Tag Archives: GP38-2

GP38-2 665, F9B 151, GP7 562 and GP38AC 653

GP38-2 665, F9B 151, GP7 562 and GP38AC 653 Memphis, TN circa September 1973
GP38-2 665, F9B 151, GP7 562 and GP38AC 653

GP38-2 665, F9B 151, GP7 562 and GP38AC 653 Memphis, TN circa September 1973.
Location is Memphis, Tennessee.

The train is southbound (geographic northeast at this point) on the Memphis Subdivision. It has just crossed the Mississippi River into the city. The train’s headend is located between Shelco (Shelby County), mile post 483.1 (MP 483.1) and Union Railway crossing, MP 483.6. Just off the single track Mississippi River Bridge the Frisco’s main becomes double track from Shelco to Tennessee Yard, MP 496.4.

The trailing unit of the five locomotive unit consist is Frisco GP38AC 657.

The tracks in the foreground belong to the Missouri Pacific (MP) Railroad, the St. Louis Southwestern (SSW) or Cotton Belt and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific (CRIP) or Rock Island. These tracks have just come off their two track Harahan Bridge over the Mississippi River. Just ahead is their Kentucky Street Interlocking.

Just beyond The Frisco, MP, RI, SSW and the Southern, Louisville and Nashville will enter the Broadway corridor of multiple tracks across central Memphis. This will extend eastward to K C Junction. At K C Junction the lines separate to their respective routes to the north, northeast, east and southeast.

Visible in the distance to the left of the lead locomotive’s pilot are the backs of the northbound highway signs at the Interstate 55 (I-55) (west and south), E. H. Crump Boulevard (east), Riverside Drive (north) clover-leaf interchange. The westbound white automobile is on West E. H. Crump Boulevard just before it turns into I-55.

View is looking southwest.

Thanks to Mark Davidson for the details.

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GP38-2 400

GP38-2 400 Tulsa, OK in February 1980
GP38-2 400

GP38-2 400 Tulsa, OK in February 1980.
Location is Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The locomotives are in the Mechanical Department’s service tracks area at Cherokee Yard. The yellow sand gantry crane is at its southern most location. It ran north and south on dedicated track above a pair of service tracks. There was an elevated work platform station that could transverse east to west over the service tracks. The platform could elevate up and down to reach different heights of locomotive sand box fill caps.

The fixed square fill tower is at the south end. Above the gantry is the gray fill point to replenish the gantry’s sand hopper. Sand is pneumatically pumped from the sand storage tower, through pipes, up to the fill tower and into the gantry crane. When needed the gantry moved into position along the service tracks to replenish individual locomotive sand boxes. Sand is used in locomotives to improve traction and braking efforts between the steel wheels on steel track.

Note the Santa Fe locomotive on the adjacent track at the left edge of this photo.

View is looking northeast.

Thanks to Mark Davidson for the detail.

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