Tha warbonnet scheme has made a comeback...on new locomotives for the land-locked Navajo Mine Railroad in New Mexico.
The SD line used to regularly have an Autorack train that went during the daylight hours. and I remember distinctly how the Evening train would queue up outside of petco just before the game let out. As for the GP60Ms. They're on the San Jac. Line, because as part of their deal with CARB, BNSF moved most of their older 645/567 based locos out of the state. The GP60Ms aren't ideal switch engines, but they make it easier to meet the fleet age and emissions targets they have set for the state.
The SD yard power used ot be a typical former BN GP39M/V. I think they've moved that out of state by now.
Also, I remember once catching a GP60M on an MoW train in the OC. Just engine and a caboose. Pulled into Fullerton and held on track 3 waiting for clearance down the SD line. Never got the clearance, lost their window and had to go home.
The latest SD75M rebuilds are being repainted in the Heritage 4 version of orange and black with yellow striping and the BNSF swoosh logo.
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/628768/
Because of the retirement of the first and second generation 4-axle power, plus the conditions on some parts of the San Jac...The demoted GP60s are plausible out there. As for the Dey-go's and SD75's -most of them run after dark anyhow.
AT&SFGuy (8-30):
I am not sure how to interpret your inquiry posted a few hours ago. It is assumed the “Orange County” you were inquiring about is the one in California. The southern Transcon goes through Fullerton, which city is in Orange Country, and all GP60’s passed through that county when they were new nearly 30 years ago.
About your August 23 post, and seeing SD75M’s going down to or up from San Diego, roster-wise, that model is a very small fraction of the whole, so to spot one likely will be difficult. I do see SD75M’s from time to time passing through San Bernardino, but to see such in San Diego is highly unlikely, though possible. It is unknown what the current freight schedules to San Diego are, but in the past a train or two was seen late at night or early morning, with a counter return way before dawn.
Have fun by the Pacific Ocean,
K.P.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.
Were GP60M's ever seen in Orange County?
I would say warbonnets will be around for a long time.
A warbonnet stronghold is the San Jac line in Southern California, from Highgrove (San Bernardino) to Perris (San Jacinto). GP60M’s, GP60B’s, GP60’s, and B40-8W’s proliferate. Wide cabs are mostly warbonnet, with some repaints into heritage liveries. It is quite colorful to see a four unit lash-up in different schemes.
Going on thirty years now, the very first AT&SF warbonnet GP60M I personally ever saw was No. 109 at Devore, CA. It was followed up Cajon Pass, and it was seen again passing Summit at a good clip. Back to our time … AT&SF No. 109, now BNSF No. 109, has been seen often in consists along I-215 on the ex-AT&SF line (now Metrolink) to Perris as mentioned in the paragraph above.
There's a GP-60M that shows up regularly on the Centralia IL-Paducah KY run on the Beardstown Sub. It's closer to pink than red now.
RailEagleIt is a real shame that in a decade 80 years of railroad history will be gone. :(
Every decade some historical railroad thing passes out of history and into oblivion. That is our world - it has alway been so and it will always be so. If we stop 'improving' we will be regressing.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
It is a real shame that in a decade 80 years of railroad history will be gone. :(
Will they be seen out west in California along the Surfline?
I would love to see a trio of SF SD75Ms in Red/Silver Warbonnet colors running down to San Diego.
Red/Silver is better than Black/Orange!
They've pulled a bunch of the 600 series true warbonnets out of storage in the last year or so and thus there might be more now than there were in the past, but their numbers are slowly being reduced by the rebuild program that does repaint them into full H3 colors.
I hope they stick around as long as possible.
CSSHEGEWISCH There's still a fair number out there. Between rebuilding the older four-motor power and retirement of Dash-9's and other road power, I would guess about 7-10 years.
There's still a fair number out there. Between rebuilding the older four-motor power and retirement of Dash-9's and other road power, I would guess about 7-10 years.
Wouldn't the rebuilts be repainted in current livery?
How long do you think it will be until we lose all of the BNSF "Bonnets"?
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