Older GE's

[espeelover]

SP 7152 was one of ten U28C's bought originally to work the ore trains; they eventually wound up
all over California; from the coastline to Yuma I saw them running, and I'm sure that was not all.



...sister 7151 already missing parts...



Deadline in the Cornfield, 1978.

[thespcaboose]

These are the first photos I've seen where the SP has a short nose. I like them.

[SSW9389]

Yes, these are what railfans call Phase 2 U28Cs and the first Espee GE units with the short nose. The Espee's four U28Bs looked like U25Bs.

May 28, 2008 4:45:41 GMT -5 thespcaboose said:

These are the first photos I've seen where the SP has a short nose. I like them.

[espeelover]

May 28, 2008 4:45:41 GMT -5 thespcaboose said:

These are the first photos I've seen where the SP has a short nose. I like them.

All of the 6 axle U-Boats had this short nose on the SP; well, I mean the U28C, U30C and U33C....after I get some computer issues fixed, I'll post some more of the later U-Boats for you.

[thespcaboose]

Thank you. I look forward to it.

[SSW9389]

When I was in Commerce, Texas a Cotton Belt rail hub in east Texas the two most common types of GEs were the U25B and the U33C.

[SP 9811]

Excellent photos guys!

[espeefoamer]

That U25B photo reminded my of a U25B mystery.At the SD&AE yard in San Diego yard in the mid 70s a friend and I saw a freight entering the yard.In the consist was a U25B lettered Cotton Belt.Since SSW never owned any U boats,this was a shock to both of us.my guess is that this unit had some major repairs on the Cotton Belt,and in the process recieved Cotton Belt lettering.I never recorded the engine number,and the unit was too far away for the lettering to be visable in the photo I took.We couldn't go into the yard to take a photo,as about 10 minutes earlier,we had ben ejected from that same yard.Anyone have another guess as to this unit being lettered Cotton Belt?

[SSW9389]

Sounds to me like someone at the Pine Bluff Shops was having some fun at Espee's expense.

May 31, 2008 13:54:17 GMT -5 espeefoamer said:

That U25B photo reminded my of a U25B mystery.At the SD&AE yard in San Diego yard in the mid 70s a friend and I saw a freight entering the yard.In the consist was a U25B lettered Cotton Belt.Since SSW never owned any U boats,this was a shock to both of us.my guess is that this unit had some major repairs on the Cotton Belt,and in the process recieved Cotton Belt lettering.I never recorded the engine number,and the unit was too far away for the lettering to be visable in the photo I took.We couldn't go into the yard to take a photo,as about 10 minutes earlier,we had ben ejected from that same yard.Anyone have another guess as to this unit being lettered Cotton Belt?

[SSW9389]

The northbound PSSE train waits in the siding at Maud, Texas for two sections of the Blue Streak Merchandise to clear on December 2, 1972. A pair of U33Cs, the 8632 and the 8723 led this train.

[espeelover]

May 28, 2008 4:45:41 GMT -5 thespcaboose said:

These are the first photos I've seen where the SP has a short nose. I like them.

Here you can see just how small the nose area of this series of GE U-Boats was....


and a little bit closer....


Both taken May of 1980.

[SSW9389]

Here's a Terry Kirkland photo of a three unit set of Espee GEs. The photo is set likely somewhere in Texas on the Cotton Belt, if anyone knows let us know.

[espeelover]

SP ran these units hard for their entire short lifespan; designed to supply 80,000 lbs of
continuous tractive effort at 10mph for many hours, thats just what SP used them for.
Talk about being rode hard and put away wet, these engines saw much abuse and died young.

[SP 9811]

A couple B30-7's...

[espeelover]

Mid 1980 finds this unit loosing parts before being moved to the Bull Ring yard to rust away.