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Re: WE WILL DELIVER...eventually! Couplers?
Author: Shortline Sammie
Date: 06-28-2010 - 19:57
The OPR 803 when operated on the OPR did NOT have alignment control couplers as they were unnecessary for the service the locomotive was assigned. Whenever the unit is moved over a Class I they have to have roller bearings AND alignment control couplers, PERIOD.
The Oregon Pacific has a fully equipped shop to handle these modifications. The OPR 803 became WRIX 803 and the alignment control modification was accomplished BEFORE the unit was interchanged to the UP @ Canby and INSPECTED by BNSF while @ Canby. The UP accepted the BNSF inspectiion as it only had to move 22 miles on the UP in a local but 200+ miles on the BNSF (at least that was the plan BEFORE it went to Fife and back)!
OPR is a professional group of railroaders and was fully aware of the alignment control coupler requirement (which is an individual RAILROAD requirement rather than an FRA requirement) and would not attempt to ship the unit WITHOUT the modification just like we would not attempt to move a friction-bearing unit inb the middle of the night between our two operations. The industry is just too small to get a reputation for half-assing a move such as this.
Hope this straightens out any misconceptions about the 803 which is now on its way to Spokane (finally!!!) and its new owner, Western Rail.
Dick Samuels
The Oregon Pacific has a fully equipped shop to handle these modifications. The OPR 803 became WRIX 803 and the alignment control modification was accomplished BEFORE the unit was interchanged to the UP @ Canby and INSPECTED by BNSF while @ Canby. The UP accepted the BNSF inspectiion as it only had to move 22 miles on the UP in a local but 200+ miles on the BNSF (at least that was the plan BEFORE it went to Fife and back)!
OPR is a professional group of railroaders and was fully aware of the alignment control coupler requirement (which is an individual RAILROAD requirement rather than an FRA requirement) and would not attempt to ship the unit WITHOUT the modification just like we would not attempt to move a friction-bearing unit inb the middle of the night between our two operations. The industry is just too small to get a reputation for half-assing a move such as this.
Hope this straightens out any misconceptions about the 803 which is now on its way to Spokane (finally!!!) and its new owner, Western Rail.
Dick Samuels
