I think the number of F units running in this country today is likely less than the number of steam engines. If that's true, than this is even more rare event. Great picture!
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| Posted by on June 26, 2025 | |
Well Steve, your dad (likely) did get some former GN-painted units on the then-BN (including ATK) c.1970-73. That F-7A #274 has a rather interesting history, began-as GN #274B in Oct., 1950 (EMD blt#11066) and repainted (along w/many of their freight-service F-7's) to their "simplified/intermediate muddy" green w/orange center stripe scheme in 1963-64. Became BN #610 in early 1970, and t'was amongst the quartet of F-7A'a overhauled @ their ex-NP Dale St. shops N-of downtown St. Paul in mid-1975 emerging-in "Cascade" green'n black w/white striped "nose" (snowplow pilot added later).
Assigned-to Interbay (SEA) during its entire career on both former GN and BN, it was retired and sold-to J. Simons & Sons of Tacoma in Dec., 1980. The former S&NC then acquired it, repainting-to their green w/black'n yellow striping as #101 'til selling it to David Beagle of SEA three years later. D.L. McCormick then bought it c.1985 and had it restored-to the GN "classic" scheme, leasing it as DLMX#274 to various short/tourist line operations in western WA & OR prior-to OCSR acquiring it c.2005. Its now 40-yesr-old paint has faded and "washed-out" rather badly in the maritime climate N-of Tillamook Bay.
Ref. BN Annuals 1975-76 p.'s 90-91 & 107 F.H. Wagner, Jr.©1976 Motive Power Services, and 1980-1991 p.'s 173 & 179 R.C. DelGrosso ©1991 HyRail Prod., GN in Color Vol. 1 Lines West by D.H. Hickox ©2006 Morning Sun Books, Inc. upper-½ p.23, and Encyclopedia of Western RR History Vol. III OR-WA by D.B. Robertson ©1995 Caxton Printers, Inc. p.'s 262 & 263 (S&NC).
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