Grain Elevator Switchers (lots of pics!)

[Anonymous]

ell, i was sitting here bored as usual, trying to motivate myself to finish up the details on a couple models. so i decided to go through my pictures and do some organizing. i got to looking at all the different grain elevator switchers that i have captured and i decided to post them here. some of them are quite interesting, and some are pretty plain. but i figure we need something to look at besides all the snow and the "i hate UP" threads.

we'll start off in California. all of these switchers are located along the UP line that runs beside Hwy 99 between Bakersfield and Sacramento. there is one CF7 south of Fresno that i keep trying to catch in the open...no luck so far.







this one is actually just east of Ontario on the old SP line. right next to I-15





all these switchers can be found along the UP line across Nebraska and can be seen from Highway 30.


















and these last 2 are on galveston Island. when i was there back in March there were quite a few different types around. galveston Railroad runs a fleet od SW1001's. the giant grain elevators there use a few of these white switchers. and there were a bunch of old SP and SSW SW1500's there also. along with this yellow one and some different ones at the railroad museum. if you love switchers, i would highly recommend a trip to Galveston Texas.





now for the fun part. i have absolutely no idea what type of locomotive most of these are. if you know, please reply and let the rest of us know[:D][:D]

[Anonymous]

Nice photos. That one with the graffiti looks like it sat in Taylir Yard for a while...

LC

[JoeKoh]

the third one in bn green is a gp 9 the usaf gray one is a ge 44 tonner looks like the others i will look up help please?
stay safe
joe

[Anonymous]

Green and White Cargill unit looks to be an EMD SD40-2
Green unit looks to be a GP9u
FEC looks like a GP9

[Anonymous]

WOW. and I thought the CSX SW style that is shoved around here was one of very few still left!

[Anonymous]

Ok after a few miniuts of research, here's the list.
1) ALCo S-2 ex SP
2) ALCo S-4
3) GP-9 torpedo boat
4) GE 44 tonner
5)GP-9 w / chopped nose
6)SD-40-2
7)CF-7
8) SW-1200
9)GP-9
10) GP-9
11)SW-8 or 1200 cant see if it has 2 stacks
12) NW-1
13) NW-1
14) SW1200
15) NW-2

That should just about cover it. [:D]

[Anonymous]

number 11, the green radio controlled one has 2 stacks.

[Anonymous]

oh, by the way, when you guys at Trains get around to doing an article on unit trains you really need to add an article on the different locomotives used to switch the elevators. i thin k it would be interesting to find the history behind some of these and why they chose the locomotive they did and how they keep them alive and kicking after all these years.

[Anonymous]

Ok the green one is an SW1200. And I had a brain fart. The little GE center cab is a 65 tonner not a 44.

[edblysard]

The "little yellow one" is a ex HBT sw1500.
The two white ones came thru here about 3 years ago, worked out at Cargil in Jacintoport, then went to Galveston.
Note most of them are EMD products?
You have the 65 ton center cab and a Alco, but the old SWs keep on banging away.
Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and will keep pulling till the wheels burn off.

Side note, who know what the C in the CF7 stands for, and what the locomotive started out as?
Clue, think Santa Fe!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

[JoeKoh]

i do i do i do!!!
thanks to a man from texas
stay safe
joe

[tree68]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard
[
Side note, who know what the C in the CF7 stands for, and what the locomotive started out as?
Clue, think Santa Fe!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

I know! I know! But I'll keep quiet so some others can think about it, too!

[Anonymous]

Oh Ed, the yellow one in the last pic is not an SW1500. The radiator grille does not wrap around the top of the hood on the sides. It also has the wrong head lights. I was just going by what I could see in the book Diesel Locomotives: The First 50 Years.

P.S. OH, OH, I know, I know. But i'm not telling !!!!!!!!!!!!! [:D] [}:)]

[foamer4000]

The blue and yellow one is an ex Great Western SW-1 #62. I had an opportunity to opperate her in Loveland Co in about 1984. It is good to see that she is alive and well. What was the town she was located in?
David

[edblysard]

Derailed,
took a close look at the yellow one, note the sharp cut in the hood, instead of the more gentle, long slope EMD used later, and the headlight.
Your right it is a old, old NW.

For all of you out there wondering, these things are the railroads version of a mid 60s Chevy pick up truck.

Ugly, beat up, simple to repair and cheap.

Everybody has parts for them, and what you cant buy, you can make.

They get swapped around, sold, re sold, rebult, "kitbashed" and modified, and traded all the time.

On some, the only thing keeping the weather out is the 12 or 13 differen coats of paint they have had.

They are tough little beasties.

And just like most farmers, with a old Chevy work truck out in the barn, about every heavy industry has one or two stashed out back to switch their plant.

Stay Frosty
Ed

[espeefoamer]

[;)]I know the answer to this one ! My silence can be bought![:)]

[UPTRAIN]

GOOD LORD I CAN'T HELP MY SELF.........CF7 means_______________ it is an ex_____. I think the Cargill SD40-2 is an ex mo-pac!!! Damn, they must be pulling alot of cars outta there to need 3,000 horses!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Those are really great pictures! Thanks for sharing them with us! I'm from Western Canada, so I've certainly seen my share of elevators! A certain Cargill elevator used to have some switchers that were named, but now they've got rid of the names. One was called Fred Pelhay and I can't rememebr the others.

[Anonymous]

Man, nice photos. I need to move. I'm missing out. Everything around here happens at night.

[Anonymous]

The yellow #771 sure looks a lot like the original Iowa Northern livery. I saw
a switcher that may have been the same model as that parked on a weeded-
over siding of the old Rock Island in Vinton, Iowa. I'd be interested to know
the lineage of #771.

[UPTRAIN]

If it happens at night get ya some big shop lights and set em out by the track. [:D]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by drailed1999

Ok after a few miniuts of research, here's the list.
1) ALCo S-2 ex SP
2) ALCo S-4

No, I am sorry, but neither of those are S-2's or S-4's. On the first one, look at the trucks, all S-2's have ALCo blunt trucks, and look at the position of the exaust stack, this is a 251 powered model (not 539), either a S-5 or S-6 (no MAJOR spotting differences between the two, just HP [S-5 - 800hp.... S-6 - 900hp]). Same with the second ALCo switcher, look at the position of the exaust stack, also a 251 powered model. This one as well is a S-5 or S-6.

[Anonymous]

Oops, I stand very corrected. those are S-5's or S-6's. What could have I been thinking. DUH!!!!! Brain fart !!!!!!!!!!

[fuzzybroken]

I think the ones identified as "GP9's" are actually GP7s, unless rebuilt or very early GP9's. Most (not the x-BN) look like Santa Fe rebuilds.

-Mark
http://www.geocities.com/fuzzybroken
[8D]

[Mookie]

Ed - does the C stand for Cute?

Mook

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

The "little yellow one" is a ex HBT sw1500.
The two white ones came thru here about 3 years ago, worked out at Cargil in Jacintoport, then went to Galveston.
Note most of them are EMD products?
You have the 65 ton center cab and a Alco, but the old SWs keep on banging away.
Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and will keep pulling till the wheels burn off.

Side note, who know what the C in the CF7 stands for, and what the locomotive started out as?
Clue, think Santa Fe!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

while lookin at a map of texas i noticed 2 diffrent Santa Fe lines
ATSF & GCSF ATCHISON TOPEKA & SANTAFE - GULF COAST & SANTA FE
I guess this was the same company or was GCSF aquired by ATSF ???

[Anonymous]

I was looking at the hand rails to make the ID

[timthechef]

I know the answer, here's a hint, the answer was in MR a few months ago.

[espeefoamer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SLIC

QUOTE: Originally posted by edblysard

The "little yellow one" is a ex HBT sw1500.
The two white ones came thru here about 3 years ago, worked out at Cargil in Jacintoport, then went to Galveston.
Note most of them are EMD products?
You have the 65 ton center cab and a Alco, but the old SWs keep on banging away.
Cheap to buy, cheap to fix, and will keep pulling till the wheels burn off.

Side note, who know what the C in the CF7 stands for, and what the locomotive started out as?
Clue, think Santa Fe!
Stay Frosty,
Ed

while lookin at a map of texas i noticed 2 diffrent Santa Fe lines
ATSF & GCSF ATCHISON TOPEKA & SANTAFE - GULF COAST & SANTA FE
I guess this was the same company or was GCSF aquired by ATSF ???

By Texas law,any railroad operated in that state had to be incorperated there. ATSF incorporated the GCSF to operate in that state. Southern Pacific operated the T&NO for the same reason.

[Anonymous]

The "C" in CF7 stands for "Cleburne", because this is where the WW2 vintage F7's were rebuilt with a roadswitcher type body; at the Santa Fe's Cleburne, Texas shops. Many other rebuilds were done here such as the SF's SSB1200 switchers and Fairbanks Morse switcher with a GP style long hood and EMD 567 engine (only one produced). And correct me if I'm wrong, but wern't Santa Fe's SF30C's rebuilt at Cleburne also?