Nostalgia & History > SP X-5245 West at Glendale 1960

On a hot July morning in 1960 I hopped on my Schwinn and peddled up to Glendale to take a few train photos. Here's one I got of a Baldwin leading a local just north of the station.

Robert Morris Photography

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Likely headed for the Burbank branch.  The Baldwin road switchers were the engine of choice on that line back then.

Warren

5245 was a Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500.  I read that as a Diesel Road Switcher with 2 6-wheel trucks and 1500 hp.

Thansks Bob.

Marty

Very sad that all of this now belongs to the Big Yellow railroad. 

ExStarlightHog Wrote:
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> Very sad that all of this now belongs to the Big
> Yellow railroad. 

I believe it belongs to Metrolink now.

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> 5245 was a Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500.  I read that as
> a Diesel Road Switcher with 2 6-wheel trucks and
> 1500 hp.
>
> Thansks Bob.
>
> Marty

Marty, the 5245 was actually the slightly upgraded AS616, that replaced the DRS series in mid 1950, and the 5245 was constructed in March 1951.

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Lee, that's not what this roster says http://espee.railfan.net/1966rost.html and it is on the Internet, so it must be true.  (-:   Does this set of rosters have a lot of errors because I have been using it pretty heavily?

Marty

Would that bridge be Los Feliz Blvd.under the train?
I remember seeing the Daylight crossing at grade here back in the 1950s.

--Jim Baker

James R.(Jim) Baker
Whittier, CA

MartyBernard Wrote:
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> 5245 was a Baldwin DRS-6-6-1500.  I read that as
> a Diesel Road Switcher with 2 6-wheel trucks and
> 1500 hp.

Stands for Diesel Road Switcher, 6 axles, 6 axles powered, 1500 HP  (As opposed to, for instance, a DRS-6-4-1500 which had an A-1-A wheel arrangement where the center axles were idlers.).

Mark

Those big baldwins were built like tanks. I wish my favorite railroad would have had them. At least it had some Train Masters...

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

MartyBernard Wrote:

> Lee, that's not what this roster
> says http://espee.railfan.net/1966rost.html and
> it is on the Internet, so it must be true. 
> (-:   Does this set of rosters have a lot of
> errors because I have been using it pretty
> heavily?

Mr. Percy has this note at the top of the 1967 roster:

"There is a confusion over Baldwin model designations, not surprising considering Baldwin's tendency to change them."

Over in the "Diesel Loco Index" part of site, the 5245 is listed on the AS-616 page:

http://espee.railfan.net/spas-616.html

wabash2800 Wrote:

> Those big baldwins were built like tanks.

Slow, rough-riding, hard on tracks, and maintenance intensive?

The six-motor Balldwins were tried on at least one of the Pacific Electric lines, but the tight curves and light-weight rail did not agree with them.  One of them, 5208 (?) is preserved at the State RR Museum in Sacramento.
 

JimBaker Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Would that bridge be Los Feliz Blvd.under the
> train?
> I remember seeing the Daylight crossing at grade
> here back in the 1950s.
>
> --Jim Baker

I think you are right.

MartyBernard Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lee, that's not what this roster
> says http://espee.railfan.net/1966rost.html and
> it is on the Internet, so it must be true. 
> (-:   Does this set of rosters have a lot of
> errors because I have been using it pretty
> heavily?
>
> Marty

Marty, Joe Strapac's SP Diesel Compendium refers to it as an AS616.

Lee



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/16 22:35 by mcfflyer.