Nostalgia & History > BN Alco trio working in Portland in 1977 ......

Here's a trio of Alco's in Portland that I shot on July 24, 1977 .... and no, that crewman is not wearing a hard hat!

Here's history (from trainpix.com) of the 2 identifiable units:

#4182 was blt Jul 58 and retired in Aug 80 x-NP #902
#4078 was blt Jul 58 and retired in Aug 80 x-SP&S #98

Built and retirement dates ... interesting coincidence?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/18 11:32 by valmont.

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I think trainpix.com let you down on the RS3 build date. I think in fact the RS11's replaced them in Alco's catalog so the RS3 is likely older by a few years. Never the less, that's a great photo to share with us here so thank you.

Milwaukee Wrote:
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> I think trainpix.com let you down on the RS3 build
> date. I think in fact the RS11's replaced them
> in Alco's catalog so the RS3 is likely older by a
> few years. Never the less, that's a great photo
> to share with us here so thank you.


Thanks for your note ... Seemed strange to me that both units were built in same month and year, guess retirement could be right, that's why I wrote "interesting coincidence"

http://spsry.railfan.net/ shows SP&S #98 (BN 4078)'new' in 11/55



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/18 14:31 by valmont.

For what it's worth, Trainpix.com shows BN RS-3 4078 (SP&S 98) built in November 1955 as well, so it's not the source of the error:

http://www.trainpix.com/BN/ALCO/RS3/INDEX.HTM

It also gives 4078's retirement date as April 1980, so even that doesn't coincide.

Evan_Werkema Wrote:
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> For what it's worth, Trainpix.com shows BN RS-3
> 4078 built in November 1955 as well, so it's not
> the source of the error:
>
> http://www.trainpix.com/BN/ALCO/RS3/INDEX.HTM


I'll take credit for it, my errors, sorry Trainpix!! Should've just said it was built before 4182 :-)

Nearly all of BN's remaining roster of ALCOS and EMD F-units were retired in 1980... at least in the West.

They provided a spectacular show while they were around.

Greg

Interesting photo as I believe that would be around the Hoyt St yard and engine facility which was an interesting place for roster shots. The water tank frame on the roof would be the spotting feature, I believe it was incorporated into the Condo redesign, but I haven't been there is a really long time.

There was an RS-1 that stayed on the roster very late, something to do with a grade crossing law suit, or similar suit. Forget which paint scheme it had, it's in the older roster books and buried somewhere in TO as well. There was also a confessed railfan on the local power desk during the early BN days, also in the TO archives.

TCnR Wrote:

> There was an RS-1 that stayed on the roster very
> late, something to do with a grade crossing law
> suit, or similar suit. Forget which paint scheme
> it had, it's in the older roster books and buried
> somewhere in TO as well.

It was BN RS-3 #4082, repainted to NP colors after it was retired in 1978 to re-enact a crossing accident it was involved in while wearing those colors:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3653577,3653790#msg-3653790

The unit was not restored to operation and went to scrap in its fresh paint soon after, so it didn't outlast the 4078 on the roster.