Nostalgia & History > SP and Radio Remote Control

It's January 1978 and the SP has leased from the BN radio control master units and radio receiver/repeater "B" units
to run as mid-train helpers. Here an Eastbound below Pepper Street in West Colton waits to depart with a slightly short
distance between the master and remote units!

Out

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And the other unit was the BN 6801. Here EB Jan 1976 , on Beaumont Hill, CA

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Hey Tom, I caught the same train at the Ice Deck.

Also chased the 6800 up San Tim Canyon in May of 1976 as the sun was setting.-BMT

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There were more than just two "borrowed" by the SP from BN. One of the
others was the 6808 which was wrecked on the SP who rebuilt the cab and
used the SP font for the number boards. when the BN got it back, they left
it alone and I believe it ran that way up to the BNSF merger. I have a shot
of it in Savanna, IL, and it looks really odd.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
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> There were more than just two "borrowed" by the SP
> from BN. One of the
> others was the 6808 which was wrecked on the SP
> who rebuilt the cab and
> used the SP font for the number boards. when the
> BN got it back, they left
> it alone and I believe it ran that way up to the
> BNSF merger. I have a shot
> of it in Savanna, IL, and it looks really odd.
>

SP initially borrowed BN SD40-2s 6800-01 and RCCs 109-110 in early 1976. The program was expanded with 6801-07 and RCCs 105-108, 111, and 112.

Elizabeth

The 6800 and 6801 seemed to be the two that I shot the most but here's a couple I took of the 6804 on San Tim Canyon in March 1977 and the 6807 headed for Tehachapi in January 1977. Also caught the 6804 at Aurant in January 1978 (check out the lash up with a DD35, GP30 and another SD trailing).-BMT

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