Monday, May 13, 2013

Spokane, Portland and Seattle steam locomotive number 700

 

The star attraction of yesterday's National Train Day exhibition in Portland, Oregon, was this fired-up Baldwin built 4-8-4 from 1938, which was withdrawn from service in 1956 and since June last year has resided at the new Oregon Rail Heritage Center in Portland.

Also at the exhibition was a Union Pacific SD70ACe  and a near new BNSF Railway ES44C4 from General Electric which has C trucks (bogies) but the middle axle in each is unpowered, the optimum weight of it is calculated by computer, and the traction motors on the other 4 axles are AC rather than DC as AC has better torque. (Geoff Churchman pic)

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