As any visitors to my site may have noticed, I get daily shots of SD40M-2s in Anaheim from one of my contributors. They are almost always different ones each day. I was wondering if any of you had a clue as to why so many of this particular type are seen there Thanks in advance for your help.
It's probably due to UP retiring many of the SP SD45R and SD40R's, which had been the usual power on the haulers for the past few years. I noticed the SD40M-2's started to show up frequently a few months ago, although last Tuesday night I saw an outbound hauler with SP SD40R 7309 in the consist. SD40T-2's also show up occasionally; SP 8336 and 8316 are some of the "regulars". I saw this particular unit (again) on a hauler about a week or so ago: [ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: Mankind ] [ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: Mankind ]
Thanks, I was thinking it was something simple like that. I just happened to post a couple new pics of 8700 during one of my latest updates. It was probably taken the same day you saw it a couple of weeks ago.
This train originates in West Colton yard Sun-Fri. The SD40M-2s are frequent visitors to all the Haulers in and around the LA area. As Mankind said, the UP has retired many of the SP SD45 and 40Rs. I am not sure about the UPs motive power assignment, but a healthy share of the 40Ms seem to work out of WC, in both the helper pool and the hauler pool. I travel along the UP (SP) mains through the City of Industry nearly every day and I see more SP SD40M-2s than anything else.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Alan: Could you explain to a Brit what a "hauler" is, please? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Please explain to us yanks as well!
Quick and dirty answer: a hauler was SP's term for what was more-or-less a local freight. In fact, that's how they were symboled; WCANL was one of the SP symbols, which stood for West Colton-to-Anaheim Yard Local. I _think_ UP still calls them locals in their train designation system, but I might be mistaken. The Haulers make pick-ups and setouts at major yards along the way, but the difference from a "typical" local is that the haulers are usually long. Around 100 cars wasn't unusual, and these trains normally got 6-axle road power. That's a quick explanation...I think SPF can provide even more details.
Well, I can't give a whole lot more detail, but I can add a little. Yes, the UP symbols most of the haulers as locals, for example, the Anaheim Hauler symbols are LOA44 (Eastbound)and LOH25 (Westbound). Basically the haulers move cars from West Colton to and from the smaller yards that serve the locals. For example, the UP runs a hauler from West Colton to J Yard, Dolores, Anaheim, Gemco as well as other haulers in the area such as the Chino and the Valla. Most, not all however, manifests that come into the LA area terminate or originate at West Colton. There, the cars are classified into more localized destinations and put on haulers. This way a train, from Houston for example, doesn't have to travel to Anaheim, Gemco, Dolores etc. to drop cuts, which wouldn't be possible anyway since all are on different mains/branches. Well, I guess I could go through a Anaheim Hauler day. Various trains come into West Colton, where they are humped into new trains. Since there is no yard in Anaheim (there are just several storage sidings along the way), the cars are blocked into Norwalk, Buena Park, Anaheim, etc. blocks so that the cars can be set out at the siding that serve these towns/switchers. The local will have to sort the cars into the particular order they want to switch. To complicate things, the train from Roseville, the QRVMN, does not go to West Colton. So, in order to get cars from Roseville to Anaheim, the QRVMN sets out at SP City of Industry. So on the way to Anaheim, the LOH25 has to pick up some cars at Industry. The odd thing is, the northbound Roseville train, thw QWCRV, leaves West Colton, so the LOA44 doesn't switch CofI on its way to West Colton. Um, I don't know if this makes any sense at all. It is hard to explain with out maps and such as the UP sprawls all over the SoCal area with crossings over itself with yards all over the place. Basically, think of the haulers and transfers. The hauler takes the cars from the over the road trains to the local yards. [ 04 May 2001: Message edited by: SPF ]
Very nice model, Craig. That, and a couple grimy SP tunnelmotors, and you'll be in business. Now, if we could only get you to switch to HO scale...just kidding!
