| Santa Fe and Southern Pacific Merger Repaints -- "Kodachromes" |
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Photo taken August 13, 1986
Location: Walong (Tehachapi Loop)
An eastbound Santa Fe freight led by Santa Fe F45 #5953 passing the top of the loop at Walong siding.
Photo taken August 13, 1986 Location: Walong (Tehachapi Loop)
An eastbound Santa Fe freight led by SD45-2 #7228 nears the east switch of Walong siding. Santa Fe renumbered their rebuilt SD45-2's into the 5800 series when the merger was denied, making the 7200 series very short lived.
Photo taken September 1986 Location: Walong (Tehachapi Loop)
A westbound Santa Fe freight with two Kodachromes trailing a blue and yellow unit approaches the east switch of Walong siding. The train has just exited Tunnel #10 and will soon after wind it's way down the loop itself.
Photo taken October 5, 1986 Location: Woodford
A westbound Santa Fe freight led by SD45-2 #5818 passes the water tanks at Woodford (out of view to the right). This unit was rebuilt earlier in the year as #7218, but has already been renumbered into the 5800 series in the aftermath of the merger denial.
Photo taken October 9, 1999 Location: UP's ex-SP Bakersfield Yard
More than 13 years after the denial of the merger which created it's colors, SP SD40R #7357 still wears the ill-fated SPSF image. Although nearing 20 years since it's last major rebuild and 35 years since being built, this unit still earns it's keep for new parent Union Pacific every day. It spent a couple of weeks in October of 1999 in captive duty hauling general merchandise back and forth over Tehachapi Pass. With UP's new power orders, 7357 and other older power will probably find themselves out of a job soon.
Photo taken October 9, 1986 Location: Santa Fe Bakersfield Yard
Back in 1986, the caboose was still regularly used. For that reason, a couple of examples ended up in the image of the new merged railroad. One Santa Fe example rests in Bakersfield between normally painted Santa Fe waycars waiting for their next assignments.
Photo taken April 22, 1987 Location: West of the Santa Fe Bakersfield Yard
A 1987 California Operation Lifesaver Special arriving in Bakersfield powered by locomotives including recently repainted to blue and yellow Santa Fe FP45 #5998, UP E9 #951, SP SDP45 #3201 (shown, still in red and yellow 9 months after the denial of the merger) and a then-ordinary Amtrak F40PH.
Photo taken October 1987 Location: SP Bakersfield Yard
The branchlines around were probably a little more colorful around October of 1987, as GP9E #3784 was assigned to Bakersfield. Usually, Bakersfield would have between 3 and 6 GP9's assigned to handle the branch lines and switching in the area. In later years, the GP9's were replaced by GP35's and GP38-2's. Now, most of the branchlines are worked by the San Joaquin Valley Railroad, and yard jobs are handled by ex-SP GP38-2's, UP GP40-2's and the occasional GP 50 or 60.
Photo taken March 15, 1987 Location: Magunden (between Kern Junction and Edison), east of Bakersfield
SP helper power heading light back to Bakersfield from a run up the mountain is led by SP SD45R #7420. This unit was rebuilt in the early 1980's, but was one of the units to receive the new colors in 1986.
