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About those Weyerhaeuser units...
Author: Jeff Moore
Date: 09-08-2013 - 18:47

SP5103 said: "All the original order were in service for at least 15 years on the SP except 5104 and 5105 which were sold to Weyerhaeuser Timber Company for use. (Did WTCO lease SP 70 tons previous?)"

Reply: No, they did not.

The whole story here was that Weyerhaeuser opened its plant at Springfield in 1947. This mill originally processed logs from company holdings in the area around Sutherlin, and Weyerhaeuser built a new logging railroad running out of Sutherlin. This railroad initially used a 2-6-2 brought down from Washington, the one that is now on display in the Sutherlin city park. SP delivered the logs from Sutherlin to Springfield. In 1956 Weyerhaeuser replaced the steam locomotive with the former Baldwin plant switcher, DS-4-4-750 #301, later supplemented with an 80-ton Whitcomb centercab. The Sutherlin railroad lasted until 1961, when Weyerhaeuser started trucking logs from the area directly to a sawmill the company purchased in Cottage Grove.

The diversion of the Sutherlin logs forced Weyerhaeuser to look for new timber supplies to feed the Springfield mill, and they settled on company holdings up the Mohawk Valley. Weyerhaeuser purchased the 10-mile long Marcola branch from the SP and then built 11 miles of new railroad off the end of that line to reach the new timber. Weyerhaeuser transferred its railroad equipment from Sutherlin up to the new operation- however, the problem here was that the SP part of the branch contained an ancient bridge that had a 70-ton load limit. The bridge would not accommodate the #301, and to replace it Weyerhaeuser traded the unit to the SP in exchange for the two 70-tonners. SP renumbered the Baldwin to its #1091, then resold it to the Texas South-eastern, where it became their #301.

That's the back story on the sale of those two units. SP apparently kept the #5100 on hand to switch McKenzie Plywood, and when they closed in 1977 Weyerhaeuser purchased that locomotive as well. Weyerhaeuser also purchased two more 70-tonners from British Columbia Hydro.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

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Subject Written By Date/Time (PST)
  GE 70 ton assignments on the SP SP5103 09-08-2013 - 11:18
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP Shortline Sammie 09-08-2013 - 12:18
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP pdxrailtransit 09-08-2013 - 13:58
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP SP5103 09-08-2013 - 14:42
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP Shortline Sammie 09-08-2013 - 16:33
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP Rich Hunn 09-08-2013 - 17:16
  Re: GE 70 ton assignments on the SP Rich Hunn 09-08-2013 - 17:59
  Re: GE 70 ton that was only half there... George Andrews 09-08-2013 - 18:24
  Re: GE 70 ton that was only half there... jbbane 09-08-2013 - 18:29
  Re: GE 70 ton that was only half there... Todd Montgomery 09-08-2013 - 18:53
  GE 50 and 70 tons SP5103 09-08-2013 - 20:30
  About those Weyerhaeuser units... Jeff Moore 09-08-2013 - 18:47
  Re: About those Weyerhaeuser units... George Andrews 09-08-2013 - 19:31
  SP 5100 Bruce Butler 09-08-2013 - 20:24
  Re: SP 5100 Russ Czuleger 09-08-2013 - 20:50
  M&ET xSP 70 tons SP5103 09-08-2013 - 20:52
  Re: About those Weyerhaeuser units... Tony Johnson 09-08-2013 - 21:24
  SP GE 70 ton paint schemes SP5103 09-08-2013 - 21:04
  The Bridge pdxrailtransit 09-08-2013 - 21:40
  Re: The Bridge SP5103 09-08-2013 - 21:51
  Re: 70 tonner in San Jose Bill Kohler 09-09-2013 - 07:45
  Re: 70 tonner in San Jose SP5103 09-09-2013 - 08:52
  Re: The Bridge jbbane 09-09-2013 - 08:47
  Re: The Bridge SP5103 09-09-2013 - 10:24
  Lightening the bridge ex-BN 09-09-2013 - 10:52
  Re: SP restricted branches in Oregon SP5103 09-09-2013 - 10:43
  Re: SP restricted branches in Oregon jdb 09-09-2013 - 15:22


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