The date escapes me now but it was early 1972 when I took this photo of BN Alco FA-1 4100 at Vancouver. It turned out that this was the last trip for the locomotive. When the train reached Hoyt Street yard in Portland it was shut down and the fuel pumped out and the radio and other stuff was removed. The 4100 was towed dead to Vancouver and stored pending sale.
Nice of them to let her lead the lashup. Is it safe to assume the switcher behind her is being transferred to another yard (or also being retired), and that's the only reason it's out on the road?
One may console oneself saying this locomotive has outlived all Saturn V boosters until Apollo 16... Dom
Those RS3's were road switchers, and many times on the lead in loco consists, right up till the end in the late 70's.
The Alco FA-1's were not repainted in BN Green. Unlike the RS-3's which were. 4076 was the last locomotive repainted in BN Green until the Frisco was merged into BN.
So it is. Got fooled because the short hood is hidden from view, but that cab certainly isn't at the end of the underframe.
Right place at the right time. At the time did you think this might be the last trip, or nearing the end?
Had no idea it was the last trip for 4100. Just got the photo then went to the Hoyt Street yard roundhouse to get more photos of other locomotives.