LC Wrote:
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> How did you like the Baldwin S 12's I remember
> them at Klamath Falls, Dunsmuir and at Weed at the
> Long Bell sawmill, early 1960's.
>
> I remember 5200's in Medford Oregon, both Cab and
> Cabless (B units). Lots of Lumber and AG traffic
> in the 1950's Thanks for the history of the SP

I recall both 2100's were used a lot out of J yard to switch the industrial districts on Alameda, south of Downtown LA/South of Washington to 92 Street (the end of switching limits)in the late 60's and I got to work on them in 69 out of J yard. They had the distinctively ugly looking front headlights.

These were powered by an engine with a completely different setting to the governor from the 5200's, and in the days of "dutch drops" and other such switching "ballets" prohibited today, seemed to be nimble and quick loading. I didn't get to operate them except as a fireman, and a few times as a hostler helperr, and they seemed okay.

Another more commone engine at the J yard then was the SP collection of 2300 Fairbanks Morris sitchers, which were actually pretty good, and also had the ugly headlight thing.

These all were replaced very soon after that time by the arrival of the SW-1500's, and all "weird" SP power like these Baldwins, FMS, or the earlyAlco switchers were some of the first to hit the deadline in the early 70's. The older GM switchers like the SW-1, or SW-8's survived longer on the SP and were generally considered to be more reliable and less "finicky" than the FM, Alco or Baldwin switchers.

Once again, the 2100's and 2300's particularly with those "ugly duckling" headlights were a big train fan favorite back then, as opposed to all of those hundreds of "run of the mill" GM units folks thought were ubiquitous...