#emdsd40

Redbird in Bloomington

After the previous post, I wanted to track down an example of a GM&O SD40, which sported the nickname of "Redbird."

This one was found in Bloomington, Illinois, the town where a few of us would visit every so often in a hunt for GM&O F-units. This particular unit was built for the road in 1966.

A New Look for the GLC

At the time this image was made, this was a new look for the GLC. Also since then, more recently, the small road has been acquired by Watco.

In any case, this is I wrote for a caption when the photo was made...

Great Lakes Central Railroad unveiled a new paint scheme for its locomotives—here we see it applied to a recent acquisition: six-axle locomotive number 382. This unit is 48 years old [now 56]; it was built as an EMD SD40 in 1970 as Penn Central number 6262.

The locomotive, hauling but one or two cars of scrap, is seen crossing over the Boardman River in Traverse City, Michigan. The Grand Traverse County Courthouse is visible in the background [since obscured by a new building]; the rail line is the former Pere Marquette.

Night into Dawn—Bloomington, Illinois

Bloomington was a haven for EMD F-units back in the mid- to late-1970s. I ventured over there from Indiana several times to shoot the "covered wagons" of the Gulf Mobile & Ohio, sometimes in the dark. The GM&O was part of the Illinois Central Gulf by that time, but engines weren't painted quickly after the merger took place in 1972, which was fabulous for railroad enthusiasts. [I believe two of the F3s did make it into the orange and white scheme of the ICG.]

We begin this little sequence of images with a view of number 810B: it's an F3 built in 1947. This unit would be upgraded to pull commuters for citizens of Boston, as MBTA 1111. [In the end, a few of these charismatic F-units went to Boston, a few others to Metro North, but I believe others were scrapped within a couple of years from the time of these photos being made.]

Despite the lure of the Fs, I was also attracted to this wonderful SD40, a so-called Redbird. This one was built in September of 1966. Lastly, number 811b is an EMD F7 built in 1949.

Caboose Hop

This is a southbound move on the Chicago & Alton, later GM&O, then ICG at the time of the photograph. I’m pretty certain the locale is Shirley, south of Bloomington, Illinois.

It’s interesting to note that all of the equipment here is of the GM&O, with the lead unit being former number 919, to go with Red Bird number 920 behind it, both EMD SD40s built in 1966. Bringing up the rear is an extended vision GM&O caboose.

Springfield, Illinois

Here's a northbound train on the old Alton Railroad between Chicago and St. Louis. We’re looking along Capitol Avenue with the Capital Building in the background of course.

The Chicago & Alton Railroad was merged into the Gulf Mobile & Ohio in 1947, which was merged into the Illinois Central in 1972. Thus this line was part of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad at the time this image was made. It's interesting to note that the locomotive is former GM&O 915, an SD40 built in 1966.

Just North of Lincoln

Continuing a series of images focusing on one train, powered by F-units, on the former Chicago & Alton, later GM&O/ICG.

At this stage, the train has to taken to a siding for a northbound job. Interestingly enough, the power for this train are three Red Birds, consecutively numbered, no less: 913, 914, and 915 (renumbered to 6064). This is another example of GM&O power staying close to home after the merger.

I’ve been told it’s Kruger Elevator while the siding is known as Athol (which is an unfortunate name, to be sure). The first image shows the color position light pretty well—note dwarf version on the ground, which governs the siding.

Great Lakes Central—Surprised by a Six-Axle

This is the Great Lakes Central Traverse City Turn running along East Bay of Grand Traverse Bay, in northern Michigan. The train is on the former Pere Marquette Railway, which ran from Chicago, up the west side of Michigan, to Petoskey.

The crew has recently dropped three loads at the lumber yard at Bates, near Williamsburg, on Route 72, and is now headed back to Traverse City. It is first seen along side Grand Traverse Bay, East Arm, with a couple of empties. The middle two images show the train at Grant Street in TC itself (with a good view of the former PM station in the going-away shot). The last two shots were made at the depot itself, which is now an eatery.

I was really surprised by seeing this six-axle locomotive today—some of the rail on this branch is the smallest I’ve seen in a long time. Some nice folks on Facebook locked down the heritage of the unit for me: it is an EMD SD40 built in 1970 as Penn Central 6262.