Nostalgia & History > M-K TE70-4 SP7030 inside Bayshore Roundhouse

On one of my frequent visits to Bayshore I found M-K model TE70-4s SP7030 resting inside Bayshore roundhouse on June 29, 1978. - Tony Johnson

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On this May 1, 1978 SP7030 and SP7031 were getting fuel at West Oakland. - Tony J.

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SP7031 at West Oakland. - Tony J.

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Had not ever seen those before, I think that's a nice paint scheme...

NH2006 Wrote:
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> Had not ever seen those before, I think that's a
> nice paint scheme...


I'll search for some color slides I shot of them. They were nicknamed "popsicles" because the color was similar to the orange-vanilla 50/50 popsicles. - Tony

TonyJ Wrote:
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> NH2006 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Had not ever seen those before, I think
> that's a
> > nice paint scheme...
>
>
> I'll search for some color slides I shot of them.
> They were nicknamed "popsicles" because the color
> was similar to the orange-vanilla 50/50 popsicles.
> - Tony

That'd be great! Thanks!

SP painted a couple of EMD's that way, too. I had often wished the SP was prosperous enough to put this daylight-inspired scheme on everything. It always puzzled me how SP got away with their dingy image in very image-conscious California, when ATSF put on such a good image. I ran an SATX coal empty out of Sterling, CO north one trip with a rare-to-us-anyway SP SD-45 in last place, and it was in this scheme, but at that point getting dirty from all 5 of the (comically-unreliable) San Antonio-rebuilt U33C's belching GE crud all over it all the way from Texas. I tried my darndest to get a picture of it, but I did not pack my camera that trip, and had to go back out to work on my rest at Sterling when it came back the other way bound back to Texas with the same train, now loaded, and still in last place, but with three of the SP's gone and two more-reliable BN C-boats on the point. I couldn't get a picture for making money! Well, things could have been worse... - - - - - - JLH

TonyJ Wrote:
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> NH2006 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Had not ever seen those before, I think
> that's a
> > nice paint scheme...
>
>
> I'll search for some color slides I shot of them.
> They were nicknamed "popsicles" because the color
> was similar to the orange-vanilla 50/50 popsicles.
> - Tony

Or... you could tell people that these photos were taken after they were repainted two-tone gray, for service on the "Overland" and "Lark".

Well, better make that the "Cascade", which would explain why they eventually ended up in Oregon.

topper Wrote:
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> TonyJ Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > NH2006 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Had not ever seen those before, I think
> > that's a
> > > nice paint scheme...
> >
> >
> > I'll search for some color slides I shot of
> them.
> > They were nicknamed "popsicles" because the
> color
> > was similar to the orange-vanilla 50/50
> popsicles.
> > - Tony
>
> Or... you could tell people that these photos were
> taken after they were repainted two-tone gray, for
> service on the "Overland" and "Lark".
>
> Well, better make that the "Cascade", which would
> explain why they eventually ended up in Oregon.
>
>
Topper,
And once we got them here in Oregon we painted back to the popsicle scheme. I'm trying to recall how many years they sat behind the Eugene Roundhouse. The rusted themselves to the rails. I have one of the operating manuals for these units. I was suprised to find instructions for starting the prime mover instead of "how to park them where they can't be seen". - Tony

I think they went to MK for rebuild and then to the OC&E out of K Falls.

Nudge

Here they are, fresh from Boise. This is at Brooklyn roundhouse just after SP took delivery of them.

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This one is at UP Albina yards. They have not even been on SP rails since rebuild.

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One more at Albina. Note the PTRR Alco in the background. It MAY be the # 46

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Great shots Gene. The paint was probably still sticky. - Tony

spnudge Wrote:
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> I think they went to MK for rebuild and then to
> the OC&E out of K Falls.

After being retired by SP, they were sold to a private party associated with Tidewater Sand & Gravel in Oakland, and have been stored at an old GE manufacturing plant in East Oakland for years. There is no longer rail access to the site, so they'd have to be trucked out.

A year or so ago they were offerred for sale again.

Anybody know where the ones OC&E had in K Falls came from? They had old SP style lighting but the engines had been changed out to a Cat or EMD.

Nudge

spnudge Wrote:
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> Anybody know where the ones OC&E had in K
> Falls came from? They had old SP style lighting
> but the engines had been changed out to a Cat or
> EMD.

According to this site, the OC&E's units were all ex-UP:

http://www.trainweb.org/westernrails/or/oce.html

The units had EMD 16-567BC's installed by MK, designation TE53-1-4Es.

I always enjoyed working with those locomotives. The fresh colors just made you feel better! And, being completely rebuilt, everything worked. Oh, how I wished that scheme could have been all SP - stock. Not to be ... and now, how nice it would be not to see 'yellow'. Scarlet & Gray looked great!

Take Care, Stay Safe, Have Fun!

Larry