A Southern Pacific westbound, behind two U33Cs and two GP9s, meets itself as it rounds the balloon track at West Colton Yard on October 28, 1979. All trains depart eastward, with trains headed we... (more)

Gray engines on a gray day, as Southern Pacific 8591 prepares to depart West Colton Yard with a consist that includes U25B 6800 in Bicentennial colors, adding a bit of color.

There is a lot to see in this image of a Southern Pacific freight prepares to depart West Colton Yard - a GE U33C, an L&N GP38-2, an Evergreen box car, a C&EI box car ... even the SP itself! Now ... (more)

Adjacent to SP's massive West Colton Yard in Bloomington, CA, is the GATX rail car repair facility. In the early 1980s, the switcher working this shop was GE 80-ton #46704.

A dirty Cotton Belt SD45T-2 9389, the Southern Pacific's first Bicentennial engine, departs SP's West Colton Yard in Bloomington, California, with an eastbound freight on January 12, 1978.

Looking a bit dirty, Cotton Belt SD45T-2 9389, the Southern Pacific's first Bicentennial engine, prepares to depart SP's West Colton Yard in Bloomington, California, with an eastbound freight on J... (more)

A BNSF transfer run, lead by Dash 9-44CW 4819, creeps out of Union Pacific's West Colton Yard on its way to Barstow on November 25, 2006.

Union Pacific SD70ACe 8361 brings a train off the Palmdale Cutoff into West Colton Yard, where it meets an eastbound led by UP AC4400CW 6543.

Union Pacific's "Southern Pacific Heritage" diesel lays over in West Colton Yard after bringing a freight in from Tucson, AZ, the day before. This power was due out of West Colton at 11:00, but b... (more)

Newer UP ACe headed west in the late afternoon.

Typical busy action at Southern Pacific's West Colton Yard, as GP9 3406 (ex-3548, nee-5717) heads east on the mainline while a set of power backs into the yard to its assigned train.

Southern Pacific SD45 7399 (ex-8837) -- it's second road number and third paint scheme (delivered in red and scarlet, then painted in Daylight red and orange for a time).

New Power for a New Yard

SP SD38-2 2975 is one of six units built (in April 1973) for use on then-new West Colton Yard's hump. It is seen here, teamed with slug 100 and SD38-2 2971, ... (more)

Southern Pacific U30C 7926 and GP35 6609

SP H24-66 "Trainmaster" 3028 (ex-4808) sits forlornly in Bloomington, California's West Colton Yard. Just a year or two before this date these large Fairbanks-Morse diesels ruled the San Francisco... (more)