The Flickr Eunit Image Generatr

Pre-arch goodness along the mighty Mississippi! The origin of this slide is unknown to me.

UP 951 still had two prime movers in her when I grabbed this shortly after moving to Omaha. The unit was still on the active roster and used on OCS trains, convention special trains, etc. At one time she was painted r/w/b for the Preamble Express. It was a different and better world back then as the hostlers let me take plenty of images and wander freely around the Council Bluffs service track.

4-6-1986

Chicago Northwestern passengers ride north out of the Milwaukee station past the tony east side in this lovely photo from (I presume) the early 60s. The origin of this photo is unknown to me.

Amtrak out of service EMD E-units (both E8 & E9 locomotives) are seen on a yard track at Widwood, Florida, 9-22-1974, Fred Clark, Jr. Previously when Fred and I were in Wildwood a couple on months earlier there was a second track filled with Amtrak E-units. Never did find out the disposition information for the locomotives, and perhaps someone out there knows. If you click on the photo to enlarge it you can see in the left side background the locomotive service, maintenance & storage area. Just ahead of the E-units starts the Wildwood Yard and the passenger station is ahead too on the right side. Fred took this photo from the roof of a boxcar.

This photo is from the Fred Clark Jr. photo collection, courtesy of Mark Zelinski. Any credit for this photo must be provided to the original photographer Fred Clark Jr.

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for the purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Amtrak Champion northbound is seen early Sunday morning with 3 E-units in charge at Myrtle Avenue while departing Clearwater, Florida, 11-3-1974, Fred Clark, Jr. The Amtrak Champion at this time ran anywhere from approximately 12-18 cars depending on the passenger volume. The line between Clearwater and Tampa was ex SAL, but was operated at this time by the SCL.

This photo is from the Fred Clark Jr. photo collection, courtesy of Mark Zelinski. Any credit for this photo must be provided to the original photographer Fred Clark Jr.

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for the purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Amtrak Champion northbound departs led by E8A locomotive 222, E9A 421 & E8A 257 operating on the SCL (ex SAL route to Tampa) as it passes through Clearwater, Florida, 11-3-1974, Fred Clark, Jr. When the Amtrak Champion departed St. Petersburg, it operated on the ex ACL line, via Pinellas Park and Largo, to Clearwater where the train switched over to the ex SAL line to Tampa, via Safety Harbor, Oldsmar and Sulphur Springs. The second car on the train is a dormitory car converted from a baggage-coach most likely. Notice the difference in the car-body styles of the three E-units in respect to their porthole window configuration. The first E-unit has no portholes, the second E-unit has 2 portholes, and the third and last E-unit has the standard 4 porthole windows.

This photo is from the Fred Clark Jr. photo collection, courtesy of Mark Zelinski. Any credit for this photo must be provided to the original photographer Fred Clark Jr.

Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for the purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.

Peeking through the doorway of the Diesel shop shows Milwaukee Road E9 33C undergoing a long-term restoration. Seeing this one pulling trains could be a good reason to revisit IRM. This locomotive brings back a lot of memories of a train I never knew firsthand. The Copper Country Limited ran through my hometown every day until 5 years before I was born. E-units like the 33C commonly lead the CCL in the 1960s, captured by photographers in all seasons. The nose was often caked with lake effect snow by the time it reached the northern terminus of Calumet, MI. August 10, 2024.

In addition to restored and unrestored locomotives are those in progress. The two Milwaukee Road E9s look to be at a similar stage of restoration, externally at least. Both have seen a lot of attention to remove rust and clean up of the outer shell. 37A holds down a spot in Display Barn 9, quiet, in contrast to all the activity outside.
August 10, 2024.

The E5A was taking the day off while others hauled its trademark Nebraska Zephyr set of cars. It has made some notable excursions around the midwest where it gets to stretch its legs, unfortunately I've never been in position to catch one of those trips. It was still worth paying my respects to the elegant silver lady, a masterpiece under the August sky. I'm grateful this was saved back in the 1960s when it was probably viewed by some as "just another diesel". So many other extinct examples were not so lucky. August 10, 2024.

A chartered passenger train called the ‘Bill Gates Special,’ utilizing Wisconsin & Southern, BNSF and privately-owned equipment, rolls through Crescent, Colorado, on Union Pacific’s former Rio Grande main line on October 2, 1998. During the long outing to the west coast, the other WSOR E unit that accompanied E9A No. 10C had mechanical issues and was set out, replaced by Burlington Northern Santa Fe GE C44-9W No. 1039.

Burlington Northern EMD E9 No. 9907 sits alongside two of its replacements—Metra EMD F40PHM-2 Nos. 189 and 191—at Hill Yard in Aurora, Illinois, on February 22, 1992. Metra bought 30 of these 3,200 hp locomotives units in 1991-92. No different mechanically than a EMD F40PH-2, but the streamlined cab and built-out windows give them a distinctive profile. For some early on, the unique slanted windows and lack of a front nose gave the locomotives the informal nickname ‘Winnebagos’ after the popular line of similar-looking recreational vehicles.

Burlington Northern train 203 gets passed by a BN “dinky” commuter train at Eola, Illinois, on the afternoon of June 11, 1988. Leading the freight is former Frisco EMD GP40-2 No. 3055, while the commuter train is led by venerable EMD E9A No. 9025.

For several years in the early 1990’s, Amtrak would borrow some equipment from Chicago’s Metra to substitute for Amtrak trains on the Chicago to Milwaukee “Hiawatha” corridor for the busy travel time during Thanksgiving weekend. This would allow Amtrak to move the passenger cars and locomotives normally used on the run and expand capacity on other trains to handle increased holiday ridership. On November 30, 1991, Metra EMD E8(A) No. 515 and three bi-level commuter coaches on a northbound Amtrak train are arriving at the Sturtevant station stop in Wisconsin.

Photographer unknown. October 1955.
The Dakota 400 has just arrived at Madison's Blair Street station. Train #581 only has a ten-minute stop according to the timetable, before heading to Chicago. E8A #5024 heads the consist.
Another gorgeous photo from the John Harker collection.

It's funny how it's possible to miss something that you never personally experienced. My heart hurts when I see beautiful scenes like this that disappeared before I was even born. Sometimes I feel cheated.

After going around the wye at East Portland and backing into Union Station, UP 949 and train are parked on track 5 at the depot. So ended Union Pacific's 1995 Oregon Trunk excursion with the hallowed E units. The condominiums that now dominate the background had yet to take root.

The Union Pacific E units pull the 1995 Oregon Trunk excursion westward through the Columbia River Gorge near Meno, Oregon. This would be our last shot of the train on the road.

This is a rescan of a previously-posted image.

The Union Pacific E units head west in the Columbia River Gorge during Fall 1995. The train is passing Memaloose State Park between The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon.

Union Pacific's 1995 Oregon Trunk excursion is pictured returning to Portland on October 1, 1995. The train is running past Memaloose State Park between The Dalles and Hood River, Oregon.

After we shot Union Pacific's 1995 Oregon Trunk excursion at The Dalles Dam, we raced to this spot adjacent to Memaloose State Park. The train paused at The Dalles to change crews, so we had time to park at the rest area on I-84 and walk a few hundred feet to this vantage.

To our great surprise, as the streamliner approached, an eastbound BNSF freight train came into sight across the Columbia. We were in the right place at the right time to get both trains at speed in one photograph.

This is a rescan/re-crop of a previously posted image.

Thanks to the hand throw turnouts used to get from the Oregon Trunk to the Union Pacific mainline, we were easily able to beat the 1995 UP excursion train from O.T. Jct to this vantage at The Dalles Dam. The domes would be a nice place to take in the scenery as the train rolled along Lake Celilo.

This is a rescan of a previously posted image.