Alan Sewell and the GP7...

The other week I shared photographs of my recently completed H0 scale GP7 here on the blog. Inspired by a mix of high hood nostalgia and some wonderful video of the prototype I had decided I just had to have one in my collection...

Regular blog reader and occasional contributor Alan Sewell left a comment and sent a few emails of his first hand experiences with the prototype over his various North American visits. Alan has a long interest in industrial railways and his passion has meant several family holidays have seen diversions to see a system or He has kindly agreed for me to share these with you all, straight from his note book:

Weyerhaeuser Longview Branch

Longview, August 1989, photo Alan Sewell.

Longview, August 1989, photo Alan Sewell.

At Longview in August 1989 we manged to be guests of the Columbia and Cowlitz (CLC) the plant’s shortline but there were a few issues photo’ing the woods railroad. The CLC motors #700 and 701 (the GP7s ) had just finished switching. CLC switched all the outbound traffic and was waiting the arrival of a woods train around 11am from Green Mountain Mill. Since the 1980 eruption of Mount St Helens the woods operations were taking small timber from the log sort yard at Longview up to Green Mountain for milling and returning with green lumber, wood chips and hog fuel. The woods train arrived pulled by three SW7 dating from the 1950’s, GP7 #309 and an SW1500. This power was needed to haul the train up the 5% grade to near Headquarters. The CLC superintendent drove as round to see the mill lokey tie up point which had another 1953 SW7 and a 1968  SW1500 used in multiple. We then got taken to lunch which I think was a way of getting us offsite!!!

Longview, August 1989, photo Alan Sewell.

Longview, August 1989, photo Alan Sewell.

I went to Longview again in 1999 with my friend the late John Henderson. We did not get access to the mill but by then all woods duties were based out of Green Mountain. The weather on the first day was Washington damp so not much photography but we caught a cab hop about to leave with #309 in the consist. On the next day 31 August the woods train had four SW’s 18 cars of woodchips 6 of hog fuel and 29 loaded lumber cars and then picked up four empty cars neat headquarters to be loaded with mill waste. We were lucky to catch up with this as it crossed the joint CLC/Woods bridge and trestle over the Cowlitz

Joint CLC/Woods bridge over the Cowlitz, August 1999, photo Alan Sewell.

Damp day, caboose hop with 309, August 1999, photo Alan Sewell.

 

Clewiston FL in 2004

In November 2004 we had a few days of winter sun in Florida and I persuaded my wife a visit to Clewiston would be an easy 80 mile drive.

United States Sugar (USSC) have one of the largest industrial railroad operations in the USA with over 120 miles of track and 1100 cars mainly to carry cane from loading points around Lake Okeechobee to the mill. In addition they own and operate the 90-mile long South Central Florida Express ( SCF ) shortline which also hauls cane as well as finished raw and refined sugar and other products such as black strap molasses. From October to April the cane railroad works 24 hours a day 7 days a week with only Christmas day off (although this is considered a mistake as there are nearly always problems at the mill with the start up). A morning trip into the cane fields saw operations at one of the cane loading points north west of Clewiston. The loading point is served by the SCF and an empty 70-car train led by SCF #9028 a GP11 rolled by heading north.

 

9028, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

At the mill, the cane dump switcher was a real find. This was #1201, an SW1200 acquired from the Coos Bay Lumber Co. in western Oregon. Apart from the removal of dynamic brakes #1201 was as built by EMD in 1954 specially for hauling log trains. During a normal 24-hour hour day 500 loaded cars will move through the mill cane receiving sheds.

1201, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

 

A SCF train arrived from the west hauled by #9029 another GP11. #9029 cut off and #1201 pushed the cars up to one of two dumpers and 9029 ran down to couple to a rake of empty cars. Before the SCF train could leave, a USSC train rolled in from the east headed by a 1951 built GP7 #756. This ran into the yard and cut off down near the dumper and ran back to park outside the railroad office near the wye. #1201 came back from the dumper using a pass track and again coupled to the rear of the train before pushing that into the other dump track. 1201 would then go to the east end of the mill and pick up empty cars and return them to the yard.

There are at least seven sidings in the yard, the northern tracks near to the mill holding full cane cars, with empties on the southern tracks. This yard also has a siding to hold strap molasses tank cars for shipment as animal feed.

9029, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

756, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

 

A number of spurs come off the main yard near the office and MoW yard to serve the shipping sheds and sugar stores. Some continue around the mill to the north. The cane cars are a varied collection including Magor cane cars from the 1920’s, All the cars including those from the 20’s are used over both the USSC tracks and the SCF common carrier plus some movements over the CSX. USSC got exemption for agricultural traffic back in the 1960’s and do not have to comply with ICC/STB regulations for registration/safety appliances etc. The cane cars have doors on one side only and switching crews have to take note of this to ensure the door is on the correct side when moving cars to and from the dumper, especially if they have been switched around the wye at the mill.

USS 968, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

Clew Yard, November 2004, photo Alan Sewell

Thank you Alan for sharing these wonderful photographs and your extensive notes with us all again. These ageing EMD units have continued to find service across North America for the same reason they saw the end of steam back in the 1950s - they are excellent machines that work hard, are easy to maintain and are robust. Through several rebuild programs we find examples of the venerable GP7 in use today, and a scout about on YouTube will net you some more music for the senses. Until next time more soon...

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