Indiana and Ohio Railway GP30 #87

I have the honor of being a friend to a railroad guy who is a hardcore railroader.  He has been doing this since he was 18 years old. While exchanging lines from the movie Pulp Fiction, "Do you read the Bible?"  "No, I read GCOR."  Alrighty then.

He started drinking that railroad issued Kool-Aid that was given to him by the folks at the old Indiana and Ohio Railway and has been sipping on it ever since.  We all know that railroaders will never admit to liking trains. That would be a cardinal sin in the railroading circle. But we do have our favorite engines that we love to run.  His was the I&O 87, an ex-C&O GP30.  Here she is waiting at the Newburgh and South Shore's Marcelline Yard awaiting mechanical work.

I'm still looking for that locomotive that I like to run.......

I&O GP30 87  Summer 2007

Tribute to Wheeling's GP35

They have been here since the 1990 spin off from the Norfolk Southern. Hauling all type of trains over Wheeling tracks and gain over Sand Patch. Once the backbone for the fleet, the daily workhorse. One unit was ordered by the P&WV. Southern had theirs built with Alco trucks from RS3 trades. Pure Southern units to the bone, the overhead walkway lights can still be found in use some nights. Eventually, the best ones made it into the Brewster shop to receive a new lease on life. Some recently ended up at LTEX for three SD40-2 units. A sign in Brewster serves a small reminder about the role of the GP35 on the W&LE.

Wheeling & Lake Erie GP35 Sign. Brewster Locomotive Shop

W&LE GP35 200.  Falls Junction Yard. Glenwillow, Ohio

W&LE GP35 2662 and 108.  Falls Junction

P&WV GP35 101. Falls Junction

W&LE GP35 2662. 

W&LE GP35 2645 at LTEX.

W&LE GP35 2664 at LTEX.

 

W&LE GP35 2650 at LTEX.

Bye Bye Kodachrome.......

This past Sunday, CBS's Sunday Morning show headline story was about Kodak retiring it's Kodachrome film line.  The film was known for its bright colors produced.  I started photographing a few years before the digital camera boom.  During my short few years using a 35mm film camera, I never used Kodachrome.  Soon, my 35mm would be retired for a point and shoot digital camera.

In 1984,  the Southern Pacific Railroad and Santa Fe Railway purposed a merger of the two companies.  Both railroads started painting locomotives yellow and red.  These units would would earn the nickname "Kodachrome" due to the colors of the film's packaging colors. There would be no merger due to the lack of approval from the ICC.  These units were short lived and would soon be repainted back into their home road colors.  

Over 10 years ago, the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway held an employee locomotive paint scheme contest.  Somehow, the Kodachrome colors would win.  Two GP35 locomotives would be painted red and yellow.  Recently, the ranks were thinned to one.  The one remaining unit will likely stay in the Kodachrome scheme until it goes to the Brewster shop for an overhaul.

Wheeling and Lake Erie GP35-3 2662 at Falls Junction.  Glenwillow, Ohio 12/5/2010

Metra’s first female engineer retires after 38 years - Batavia Sun

Metra’s first female engineer retires after 38 years - Batavia Sun

I love railroad worker's stories. This is Vallorie O’Neil's story in print and in video.

 

Turtle Crossing

With a little help, this turtle did make it across the tracks.......