Always good to get first-hand information. Appreciate that. So, we are sure of the two ends of the story. They were originally owned by the Alaska RR and ended up with the Verde Canyon RR.
Peirce- From your photo- That lead VC unit is numbered 1510. The ARR units that I saw years ago, after being brought down, were numbered in that series. Am fairly certain of that heritage. I keep thinking that there is a web site somewhere that has "short line" units listed. Along with their heritage. But cannot think of where I may have seen this? Boxcab E50
I just found this on John Comb's Alaska RR site: "...1510 (and 1512) were sold to the Wyoming and Colorado and today they survive on the Verde Canyon Railroad." For those interested in what I believe to be one one of the best sites devoted to the ARR, here is the link: http://www.alaskarails.org/
THere are quite a few more F's in tourist service. ADRR in Utica NY has an ex ARR. B&LE, & an ex MN FP10 + 4 or 5 FL9's (used for parts). GB RR in Gettysburg Pa. use an ex B&LE & CNW on their train. They recently got 2 FP9's & an F9b (ex CN - AC) that will be used later on. Ohio Ctl has 2 ex CN FP9's in use + 2 ex Milw. F's ( last I heard, not in good shape). The TVRR museum has a # of ex B&LE units & the Potomac Eagle in WV has an active B&LE (ex 720). Their are 2 in service in Virginia on another tourist RR (name escapes me ). SSRNJ also has 2 ex B&LE F's -727/728 that may still be in freight service. Conway Scenic has 2 active ex CN FP9's + 2 ex B&M F's 1 of which is active. There are 2 active ex MN FL9's that have been recently reptd - can't recall the RR - M&E?. They were used in freight service for a short time a few mos. ago. The Carrizo Gorge in Cal. has 2 or 3 ex B&LE F's that came from a RR in Wash. that are supposed to see service. There are more but thats all I can recall for now. There's also a # of E's in service as well. Bennett Levins 2 ex CR come to mind as well as 1 in Lorain Oh. Another out in Missouri & some at the TVRR museum altho some of them may not be in use at present Don
Don- Thanks for the long list! Those as quoted above, are probably the units I was thinking about, when I mentioned the dinner train in Washington State. If they have/had red paint with white and a little black, and anything concerning "Spirit of Washington." Either used on BN tracks in western Washington, or the former Washington Central RR in eastern Washington. Aside from the Two mentioned on Ohio Central, weren't there also a couple of other Milw F units in the Indiana-Ohio vicinity? Or perhaps Ohio Central acquired them? Isn't there an ex-Milw F unit on the Western Maryland Scenic? Boxcab E50
They are the ex. Washington state dinner train units now based in Campo Cal. Last pic I saw they were still in red /white pt. They're ex B&LE 723/24/A & 712B. WV Central - Bellington WV- has 2 F'7s, an A & B + an FA2 (ex WM) in tourist service. The other 2 F's you mentioned were probably OC 1000/01, ex Milw. , Dakota rail, GBRR who sold them to OC. A lot of the F's in service are ex B&LE & CN. Must be they took pretty good care of them. I know the CN shops in Ft. Erie was quite fussy about not only their own power but N&W's F's as well. There are also Erie Mining Co' F9's in Hoyt Lakes Mn. that are now idle but I'd be willing to bet it would'nt take much to get them operational. Don
