Just Got Traded to a New Team!

When the photo of this locomotive was taken, the new owner of the railroad company was the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). However, the paint scheme on the locomotive on the front of this post card is that of the Northern Pacific Railway (reporting mark NP), which the BN recently purchased. The Northern Pacific Railroad was an important American transcontinental railroad that operated across the northern tier of the Western United States, from Minnesota to the Pacific Northwest between 1864 and 1970. The Northern Pacific was headquartered in Minnesota, first in Brainerd, then in the state capital of Saint Paul. It had a tumultuous financial history; the N.P. merged with other lines over a century later in 1970 to form the modern Burlington Northern Railroad, which in turn merged with the famous Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to become the renamed BNSF Railway in 1996, operating in the western U.S. It has a long and interesting history, and this website does a very good job of presenting it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Pacific_Railway The locomotive on the front of this post card is a General Electric (GE) U33C model. It was a modification of GE’s U30C locomotive, which began production in September of 1967. The U33C (produced in 1968) was one of GE's most powerful six-motored road-switchers, and one of the last models made by GE using the “old technology” before they developed the more technologically advanced "Dash 7" line. The U33C was General Electric's first six-motored model to sport a noticeably flared rear radiator; needed to handle the unit's 3,300 horsepower using the 7FDL16 prime mover. This model of locomotive sold 275 units by the time GE started to produce Dash 7’s. These two websites can fill you in on the details of the U33C https://rapidotrains.com/ho-scale/diesel-locomotives/u33c-u36c.html and one of my favourites https://www.american-rails.com/38213.html

The post card was published by Railcards.com

Yours, Mine and Ours

General Electric Locomotive Division, General Electric Leasing Corporation, Burlington Northern come together to make this post card work. The paint scheme on the locomotives on the front of this post card is that of

the General Electric Leasing Corporation (LMX). Not only did General Electric (GE) build locomotives, but they also leased them to railroads. The General Electric Leasing Corporation was acquired by Wells Fargo in September of 2015. This was then merged with Wabtec to form Wabtec Freight, which has continued to operate General Electric’s leasing operations. The locomotives themselves are Dash8-39B models from General Electric. This website gives a good, concise history of this model of locomotive. https://trains-and-locomotives.fandom.com/wiki/GE_B39-8 The General Electric B39-8 (Dash 8-39B, or simply "Dash 8") is a type of four-axle, 3,900hp diesel locomotive first built in 1984, and again from 1987-1988. 145 were sold only to Southern Pacific (SP), LMX Leasing, and Santa Fe (ATSF). During the mid-1980's, railroads became interested in purchasing more modern, high-horsepower, fuel-efficient, and otherwise more economical diesel locomotives to replace the preceding so-called "ancient" diesels. To meet these needs, GE developed the Dash 8 line of revolutionary, economical, high-tech, high-horsepower diesel-electric locomotives which included microprocessor controls that monitored everything under the hood via computerized sensors and displayed stats from a panel located the cab of the locomotive. Other features included automatic engine starters, a doppler-controlled wheel-slip system, as well as having an advanced engine cooling system reminiscent to EMD's “Tunnel Motor” cooling system design used on the SD40T-2 and other subsequent "Tunnel Motor" series models, while also retaining a similar design found on previous GE models. The testbed line for the early Dash 8 models officially debuted with the introduction of the B36-8 and C36-8 between 1983-1984. The B39-8 was a complete success and became an almost instant contender to EMD's GP60. Yet not too long after the B39-8's initial production, the more popular and externally similar B40-8 was introduced, thus eliminating the B39-8 entirely from GE's catalog, and the six-axle C40-8 overtook the latter in 1987.

The picture on this post card is taken on the Burlington Northern line at Loram, Montana in 1992. The post card was published by Railcards.com and he usually did not give photo credit for the pictures on the post cards he published.

Dashing through the Line-up

The locomotive pictured on the front of this post card is the successor to the

locomotive featured in last week’s blog post. This website gives us the details about this new model of locomotive: https://grokipedia.com/page/GE_Dash_8-40C The GE Dash 8-40C is a six-axle diesel-electric freight locomotive built by General Electric Transportation Systems, featuring a 4,000 horsepower GE 7FDL-16 V16 turbocharged diesel engine and microprocessor-based control systems. A total of 584 units were produced between December 1987 and 1992, primarily for heavy-haul service on North American Class I railroads. Developed as an evolution of the earlier Dash 7, the Dash 8-40C represented GE's push into advanced electronic controls, becoming the first locomotive in any major series to incorporate fully microprocessor-equipped engine management for improved efficiency and reliability. Production began with the first unit delivered to Union Pacific in late 1987, and the model quickly gained popularity due to its robust design suited for intermodal, coal, and general freight trains. Major original purchasers included Union Pacific (256), CSX Transportation (147 units), Norfolk Southern (75 units), Chicago & North Western (77 units), and Conrail (25 units). Key specifications include a length of 70 feet 8 inches, a weight of approximately 391,000 pounds, a 4,600-gallon fuel capacity, and a top speed of 70 mph, with standard features like dynamic braking, GE 752 traction motors, and 83:20 gear ratios. Early units used Rockwell International FB-3 trucks, later transitioning to Adirondack castings, and production saw minor phase changes such as relocated dynamic brake intakes and enhanced anti-climber designs for safety. The Dash 8-40C's success led to variants like the wide-cab Dash 8-40CW (built from 1989) and cowl-bodied Dash 8-40CM (1993–1994), extending the lineage until GE shifted to the Dash 9 series in the mid-1990s. Many remain in service, often rebuilt for continued freight operations. The railroad for which this “Dash 8” is working is the Chicago & Northwestern. It is seen here at the Proviso Yard in West Chicago. While I have compiled most of the concise history of the railroad below, I recommend that you go to this website for a comprehensive history: https://www.american-rails.com/cnw.html The Chicago & North Western's founding predecessor was the Galena & Chicago Union chartered in 1836. The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad (G&CU) was the first railroad constructed out of Chicago, intended to provide a shipping route between Chicago and the lead mines near Galena, Illinois. The railroad company was chartered on January 16, 1836, but financial difficulties delayed construction until 1848. While the main line never reached Galena, construction to Freeport, Illinois, allowed it to connect with the Illinois Central Railroad and provide direct service to Galena. The G&CU is notable as not only being Chicago’s first railroad but also the first to operate a steam locomotive out of the city. After a very long and complicated history, including the purchase of the railroad by its employees in 1972, the Union Pacific Railroad took full ownership of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad in 1995.

The photo credit for this picture goes to Doug Koontz. I found this description on this website: https://www.tumblr.com/norfolksouthern/190314271822/doug-koontz-a-norfolk-southern-foreman-is-no. No guarantees that this is the same Doug, but if push comes to shove, I might bet some money that they are the same person. "Doug Koontz, a Norfolk Southern foreman, is no stranger to photography. Before joining the railroad six years ago, Koontz was a newspaper photojournalist in Maryland. Near the end of a freezing winter day, Koontz happened to be near Fort Hunter Mansion and Park just north of downtown Harrisburg when he saw this NS merchandise train passing over the Susquehanna River on the Rockville Bridge. He took advantage of the colorful sunset view just in time. The icy waters of the Susquehanna, juxtaposed by fading sunlight, serve as a reminder that NS runs 24/7, in all weather conditions. Koontz recalls a saying he once heard about our around-the-clock service: “A sunset on the railroad is a pretty light show in the middle of the day.” The post card was published by Audio Visual Designs.

A True Hodgepodge of a Railroad

The locomotive on the front of this post card is a General Electric B23-7.

The "B" refers to that fact that it is a four-axle (B-B) locomotive. The "23" indicates that the horsepower rating is 2,250 h.p. in the traction motors. And the "7" indicates that it was introduced in 1976. The Dash 7 model is similar to the familiar U-Boat locomotives made by General Electric with a few important changes. The length of the locomotive was increased by 2 feet. The radiators used were bigger than those used on the U-Boats. There are two fewer side windows on the main cab. And the hood is wider than the U-Boat between the radiator cabin up to the exhaust stack. The fuel efficiency (because of a smaller 12 cylinder engine) and tractive effort were both improved with this model. A total of 536 B23-7's were built. This locomotive is operating on the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Metro-North is the descendant of commuter rail services dating back as early as 1832. By 1969, they had all been acquired by Penn Central. The MTA acquired the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines by 1972, but Penn Central continued to operate them under contract. Service was transferred to Conrail in 1976, when it absorbed most of Penn Central's railroad functions after Penn Central's bankruptcy. The system took its current form in 1983, when the MTA took over direct operation of Conrail's commuter services in the northern portion of the Tri-State Area and formed Metro-North to run them. To understand the title of this particular blog post I recommend that you read the article in Wikipedia here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro-North_Railroad

The photo credit goes to Joseph J. Trifono. The post card was published by Audio Visual Designs out of Earlton, New York.

Talk About Different!

The locomotive on the front of this post card is extremely unique. It is an FPA-4. What makes it unique is that this is a Canadian National Railway (CNR) locomotive and the FPA-4s were built exclusively for the CNR. It is pulling a train on a route that no longer operates.

This was part of a weekend service between Toronto and North Bay, Ontario. The route is 350 miles long. Today, VIA Rail operates passenger services in Canada and they no longer make this run. One must to to Sudbury and hope to make some sort of connection using other transportation to get to North Bay. A part of this train is a bullet-end observation car built in 1937 for Reading Railroad’s “Crusader”. It was then given to the CNR for their luxurious “Champlain” route between Montreal and Quebec City. This picture was taken in August of 1977. The information below was taken from this website: https://www.pwrs.ca/view_product.php?ProductID=157278 In 1940, General Electric (GE) and American Locomotive Co. (Alco) concluded a sales and marketing agreement to manufacture diesel locomotives under the Alco-GE label. While World War Two prevented immediate building, the Alco-GE planning efforts continued. In the 1940s, EMD's (General Motors’ locomotive division) success with their "FT" freight diesels drove Alco to develop their own streamlined freight locomotives. These diesels were developed around Alco's new turbo-charged "244" prime mover, GE electrical systems and AAR type B trucks. As a result, the first FA/FB set was delivered to the Gulf Mobile &Ohio Railroad in 1946. The 1500-h.p. FA1s and FB1s sold quickly, and were succeeded in 1950 by the up-powered FA2s and FB2s. Also in 1946, Alco delivered their first streamlined passenger diesels to the Santa Fe. These 2000 h.p. units in cab/booster configuration were later designated the PA/PB-1 type. Upgrades in 1950 resulted in the PA/PB-2 type. Some units were later rebuilt and popularly called PA/PB-4s. In 1950, Alco upgraded their specifications to DL-212 (cab) and DL-213 (booster). Since these units were designed for dual freight/passenger service. To accommodate steam generators, both units were lengthened, cabs to 53'6" and boosters to 52'8". These units were rated at 1500 h.p. The cab units were 51'6" long and the boosters were 50'6" long, leaving no room for steam generator equipment. All DL-208/209 units went to the Gulf Mobile & Ohio. Units built to later specifications (DL-208A/209A, DL-208B/209B and DL-208C/209C) were more widely distributed. Units with steam generators installed were designated FPA-2 and FPB-2. In 1951 through 1953, the Montreal Locomotive Works produced FA-2s and FB-2s under Alco specifications ME1600FA and ME1600FB. These were produced for Canadian National Railways and Canadian Pacific Railway in 1951-1953. Alco FA-2s and FB-2s built with steam generators installed were designated FPA-2 and FPB-2. Only the Missouri Pacific and some Mexican railroads had FP models built at the Schenectady plant. All other FPs were built by the Montreal Locomotive Works produced FA-2s and FB-2s under Alco specifications ME1600FA and ME1600FB. These were produced for Canadian National Railways, Canadian Pacific Railway, and National de Mexico in 1953-1955. Montreal Locomotive Works also produced the FPA-4 and FPB-4, under Alco specifications DL218 and DL219. Not only were the engines uprated to 1600 h.p., car bodies were stretched to 54'0" (cab) and 53'2" (booster). The locomotive on the front of this post card is one of those locomotives. They were produced exclusively for the CNR.

The post card was published by JBC Visuals out of Totonto. The photo credit is given to Ted Wickson.

Little Joes

The last three weeks have focused on electrical locomotives on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad (Milwaukee Line); in this time we have seen two generations of the locomotives by used by the Milwaukee Line. Today we see the third, and final, generation of electrical locomotives they used. It is known officially as the General Electric EF-4 or EP-4 (depends on if it is being used for Freight or Passenger service). Each locomotive had 12 axles (8 of which were with power) with a 2-D+D-2 configuration. They were powered by 3,300 volts DC from overhead wires using the pantograph system for electrical connection. Each locomotive could develop 4,300 kilowatts of power (over 5,000 horsepower). That is enough energy to light up 43,000 one hundred watt light bulbs. The Milwaukee Line had 12 of these in service from the 1950s to June 15, 1974. General Electric actually built twenty units; the other eight sibling engines went to Brazil's Companhia Paulista de Estradas de Ferro and to the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad. They are called Little Joes because the units were originally built for use in the Soviet Union (whose leader was Josef Stalin). The Cold War set in before the units were completed and the United States government would not allow them to be delivered to the Soviet Union. General Electric looked around for other buyers and the Milwaukee Line purchased its twelve for about $1 million. These units proved their value in the Rocky Mountains as they pulled train after train dependably over the passes and through the snow. The last two week's posts included pictures of the Olympian Hiawatha being pulled by older generation electric locomotives. The passenger train was soon handed over the the Little Joes once they arrived. Only one of these locomotives still survives. It is on static display at Deer Lodge, Montana; the same location at which this cover picture was taken on June 23, 1970. The locomotive in the picture is number E74; the one on display is number E70.

The post card was published by Audio Visual Designs, based out of Earlton, New York. This could be the youngest post card about which I have blogged to date. The address on the back includes a zip code, so the card cannot be any older than January 1, 1963. But, looking up the history of the publisher we find that the company was founded in 1964 by the late Carl H. Sturner. Audio-Visual Designs has been a leader in providing high quality railroad images products for over 4 decades. The business was originally located in Earlton, NY. The name was derived by the products sold at the time – audio soundtracks of trains well as visual items (post cards, books, & calendars). The first All Pennsy Calendar was published in 1966 and for many years used exclusively the photos of Don Wood, a long time friend of Carl's. In the late 80's, Carl started showcasing other photographer's work as well. Railroad Christmas cards were added to the line of products early on and with a few exceptions have featured real photos of trains in action. Three railroad books have been published by Audio-Visual Designs: I Remember Pennsy, Locomotives in My Life, and The Unique New York and Long Branch: all of which were projects worked on by Carl and Mr. Wood. Audio-Visual Designs has also published books for other non-railroad related organizations.

I also have this post card, which is on of the "Little Joes" that was purchased by the Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad, as mentioned above. This picture of #801 was taken in 1965.

Alco-GE Electric Locomotive in the Cascades

Last week, I posted what looked like an "olde tyme" effort at photoshopping a picture of an electric locomotive onto a railroad. The post card this week shows that same type of locomotive, but in a much more believable setting.

This looks like a real picture of a real train on an electrified railroad right of way!! Just like last week's picture, the locomotive has a rounded front and toward the back of the locomotive, the pantograph is very obvious. The headlight is in the same location on the locomotive, too. So this must be the real thing. When I turned the post card over I saw that the publisher was the manufacturer of the locomotive - General Electric!!

This train belongs to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad; probably just like last week's. This one is traveling through the Cascade Range of mountains in Washington state. Operating conditions in the mountain regions of the Pacific Extension proved difficult. Winter temperatures of −40° made it challenging for steam locomotives to generate sufficient steam. Electrification provided an answer, especially with abundant hydroelectric power in the mountains. Between 1914 and 1916, the Milwaukee implemented a 3,000 volt direct current (DC) overhead system between Harlowton, Montana, and Avery, Idaho, a distance of 705 km. Pleased with the result, the Milwaukee electrified its route in Washington between Othello and Tacoma, a further 333 km, between 1917 and 1920. This section traversed the Cascades through the 3.6 km Snoqualmie Tunnel, just south of Snoqualmie Pass. This last bit of information was taken from Wikipedia. This is what the entire back of the post card looks like:

The upper right-hand corner reminds me of a previous post titled: "Don't Do That!". Someone ripped the stamp off the post card, this ruining the value of the card to all but the die-hard collectors.