#sd35

Surprise on the C&EI

This was an interesting sight: a northbound (TOFC) train with Southern Railway power on the former Chicago & Eastern Illinois (Mopac by this time). We're in central Illinois, not far from Tuscola.

Perhaps this run-through arrangement was a way for the Southern to make it to Chicago—they really should have snapped up the Monon prior to the L&N getting that road in 1971.

That lead unit, as SD35, was built for the Central of Georgia in 1966. It's interesting to note that the Southern purchased all their locomotives with high-short-hoods and tended to run long-hood forward, but not always. I always loved this idiosyncrasy with the Southern Railway as well as the Norfolk & Western.

SD35-JP001 Salamangrate Racoon / Salamangreat Racoon Level 1 FIRE Cyberse Effect Monster ATK 400 DEF 800 You can only use this card name’s (2) effect once per turn. (1) When a “Salamangreat” monster you control is select for an opponent’s attack: You can send this card from your hand to the GY, then target those 2 battling monsters; gain LP equal to the attacking monster’s ATK, also your targeted monster cannot be destroyed battle for the rest of this turn. (2) When a “Salamangreat” monster you control destroys an opponent’s monster by battle and sends it to the GY while this card is in your GY: You can add this card to your hand.

SD35-JP003 Salamangreat Gazelle / Salamangreat Gazelle Level 3 FIRE Cyberse Effect Monster ATK 1500 DEF 1000 You can only use this card name’s (1) and (2) effects once per turn each. (1) If a “Salamangreat” monster is sent to your GY, except “Salamangreat Gazelle”: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. (2) If this card is Normal/Special Summoned: You can send 1 “Salamangreat” card from your Deck to the GY, except “Salamangreat Gazelle”.

SD35-JP004 Salamangrate Spinny / Salamangreat Spinny Level 3 FIRE Cyberse Effect Monster ATK 1000 DEF 1500 You can only use this card name’s (1) and (2) effects once per turn each. (1) If you control a “Salamangreat” card: You can discard this card, then target 1 face-up monster; it gains 500 ATK until the end of this turn. (2) If you control a “Salamangreat” monster other than “Salamangreat Spinny”: You can Special Summon this card from your GY, but banish it if it leaves the field.

SD35-JP005 Salamangrate Fowl / Salamangreat Fowl Level 4 FIRE Cyberse Effect Monster ATK 1800 DEF 200 You can only use this card name’s (1) effect once per turn. (1) If a “Salamangreat” monster is Normal/Special Summoned to your field, except “Salamangreat Fowl”: You can Special Summon this card from your hand. (2) You can send 1 “Salamangreat” card from your hand or face-up from your field to the GY, then target 1 Set Spell/Trap your opponent controls; that target cannot be activated during this turn.

SD35-JPP01 Salamangrate Mirage Stallio / Salamangreat Mirage Stallio(n) Rank 3 FIRE Cyberse Xyz Effect ATK 2000 DEF 900 Materials: 2 Level 3 monsters You can only use this card’s name’s 1)/2) effects once per turn each. (1): You can detach 1 material from this card; Special Summon 1 “Salamangreat” monster from your Deck in face-up Defense Position, also for the rest of this turn, you cannot activate monster effects, except FIRE monsters’ effects. (2) If this Xyz Summoned card is sent to the GY for the Link Summon of a “Salamangreat” Link Monster, you can target 1 monster on the field; return that monster to its owner’s hand.

SD35-JP023 Salamangrate Circle / Salamangreat Circle Spell Quick-Play You can only activate 1 card with this card’s name per turn. (1) Activate 1 of these effects. • Add 1 “Salamangreat” monster from your Deck to your hand. • Target 1 “Salamangreat” Link Monster you control that was Link Summoned using Link Material with the same name as itself; it is unaffected by other monster effects for the rest of this turn.

SD35-JP024 転生炎獣の烈爪 Salamangreat Claw Equip Spell Equip only to a “Salamangreat” monster. (1) You can only control 1 “Salamangreat Claw”. (2) The equipped monster cannot be destroyed by battle or card effects, also, if it attacks a Defense Position monster, inflict piercing battle damage. (3) During each Battle Phase, if the equipped monster was Link Summoned using a monster with its same name as material, it can make attacks on monsters up to a number equal to its Link Rating.

SD35-JP002 転生炎獣モル　Salamangreat Mole Level 1 FIRE Cyberse Effect Monster ATK 0 DEF 0 You can only use the (1)st and (2)nd effects of this card’s name each once per turn. (1) During the Main Phase of a turn in which you Link Summoned a Link Monster: You can Special Summon this card from your hand to your Monster Zone that a Link Monster points to. (2) If you control no monsters: You can banish this card from the GY, then target 5 “Salamangreat” cards in your GY; shuffle all of those cards into your Deck, and if you do, draw 2 cards.

Smokey Day, Part One

The Traverse City Turn got into town without me hearing it, but I caught it leaving after a run to Amerhart, the lumber yard over by Williamsburg, Michigan. The train is first seen on the former Pere Marquette (C&O), while the three following images have it on the connector track to the former GR&I (Pennsy).

It's not overcast, but smoke from Canadian wildfires is mucking up the sky, smoke stated as at "unhealthy" levels. The EMD SD35 was built for the Norfolk & Western in 1965—I'm assuming it had a high short hood but was chopped. Later owned by the Montana Rail Link.

Horseshoe Curve

Here’s the first train I saw at the famous landmark: coming down the hill. Of course I had to shoot the head-end power (through a PC auto rack) going in the opposite direction across the valley.

As per usual, it seemed, helper engines hitched a ride on the rear end, probably to simplify the amount of movements dispatchers would have to deal with.

Interesting to note that we have SD35s on both ends of this train. And one will also note that they are both ex-Pennsylvania units as one can see the keystone peeking out from under the PC logo on the lead unit, and both sport the distinctive (if subtle) font of the Pennsy on their number boards.

These were taken during the first year of Conrail, but luckily look pretty much as they would have in the Penn Central era (although the presence of C&NW power might mean something in this regard).