Rapido Trains spent two hot (100ºF/37.78ºC), but enjoyable, days at the Southern California Railway Museum measuring a pair of locomotives – SP U25BE 3100 and UP E8A 942 – in June 2020. In this photo, SP 3100 is being laser measured in order to create incredibly accurate drawings from which new molds for an HO scale model will be created. This engine was built by General Electric in March 1963 as SP U25B 7508, renumbered in 1965 to SP 6708, and rebuilt into U25BE 6800 in 1975. It was later renumbered yet again in 1979 to SP 3100 before retirement in early 1988. Orange Empire Trolly Museum (the name of this museum at that time) purchased this engine from Levin Metals in nearby Colton, saving it from the scrapper’s torch, and the museum’s volunteers performed an exemplary restoration of it, not only repainting it but restoring it to operable condition once again. And a huge “Thank you” to the SCRM’s volunteers for their hospitality as well! (Perris, California – June 10, 2020)
