The summer of 1979 I took my first big railfanning road trip to get some shots of BN's Alco fleet that called the Pacific Northwest home. Prior to that most of my photography had been done within a couple of states of my Upper Michigan home. Today's fans would probably find it hard to imagine heading off cross country with very limited knowledge of what you may find. No internet to check up on things so just a directory assistance call to BN's Vancouver shop and a few quick questions set the stage for this trip. I had heard that Alco's sometimes made it as far east as Livingston, MT when in need of major work. On my way west I timed the trip out to spend a night in Livingston and found this C636 sitting in back of the shop looking pretty forlorn. A conversation with a shop worker made it clear that this unit was waiting on HQ to decide to either repair or retire. He told me that there were a couple other C636's in other locations awaiting that fate also. Strangely the 4369 was repaired and soon back in service for just a few more months before retirement in 1980.
A collection of engines, cabooses, cars, etc., great and small that are past their prime, but represent a spirit of railroading that will never pass away!!
Photos by some of the best railroad still photographers in North America. These photographers must have a significant impact on the art form and have been shooting (or shot in the past) for at least 10 years.
