I'll wait for the owner to make some kind of official announcement, but the privately-owned ex-Amtrak SDP40F (Amtrak 644, now in sky-blue-and-silver Maersk colors) and F40PH 231 (now in SP Daylight colors) have been relocated in the past day or so from their former home at Ogden, Utah to Las Vegas.

Sandy- I think I'd read some time ago that the SDP is not operational? As I'm sure that you know, there was an article about it in Trains several years ago. Do you have any further info?
Thanks, Ned

The overarching reason is that the city of Ogden wants to redevelop Union Station, which will likely spell the expulsion of ALL of the museum equipment on the grounds in favor of more cookie-cutter housing, shopping and entertainment options.

https://www.standard.net/news/business/ ... ddf6c.html

Last I knew both were operational. At worst, we're only talking freshen up the batteries and fuel, do the prep work..........

As posted in the F40PH Preservation, Round Four thread, both continued west of Las Vegas and were spotted passing Barstow earlier this evening, ultimate destination unknown.

_________________
Additions and corrections are welcome. Thanks in advance.

Have a Merry Eleventh Day of Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I have a report from the owner(s) that "Precision Scheduled Railroading" screwed up by setting off the Las Vegas cars on the rear of the train, but not the Vegas-bound locos coupled behind the motive power..........

The locomotives are owned by Dynamic Rail Preservation Inc. (http://dynarail.org/) an independent 501c3 preservation organization. Dynarail started in Portland Oregon, associated with the Brooklyn Roundhouse and their steam preservation/restoration groups there (hence the Daylight paint). As they were forced to move when the roundhouse was torn down and the new restoration facility was created with less track space, they moved their two locomotives to Ogden.

As the situation in Ogden changed work on the locomotives was not possible… operation was not possible.

Conversations were had with the Nevada State Railroad Museum, Boulder City for the last year. Our museum has roughly 5 miles of a former Union Pacific branch, serving the Boulder City and supporting the 1930’s construction of Hoover Dam.

We, NSRM-BC and Dynarail came to a hosting/loan agreement to house, display, offer shop access, and eventually occasionally operate two locomotives.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum curatorial committee has found them to have a connection to Nevada History. (231 was a regular on Las Vegas trains... 644 was a model used on the I-80 corridor, and later as a AT&SF locomotive was used less than 75 miles from the museum through Kingman AZ) Members of their board have become active and productive NSRM volunteers.

Their travel to Las Vegas was complicated when due to computer issues, and a crew dying on the law, just out of town, the locomotives were not dropped at the Las Vegas Arden yard as expected… That hickup will be resolved soon. They will be the first equipment to be delivered to the museum on its own wheels since 1993.

I note that at our request, Dynarail did oil analysis and other documentation while discussing the loan/storage... these are both near operable locomotives, pending FRA annual tests and minor repairs... NSRM has a set of old but serviceable appropriate batteries to support their operation. We don't see these as essential to our operation but a wonderful addition to our museum.


Randy Hees

Great news Randy; thanks.

I bet no one is suprised to see me on this thread.
Last I heard 231 had damage due to scrappers. Navada is a nice dry place and should be a good place for a F40PH unlike another museume that has let theirs rot and want to let sone students turn it into a battery locomotive /rant. I bet the cab AC will be welcome by the crew there.

The "free lance scrappers" damage to the F40 was limited to the HEP cables. The traction motor cables are intact but need some work... material is on hand, and we have a pit available for Dynarail to use for any work.

Like in so many instances, rumors take on a life of their own... and result in dire status reports, which are far from the truth. I have been under and inside the F40.... I suspect that if we checked fluids, and jumped it, it would start and run...

Of course, the Nevada Southern Railway (the NSRM demonstration/heritage railroad) is under FRA regulation as a "non-insular tourist railway" so before they can be operated, they will need a full annual inspection... not a big deal if you are UP... but with volunteers who do this a couple of times a year, on older locomotives, which may have defects... a time consuming process.

Randy

I am glad these two locomotives have found a new home! They both looked fantastic when I visited Ogden in the summer of 2017. I wish Dynamic Rail continued success. Keep up the good work guys!

On a separate note. is the Ogden Union Station redevelopment a future issue? Or is it currently in the discussion/dream/proposal phase?

Here is an album of just about every piece of equipment at Ogden Union Station: http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/archiv ... ?id=124189

What will become of the other artifacts located there? UP turbine #26?

Robert

I am more excited by the SDP40(F), they were my favorite unit on the Santa Fe, and I think they were the most attractive of any units Amtrak bought new. I remember them on #3 and #4 in the seventies, and when the Santa Fe received 18 or so of them in trade for some CF-7s and switchers after they had been sitting for years, the rest were dismantled and made into F40PHs. They headed west to San Bernadino on the head end of freight trains along with some retired Amtrak E60s that I recall went to a mine railroad in New Mexico, quite a sight. The horrible blue paint is from when they were used in an ad campaign for (I recall) Maersk the container outfit. Santa Fe changed the pilot, but that could be changed relatively easily if it were returned to its Amtrak appearance.

The locomotives were delivered on Wednesday the 9th by UP to the derail separating the Henderson industrial spur (old Boulder City branch) with the Museum's trackage. Plan was to move them to the Museum site on afternoon of Thursday the 10th.

This morning Friday the 11th the information about the delivery with video of the pick-up by the Museum's ex-UP GP30 #844 and photos of the locomotives at the Museum site were posted to the Facebook page of "Friends of the Nevada Southern Railway."

I thought I remembered reading somewhere that #231 needed a new turbo, or that one was acquired and needed to be installed. Would that prevent it from being operated in a limited fashion?