Nostalgia & History > Milwaukee & Chicago in '78

An e/b CMSTP&P train bangs the EJ&E diamonds, Rondout, Illinois, 5/27/78. There's more at:

https://gjptrains.wordpress.com/category/home/

Gerry

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Great shot!

Is that second unit a slug or a B unit? Have any additional information on it?

SD80MACfan Wrote:

> Is that second unit a slug or a B unit? Have any
> additional information on it?

That's the "Twinkie," road slug SG-1, created from RS-3 #463 in 1970.

SD80MACfan Wrote:
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> Is that second unit a slug or a B unit? Have any
> additional information on it?


Three slugs were assigned to Tacoma Washington for use on the line south of Tacoma, which had been a sleepy logging branch until the BN merger gave Milwaukee trackage rights into Portland, Oregon. There is a very steep grade just outside of Tacoma where the extra traction provided by the slugs were utilized. Slugs were innovative for the times, providing extra traction at low speeds as used for climbing grades or on lighter low speed trackage. If I remember the story correctly there this slug and two built from F-unit 'B's with just about everything removed but the carbody and trucks.

Interesting to see how they fared after the abandonment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/17 09:50 by TCnR.

Miss the Milwaukee! Oh for the days of "unvarnished" railroading at it's best.

Posted from iPhone

Looking good!
Bob

Very Nice!! Good power, good railroad and good shot!

I like all those old pictures! The "other" L&N switcher is nice to see, since I made a pilgrimage to Kendallville to see it a couple years ago! === === = === JLH