Rich,

That's one reason they were used on the Industry Hump a lot. They could pull well, up the Walnut grade. But, everytime you had to stop the hump it usually took about ten car lengths, and then you had to back up, and start over again. A good brakemen on the retarder could shorten the process, if they were cut in. I never had that problem with an SD-7 or an SW 1500.

You lash up 4 SW 1500's and you'd be surprised. I had to come back up the UP from Los Nietos to Industry with only two, on a very heavy cut, and they pulled pretty well. Same at the SP Shops, I'd pull 80 pigs half way to Alhambra, up the hill at Aurant, with no problem. You had to use sand properly, and keep them from slipping. A very light touch on the jam, could keep them from slipping. If you let them slip, you'd lose load and stall for sure.

Another real turkey that train fans loved were the U-50's, a real horrible engine. Probably number one among hogheads and roundhouse personnel for the worst diesel electric engine ever built. Several of us know the story of the mountain local and the hoghead who walked it off of the wye at Old Colton, rather than take that piece of junk as a point unit, up the hill. I was fireman on that trip, and saw the chair fly, too. Those were great days.