canadian units stayed in Canada (including a lone GMD GP7) was per an agreement with Canadian Customs for tax reasons. Other records show the GMD GP7 stateside for a short period of time with modifications, including the fuel tank, but then back to Canada. Perhaps it had been involved in a wreck?

But one of my great finds in his time books was an Ann Arbor FA-2 (No. 50 in 1964) leading a consist on the Fourth District at the same time it was headed to EMD as a trade-in!

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/05/15 12:47 by wabash2800.