I've spent my whole life living in Wisconsin, so I never really got to see any real Espee trains, however growing up reading Model Railroader in the late 1980s/early 1990s got me fascinated with western railroads. I enjoyed the unusual (compared to the Midwest) scenery of the West and the long, generally dirty trains that would snake their way through the landscape, helper locos tucked in the middle and a lone caboose tacked onto the final car. So these days I still model Midwestern scenery, but about half of my locomotive collection consists of SP, SSW, ATSF, UP & DRGW. Above is a shot of a Cotton Belt B40-8 followed by an SP SD40-2T and an SD50 as they pass over the Wisconsin River bridge on their way into Milwaukee. The one and only Espee painted locomotive I ever remember seeing in person was a year or two ago, I was driving to work up here in Northeast Wisconsin in February...cold as ever with snow all over and out pops a lone UP-patched #6404 (former SP AC44CW #349) still in it's original speed lettering pulling what looked like just a local freight through Appleton, WI.
Thanks for finding this thread and bumping it into life again. I needed an SP fix. Here is a model of train #309 and #310 that ran on the old San Antonio & Aransas Pass line between Houston and Kenedy, Texas up until it was discontinued on April 1, 1950. It was sometimes called the "Dinky" by the locals as many such trains were around here. The Gas-Electric motor car pulled a baggage car and a coach as trailers. The run was 179 miles with 22 stops. There were two train sets that set out from each end every morning for the all day run. They passed each other somewhere in the middle.
Russ - That's a really cool train, and a nice photo also. I had no idea SP ran a 'doodlebug' like operation in Texas. I know that area fairly well, I went to flight school at NAS Beeville (when it was an NAS, I think it's a prison now) and we used to use the railroad tracks around the area as landmarks. Hard to believe this thread is 8+ years old and still going strong. Long live the scarlet and grey .
Like Beavis "Yeah yah dirty tunnel motors and like SD45's with the squeak WAAAHhaa of a NathanP3 and stuff!!!" "And oh yah they're like dirty and stuff"
The Sad Sam filmed on the Bridge O' Wonder on SVFM Free-moN layout. [video=youtube;xL1fZFLHnLY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xL1fZFLHnLY[/video]
S.P. Picture Time Finished up the work on my MT4 today. Its my casting installed on a modified Bachman J class mechanism and all power pickup Bachman tender trucks (Bachman Long Vandy tender). So I thought I would share an SP moment....... Lets see YOURS! Jason Smith Tomball Locomotive Works
Awesome as usual Jason. Does T&NO count? This is a Con Cor Hudson mechanism that was converted to a Pacific for the Sunbeam.
Sometimes, the SP runs on the UP. My son's Key MT-4 pulling a Daylight consist at Echo Curve, slowing for the signal on the west end of Echo Yard, to pause for 10 minutes allowing her brakes to cool.
Here is pic of my two favs in SP. Sort of represents the changing of an era. I am sad though because I did not build these to go with the other postings. Oh well ! Carl
Two more SP from me, but again not bashed or scratched. One KATO and one KEY. Did I mention that I am from an SP family? Oops, how did that get in here? Did I mention that I like steam. Someday I may have an AC-9. Carl
