Nostalgia & History > BN Empire Builder leaving Portland, OR 1970

BN no.22 leaving Portland, OR headed for Spokane on 9-7-70  Note the PTR switcher and soutbound starlight on track 4

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Nice shot, thanks for posting.  Question:  Did the BN combine the Builder and the NCL between Prtland and Pasco/  Can't remember.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
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> Nice shot, thanks for posting.  Question:  Did
> the BN combine the Builder and the NCL between
> Prtland and Pasco/  Can't remember.
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA
Made a connection via the SP&S between PTown and Pasco (Spokane?) with through cars?

I never understood why Amtrak\BN would use SP&S units without dynamic brakes. They were fine in the flat Portland, Seattle and Spokane areas but not very handy anywhere else in the west. Did any SP&S Funits ever get dynamics after the merger?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/14/22 21:21 by TomG.

ntharalson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice shot, thanks for posting.  Question:  Did
> the BN combine the Builder and the NCL between
> Prtland and Pasco/  Can't remember.
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

Yes, just like prior to the BN merger. NCL cars were added to/taken off at Pasco, EB cars at Spokane.

Posted from iPhone

That waiting consist at left is for SP 11, the Cascade; the Coast Starlight would not exist as a name until November 1971, well into Amtrak days.

Old SP&S RR Portland, OR based passenger train and engine crews  worked to and from Pasco, WA

TomG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I never understood why Amtrak\BN would use SP&S
> units without dynamic brakes. They were fine in
> the flat Portland, Seattle and Spokane areas but
> not very handy anywhere else in the west. Did any
> SP&S Funits ever get dynamics after the merger?

Exactly, because they didn't stray far from the water grade if the former SP&S. Also between Portland and Seattle they could get by with out them. In that era that's a decent size area for a locomotive to cover. And they didn't see much use by Amtrak. In 1972 they all became rotary snowplow power plants. A few years later the BN converted them back and used them in freight when they were hard up for power. And no to my knowledge they never got dynamics. There were only four of them anyway, pretty small fleet. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/15/22 18:07 by GN599.