Would these have pulled the Sunset Limited? The version(not sure if there was more then one version) with the aluminum bodies, and orange strip striping. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you.
Bill
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Yes! Also, one or two E units were repainted into BW, and used on 1-2.
Originally Posted by NSBill:
Would these have pulled the Sunset Limited? ...
isn't this exactly the train that is in the opening and closing scenes of "Bad Day at Black Rock"?
I can't say that black widow F7's never pulled the Sunset, but they were not normally used on that train. The regular power west of El Paso was the five sets of A-B-B E7's in red and orange*, and east of El Paso, back-to-back T&NO Alco-GE PA1's. After the T&NO PA1's went to SP, they were mixed in with the E7's. These units all lacked dynamic braking and were mainstays on the Sunset. The Argonaut, the secondary train on the Sunset Route, used black widow A-B-B or A-B-B-A F7's (including FP7's) during the 1950's.
Later, after the black widow and Daylight paint was gone from the passenger diesels, the Alcos were seen less often and the train was combined west of El Paso with the Golden State. The solid E7 consists became mixed with F7, FP7, E9, and Rock Island E8 units. F-units and E9's mixed were the final SP streamlined passenger units on the pre-Amtrak Sunset east of El Paso.
Run your black widows on your Sunset if you want and tell the know-it-alls that the E7's failed an ICC inspection at Los Angeles that day and the F-units were used so that the train could depart on time.
* Including the two sets that had originally been delivered in red and silver for the Golden State. They had been repainted red and orange by 1950, when the stainless steel cars for the Sunset were delivered.
Originally Posted by overlandflyer:
Originally Posted by NSBill:
Would these have pulled the Sunset Limited? ...
isn't this exactly the train that is in the opening and closing scenes of "Bad Day at Black Rock"?
Yes. On my DVD of the movie, one of my favorites, they have "cuts" one of which is the train without title overs. Beautiful video shots over the old Jawbone route out of Mojave near Olancha CA. where the movie was filmed. About six cars, no baggage and the diner seemed to be just behind the locomotive. And it looked like it had a round end observation.
Olancha now has about 160 residents and is home of Crystal Geyser bottled water. I flew from Hong Kong to Thailand and they served Crystal Geyser bottles on the plane. Shipping water around the world has got be be a horrible waste of resources.
Originally Posted by Number 90:
I can't say that black widow F7's never pulled the Sunset, but they were not normally used on that train. The regular power west of El Paso was the five sets of A-B-B E7's in red and orange*, and east of El Paso, back-to-back T&NO Alco-GE PA1's. After the T&NO PA1's went to SP, they were mixed in with the E7's. These units all lacked dynamic braking and were mainstays on the Sunset. The Argonaut, the secondary train on the Sunset Route, used black widow A-B-B or A-B-B-A F7's (including FP7's) during the 1950's.
Later, after the black widow and Daylight paint was gone from the passenger diesels, the Alcos were seen less often and the train was combined west of El Paso with the Golden State. The solid E7 consists became mixed with F7, FP7, E9, and Rock Island E8 units. F-units and E9's mixed were the final SP streamlined passenger units on the pre-Amtrak Sunset east of El Paso.
Run your black widows on your Sunset if you want and tell the know-it-alls that the E7's failed an ICC inspection at Los Angeles that day and the F-units were used so that the train could depart on time.
* Including the two sets that had originally been delivered in red and silver for the Golden State. They had been repainted red and orange by 1950, when the stainless steel cars for the Sunset were delivered.
PI E-units on the SUNSET/GOLDEN STATE? Interesting? Any pics of RI units on SP?
