My friend Jeff recently ran accross a centercab switcher at an abandoned plant of some sort earlier this week. Got a pic today. The plant is on the north side of Woodland,CA along the east side of Hwy 113. No markings identifiying the plant or the switcher could be found anywhere. Anybody got a clue what, when, how???????
Does look like a 44 tonner. I wonder who you could ask about the plant? If there was an address showing somewhere, maybe a reverse directory? Ask the local fire dept? Police? Real estate folks? City? Anything nearby? :sad: Boxcab E50
We weren't even sure what type of plant it was. Pic was taken from the middle of a tomato field (yes I had to tresspass) through a fence with my telephoto maxed out. Think the road is Best Farm Road or Co Rd 18C or such. Any signs we found weren't legibal except for one that said something to the effect of "Danger, possible dust explosions" In all the years I've been railfanning Woodland and Northern California, I've never heard of this switcher before. Nothing in any of my references ties in with it. I'm hoping it belonged to a Nor-Cal shortline at some point in its career.
Too bad you can't get close enough to find a frame number on this critter, or a name for this particular facility. Both would be helpful to determine its origin. Was ir is there some sort of "critter list" on the Web somewhere, listing critter types, builders, locations, etc? Looks like the game's afoot..........
Is it standard gauge? At first glance, it looks quite a bit like the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge RR's backup diesels. (Scroll for pics of the diesels) http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=75165&page=57 http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?p=286903
Yep, checked the preserved critter list I can find. No dice. It is standard guage. It at the end of one of the spurs that Califorinia Northern uses to store rolling stock.
Ok, recent discussions may place this unit as an 80Tonner and the plant may be the old Spreckles Sugar plant. Can anyone confirm?? Anybody know the history of any Spreckles Sugar locos??
I'd still say it was a 44T, but a older one. Notice no grill on the front of the hood, old ones had 2 smaller ones on each side of the hoods instead. Then there are some that seem to have no grills: Good photos here: http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel122.html up at the top you can go to pages with different tonnage locomotives.
We Have These In Canada At All Paper Mills To Pull The Loaded Paper Cars Around The Yard!Abitibi Price Is One Big Paper Maker-Kimberly Clark Another Et All!
This is what a center cab 70Tonner looks like: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/nyc/nyc-x510s.jpg http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/misc-s/ssco0g.jpg That last one just happens to be about 5 miles from me.
It's difficult to say. Until someone has THE definitive answer. Perhaps it's the photo angle, etc. But to me, this doesn't look quite large enough to be an 80 tonner. Yet, it could be larger than a 44T. mg: Boxcab E50
Jeff's initial thought when he found it was that it was inbetween a 44Ton and 80Ton unit such as the 65Tonner showed above. I'm tending to agree now that I've seen pictures of all three types.
Is this the place we're talking about? http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ProfileSE.aspx?LID=13982541&linkcode=1070&sourcecode=1lww2t006a00001 Boxcab E50
Yep! Thats the place. That pic is from the southeast corner. Heres a link to another pic from the southwest corner. http://ulibimage.ucdavis.edu/speccoll/east01/full/B-5026b.jpg Tracks come in from the west on the north side of the plant and curve south down the west side of the plant.
Ok, someone on Loconotes has positively identified the unit as a 65ton GE. That and we know it is ex Spreckels/Holly Sugar. Very cool!!! Now if I could find some history for the unit I'd definately call this case closed. Gotta love the internet!!!
