Just two-and-a-half years old, Southern Pacific U33C has been stripped to its bare bones and sits on a whisker track at Southern Pacific's Taylor Yard, in Los Angeles CA, due to being a bit too close to an exploding tank car in Englewood Yard (in Houston TX) on September 21, 1974. This hulk was sent west to Los Angeles' Taylor Yard, whose shop forces were well equipped to rebuild this U-Boat. Fortunately, the LA workers did, in fact, restore SP 8774!
But, after entering service after all this work, this ill-fated diesel experienced a major electrical fire, and as a result was cannibalized for parts in Sacramento CA. being retired on December 17, 1986, just one month shy of 14 years after being built. This jinxed locomotive had the dubious distinction of having acquired the fewest service miles of any of the SP's 212 U33C diesels!
