Southern Pacific 1487, a recently restored Fairbank-Morse H-12-44, chugs along the Niles Canyon Railway near Brightside Yard chasing SP 2472 and the Labor Day Special towards Sunol. Though she was operational before this run, the 1487 was kept from revenue service due to engine malfunctions during acceleration. Interesting fact...SP 1487 is not a true SP unit. SP 1487 is actually U.S. Army #1847 that's been dressed up to look like the original SP. There was a Fairbanks-Morse unit numbered SP 1487 at one point, but it is believed to have been scrapped a long time ago. There are three Fairbanks-Morse units preserved in Northern California. One is up in Portola, and the other two are at the Niles Canyon Railway. All three of them are former U.S. Army units. U.S. Army #1847 (belonging to the GGRM) was repainted and given ash can gyralights to make for a cosmetic transformation into SP 1487. U.S. Army #1856 is the other FM at the Niles Canyon Railway, and it belongs to the PLA (Pacific Locomotive Association).
Photos of heritage locomotives representing Fallen Flag Railroads. Also includes locomotives with past paint schemes of still existing railroads (Amtrak's Phase III scheme for example) and just simply old locomotives from EMD Covered Wagons to steam locom
