Nostalgia & History > Respect for the dead

My endless scanning chores were temporarily sidetracked a while ago when this image popped up on my monitor. It’s a scene we’ve all witnessed. A graveyard full of dead RR bodies. And in this case, body parts. So I minimized my V600 screen and went to work in Photoshop. I thought about trying to spruce these colors up a bit. But there’s really nothing here to be cheery about. BTW: photographer Art Gibson did not provide a location on his slide. Anyone care to take a whack at it...

1. Locomotive graveyard at Mt Vernon, IL*. Visible are the former AT&SF 1520 and the former SP 6625. And who knows who else. Parts is just parts...
Original Kodachrome slide by William A Gibson (WAG) Jr. Now in the James T. Wilson collection. Kodak processing date: September 1983.

...a moment of silence, please (then back to the scanner)

*Hoping somebody knows this location. (Somebody did, thank-you, sir!)
I have a strong hunch it's west of the Mississippi!
Oops... I shouldn't have been so smug with my "W of the Mississippi" crack, eh???
(ya think... ;^)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/24 16:13 by santafe199.

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Based on a few snippets of data on several other sites, that looks like Precision National in Mount Vernon, Illinois.

Pete



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/24 14:32 by Wypete.

What is the gray engine in the middle of the photo? Not EMD, not Alco. F-M?

Oh, guess it is a 539:

 

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While I can't find the exact disposition history for SP 6625, a GP35 (since rrpicturesarchives.net is down again at the moment) - looking at two of the detailed rosters on Espee.railfan.net shows the unit on the roster in 1976, but off  in 1980.

Southern Pacific/Cotton Belt 1976 Locomotive Roster (railfan.net)

Southern Pacific/Cotton Belt 1980 Locomotive Roster (railfan.net)

So I'm guessing it was involved in a wreck between those years - and ended up in the scrapyard pictured here.  Amazing that the Santa Fe Alco held out there until 1983.

Rich



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/24 15:10 by PasadenaSub.

SP GP35 6625 Was sold on 12/11/1979 to Chrome Crankshaft and scrapped in Houston, Tx at Proler International in 1980.

Info from Strapacs SP Diesel compendium Vol. 2

Rob

Per SP Diesel Loco Compendium Vol. 2 - SP 6625 was sold 12/11/1979 to Chrome Crankshaft, then scrapped in 1980 by Proler International in Houston.  Given that, either someone purchased the cab (and maybe more) and moved it north, or could this be Houston?

Ron 

While I don't doubt that is what is indicated in the Strapacs volume you reference, this photo would seem to indicate the unit was more than likely scrapped in Mt. Vernon, IL.  

GoldenState Wrote:
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> SP GP35 6625 Was sold on 12/11/1979 to Chrome
> Crankshaft and scrapped in Houston, Tx at Proler
> International in 1980.
>
> Info from Strapacs SP Diesel compendium Vol. 2
>
> Rob

Just to follow up with more detail, since I have the time now...

The old site for the SFR&HMS shows 1520 was retired in either August or September 1978 and sold to PNC, and there's a photo of 1520 at Mount Vernon on rrpicturearchives, dated 21 July 1979.

Pete