Tom Moungovan Wrote:
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> Can anybody please offer an opinion as to why an
> SP C-415 would have been in consist heading West
> through Mojave in early 1967?

Any idea which one it was, or if it was running? Warranty 251 engine work was being done at Sacramento around that time (especially on the C630s). The 2401 suffered some sort of engine failure within a few weeks of it being placed in service at LA in early December 1966. It was evebtually sent back to Alco for work, but it's possible it went to Sacto first, given the usual routine. It didn't come back to LA until late in the summer of 1967.

As an aside, while it was in Schenectady, Alco replaced 2401's duplex controller with dual control stands. Said to have been a demonstration project done on Alco's dime, the story was that they offered to do the other nine units at an agreed upon price, but SP declined. Too bad, too, as the lack of cab space was the crews' major gripe about the units.