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Re: SP&S F3 leaving Portland June 1970
Author: Lee Hower
Date: 01-19-2009 - 22:28
Ex BN Wrote:
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> The question might be did former SP&S equipment in
> SP&S paint operate in the BN pool trains between
> merger 3/70 and Amtrak 5/71? I imagine it did but
> not in such a pure SP&S train as the one shown in
> the photo.
I'm sure Jim700 has far more knowledge of the operation, but perhaps it did happen before Amtrak. At the time, I was a student at Oregon State University and made several trips up to Portland during that school year, but only acquired my first car, a Datsun 1200, the week prior to the start of Amtrak. On each visit, every time I saw any of the trains between Portland and Seattle all had pure SP&S power.
On April 30, 1971, I had an opportunity to ride the last UP City of Portland from Portland to Hinkle, and return to Portland that night on the Portland Rose. I ended up spending the night sleeping in my car parked right next to the UP Commissary, which was across the street from the SP&S Hoyt Street roundhouse. (When you're 19 you can endure it!) Next morning, I missed the arrival of BN 23, the former SP&S 3 that arrived at 5:30. However, I was out with my camera to record the arrival of BN 21, (SP&S 1), and this was the first time I ever witnessed the train without an all SP&S power consist, behind BN torpedo boat GP9 1978 and a GN Big Sky Blue F7B. I don't know the history of BN 1978, as I don't know what happened to the SP&S GP9s, nor can I remember if any were torpedo boats, but the GN Sky Blue F7B was something I'd never seen on that train. So at least on this one day, its last day, the train didn't have pure SP&S power. (And I don't believe any of the SP&S Fs were repainted BN at this time.)
Of interest, the first northbound Amtrak departure from Amtrak, the morning train to Seattle, operated with a pair of SP&S Fs.
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> The question might be did former SP&S equipment in
> SP&S paint operate in the BN pool trains between
> merger 3/70 and Amtrak 5/71? I imagine it did but
> not in such a pure SP&S train as the one shown in
> the photo.
I'm sure Jim700 has far more knowledge of the operation, but perhaps it did happen before Amtrak. At the time, I was a student at Oregon State University and made several trips up to Portland during that school year, but only acquired my first car, a Datsun 1200, the week prior to the start of Amtrak. On each visit, every time I saw any of the trains between Portland and Seattle all had pure SP&S power.
On April 30, 1971, I had an opportunity to ride the last UP City of Portland from Portland to Hinkle, and return to Portland that night on the Portland Rose. I ended up spending the night sleeping in my car parked right next to the UP Commissary, which was across the street from the SP&S Hoyt Street roundhouse. (When you're 19 you can endure it!) Next morning, I missed the arrival of BN 23, the former SP&S 3 that arrived at 5:30. However, I was out with my camera to record the arrival of BN 21, (SP&S 1), and this was the first time I ever witnessed the train without an all SP&S power consist, behind BN torpedo boat GP9 1978 and a GN Big Sky Blue F7B. I don't know the history of BN 1978, as I don't know what happened to the SP&S GP9s, nor can I remember if any were torpedo boats, but the GN Sky Blue F7B was something I'd never seen on that train. So at least on this one day, its last day, the train didn't have pure SP&S power. (And I don't believe any of the SP&S Fs were repainted BN at this time.)
Of interest, the first northbound Amtrak departure from Amtrak, the morning train to Seattle, operated with a pair of SP&S Fs.
