Above, an EMD SD-40 in final Southern Pacific speed lettering, littered with itinerant Mexi-graffiti and affixed with an afterthought UP number in yellow, awaits fueling. To the left, a UP flanger car. CLICK ON ALL PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.
Above: schematic, J.R. Davis Roseville Yard.
UP 1425, a hastily re-numbered SP unit, approaches the engine house.
UP employee rides the front of an SD-40 in UP armour yellow paint in the yard.
On a siding south of the engine house, a series of UP locos await orders next to one of SP's original steam rotary units. Yes, that's a GE in front, but I couldn't resist the rotary in the yard. So sue me.
An amazing and elderly fellow. Here sits an original DRGW SD-40 unit, original number unknown, dating back to when Philip Anschutz's DRGW bought SP outright in 1988 (and then did his level best to drive SP into the ground, making it vulnerable to UP's purchase in 1996). Being part of SP, this ancient unit served for a time in the yard shuttling cars to and fro prior to its ultimate retirement.
EMD left, GE right, in the Roseville loco house drop pits at night.
Running up an older EMD SD-40 outside the loco house. You know what? I love the smell of diesel and the sound of 16-cylinder American locomotive engines. How about you?
This shot was taken when Chuck "CW" Smith flew me over the Roseville Yard in the Sacramento Sheriff's Department Hughes 500 -- because he was a railroad buff. As a Sergeant, I tapped CW for a few aerial runs over the Roseville Yard. CW was a former Vietnam Huey pilot who admitted he used to make his own LZs by chopping down through the jungle with the Huey's blades tips. That's some scary stuff. And there are more aerial photos where this came from. This is a view, looking west, of the J.R. Davis classification yard.MP154
Ha! I rode with C.W. as a trainee in the Hughes 300, the helicopter you wore like a backback. You can imagine his instructions on how to place the mic. We handled a 459S at a huge store. The tiller for the four light "spot" was all wrist, no motor. We checked the roof and exterior. Nobody home, imagine that, again. It was great! You remember the year in the last millenium, that I know.
ReplyDeleteBackpack, I meant backpack.
ReplyDeleteDM: "wore like a backpack." Man, you are SO correct about THAT! Flying in the 300 was like flying in one big lightbulb, only with a buzzy Lycoming thrashing behind you!
ReplyDeleteMP154/BZ