FRISCO 760 SOUTHBOUND train 731 Rogers Arkansas. Lowell Haddock engineer, A W McBride Brakeman.

BRAND New at the time. Thanks

 

This is a cool shot. I'm surprised they allocated 2 or possibly 3 of these units to the 731.

 

Great shot for how quickly new units got light road and exhaust grime.

Tony LaLumia

 

I’d love to know the date on this for that reason. I wonder how old they are. There’s some filth on the chassis and the cab roof is starting to shed its paint. Time frame would be helpful for weathering projects.

The difference in them is interesting too. One silver light cover one orange. White grab irons or orange grab irons. I’m sure there’s more.



Thanks

 

They are all new locomotives. I’ll get a date for you. It is on my slide. The locomotives were less than a two months old. We began to receive them on the Ft Smith subdivision, mixed in with all the regular units. 100,400, 600 series, no particular rhyme or reason.

 

And here I am bringing the former #759 to stop to visit a bit with old friend Mike Condren (Mike snapped the photo as I recall.)

 

Addendum:

I was assigned the former #759 for several months on account of a catastrophic washout just north of Schaberg that dumped the big motors into Clear Creek. So, all the Alco's were being pulled north for service on the turns to fill in the huge void left by losing at least two (might have been all three, can't remember) of the big motors. Pulling the Alco's north was going leave FS without power. For a week or two, we only had two Alco's to cover all the FS jobs until the A&M leased the above KCS unit along with two former D&E/TO&E units. This released the two Alco's left in FS to go north into the power pool. At the time, I was the only person at FS that knew anything about EMD's, so I had to instruct the others how to bleed the cylinders, start their engines, etc. I recall that one of the big motors came back on line, and it freed up a couple of Alco's for FS Jobs 1 and 3, but the #759 stayed on my job for quite a while until the other motor (or motors) were repaired and back into service. I then got an Alco and gave the #759 back to the KCS.

I was able to set tonnage records with the "#759! It was slippery to get started (high horsepower on only 4 axles), but once I got it going it would haul the mail and drag more tonnage up the grades than any of the Alco's. I think I ended up getting something like 30-32 loaded cars up out of the river bridge and likewise over the hump at Belle Point Park. That's was quite a feat and not practical with any of the C420's.

It was great being back in an EMD after several years of only Alco's. EMD's are so ergonomically friendly compared to an Alco, but I will say that Alco's were built more "heavy duty" than EMD. Aside from the screw-on handles on the controls, there was ZERO plastic in the cab. EVERYTHING was either plate or cast steel, or brass (handle/latches). EMD used a lot of plastic (Bakelite?) on their control stands and such. Shucks, EMD's even used plastic reverse levers! (Alco's were heavy steel.)

Enough rambling.

 

The GP40-2's were all delivered May/June of 79. The tree in the background of the photo is still dark green, so it can't be much past the first week of October 79 at the latest. I too am interested to know the date, but I'm going to throw in a guess of August or September 79.