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It's Crunch Time and The Portola Museum Needs Your Help Preserving Rare Quincy/Southern Pacific/EMD Demo Diesel Locomotive ! In 1950, EMD built their first demonstrator for a 'cow and calf' switcher set designated model TR-6, based on the 800 HP SW8. This EMD demo set, numbered 1600 and 1600B, was sent to the SP and worked the Mina and Fallon branches with much success. SP purchased the demonstrators in April 1951 and renumbered them from 1600 and 1600B, to 4600 for the cab equipped A unit (cow), and 4700 for the B unit (calf). The SP also purchased 3 additional TR6 sets, numbered 4601 to 4603 (A units) and 4701 to 4703 (B units), later that year and assigned all 4 to the Northwestern Pacific for road and transfer service. At some point, they were all renumbered into the 1100 series (A-units) and 1150 series (B-units) along with SP's other SW8s. Around 1961, all four of the TR-6B units were separated from their A units and paired with 4 SP dynamic brake equipped SW8s for Roseville hump service. Two of the remaining TR6 As were retired and scrapped while the two survivors, SP 1100 and 1102, were assigned to Los Angeles as standard SW-8's. The B-units were eventually scrapped. SP 1100 would eventually replace SW1 SP 1004 as the Sacramento shop switcher. In the mid-late 1980's, the 1100, aka EMD 1600, the very first TR6A and now believed to be the sole survivor, was sold to Sierra Pacific Industries for use by the Quincy Railroad's operation of the SP's former Susanville Branch. Only the SP and Oliver Iron Mining (which purchased 2 sets) owned TR6s. Quincy 1100 is believed to be the sole survivor of this rare locomotive model and spent many years serving the Quincy Railroad. In summer 2004 it was donated to the Feather River Rail Society in operational condition for preservation in Portola. The current plan is to place the Quincy 1100 into the Run - A - Locomotive program, giving visitors a chance to personally enjoy this unique engine. However, first it must be MOVED. Sierra Pacific Industries has indicated they will terminate their lease on the Susanville Branch in mid-October. At that point, it is likely the line will be severed and perhaps torn up. As the 1100 has friction bearing wheels, it must travel by flat car and before the branch is removed. We are unsure how much time remains but it is possibly only a matter of weeks. If the branch is severed, the cost to move the 1100 will likely triple as we will need to make a heady duty truck move at a much higher cost. With less than 24 hours passing since the transportation requirement was announced, $250 has already been donated toward the estimated $5000 required to save and preserve this unique engine (special thanks to Greg Elems-$100, Gail McClure-$100, Eugene Vicknair-$30 and Wayne Monger-$20) . We need the help of all SP, Quincy and WP fans to bring this piece of Quincy and SP history to Portola (and keep it out of the hands of the scrappers)! Donations can be sent to: Quincy 1100 Fund P O Box 608 Portola, CA, 96122 OR you can now use our new on-line PayPal secure donation method at the FRRS website. Just go to http://www.wplives.org/FRRS_Home/Donate/donate.html for details. Remember, your donation may be tax deductible - please consult your tax specialist. If you have any questions, please contact David Epling at ccrails@sbcglobal.net or Eugene Vicknair at tsry@aol.com.
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