Rare SP Oregon Helper Move

Transferred from my Dad's old VHS footage from around 1986 at Odell Lake, Oregon (East of Cascade Summit). The clip contains a rare 9 engine helper consist with 2 road slug (TEBU?) units. Lots of good scanner chatter between the crew as they bring the first cut up the hill and return with the second part of the train.

[@marka.bilinski6854]

So BADASS!! Back when so many of the railroads were so cool, but the Espee was the ultimate. Enormous lumber trains, Tunnel Motors, 20 cylinders, Cadillacs and TEBU’s....it just doesn’t get any better than that. Thanks for posting this footage!!

[@johnruskin4330]

Great railroad capture of times past, all facets railroading,, can also hear compressors load unload etc awesome

[@WMAC_Master]

history in action! wow, 9 engines is quite a bit!

[@mattgourlay1201]

Talk about a helper set. This video was amazing. Thank you so very much for posting it. I still to this day miss the SP. All well we will always have the memories and these great videos. Thanks to KZbin too.

[@joestrainworldvideos3977]

Super fine train video. 👍👍👍👌👌👌👌

[@1MTSRider]

What a great catch! The SP always kept things interesting. Nothing out there today can captivate a person like this era did. I sure miss this era of railroading. Thankfully people were out there to capture this part of history, and thank you for posting it for others to enjoy.

[@donaldmoore8920]

Awesome video of helpers east of Cascade summit.

[@joshuatoro8977]

phenomenal video thank you for posting

[@thesnowdons]

Nine locos running light and all powered up. Overkill? Sure but I think the driver (engineer over there) was enjoying himself so why not. Wish I had been there to hear and see it. A great bit of video by your Dad, thank you for sharing it.

[@brianbooher7318]

I maybe wrong but I think the reason they were all running while light was this is obviously a hill they were load testing those engines to make shure they function properly especially the dynamic brakes.i live near saluda grade an they would always load test their locos while going back to get their second cut

[@yankeesforlife24]

Looked like two were slugs for traction only. But yes I’m surprised they didn’t isolate some of them, then again they didn’t care about fuel back then like they do now

[@Baileygeep7]

What a great show of railroading this is, excellent video.

[@scoobycarr5558]

I've got this same line on MSTS Train Simulator but the line is now owned by Union Pacific in my point of view whenever I play train action on this. Plus I so visits by Canadian Pacific from time to time because in real life UP and CP team up on sending grain and potash from Canada to Oakland in California over the Cascades in Oregon.

[@NGH99999]

Thanks so much for sharing your dad's footage. I grew up in Creswell, OR, where the SP Siskiyou line cuts right through town. Used to get such a kick watching those tunnel motors and SD9s run through town. The good old days!

[@RailwayWorld]

What a lashup of locos !! I miss these days ! So much more interesting ! Thanks for uploading this gem !

[@TestTubeBabySpy]

When i was a teenager, I had a locomotive roster book that listed every locomotive that SP had effective 1994. Damn I wish I still had that thing! Idk what the fck ever happened to it. I do remember some TEBUs still on the roster though.

[@240kDatsun]

Love this video. Must have watched it ten times by now. Thanks for uploading it.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

6:01 Listen to the choir sing!

[@huntercronk7239]

beutiful

[@TFN5459]

Looks like a SD9 leading two GP40-2/TEBU/GP40-2 sets with some more SD9's thrown in the middle

[@camsmith7651]

That belching exhaust at the end was fantastic. Must see more.

[@rigol2k]

They weren't even pulling anything. EPA tier -2

[@rickiemontgomery367]

if you have more dvds you should post them all this is golden stuff I grew up in oregon in the eighties as a teenager on the willamette pass and saw this stuff all the time thank you for the memories of espee

[@AlfTrains]

Great vídeo

[@johnrobertfox7775]

All n All , SP Lives !!! And always Will !!!

[@davebolyard6808]

I really like SP thanks for posting this video I wish there were more SP videos thanks Dave in oregon

[@joevidal7616]

What GREAT VIDEO!

[@K4JW]

Freakin awesome!!

[@richarddefelice6565]

K4

[@leehuff2330]

Oh, the sound of Roots-blown EMDs!

[@brianbooher7318]

That's what people mean when they say a tornado sounds like a freight train .they have heard a root blown motor.

[@davegeisler7802]

Roots blower on the SD and Geeps , oh the memories as a kid watching the Western Pacific , switching and kicking cars and those beautiful GP7s in that orange and silver livery 😍

[@upsd402]

Nice, I miss the old SP.

[@treehugger1640]

That is good business right there at the end. I highly recommend Trainz for the PC and a good rig with a bunch of DLC. for me, it comes in very close to the real thing.

[@model-man7802]

Outstanding Video Love my Espee 👍

[@dietergoldschmitt9651]

Awesome video. Thanls for sharing.

[@FastFlyingVirginian]

Great stuff, thanks for posting!

[@westernrailroadvideos99]

Such a badass video!

[@connarcomstock161]

Train needs some helpers, what should we send to help from the yard? "...yes.""

[@haroldsmith8698]

Harold smirh used to work for the S P MAKING BOILERS..

[@McCracken_9]

Thats a lot of help

[@qclegg]

Throw in some Rio Grande for good measure.

[@allyson4241]

There’s not many teens like me that are into this stuff 😩🤧 I’m not like the other gurls yk 😔✋

[@allyson4241]

these videos hit different 🥵

[@davidwhiting1761]

I'm just awe struck. That's a huge amount of power and even bigger amount of torque given that the slugs only provide pulling force and not horsepower. How heavy was that train that it needed that many helpers and it still needed to be brought up in parts?

[@allyson4241]

Omg this is such a great video for a nerd like me 😍😍😍 ✨ty from a nerd to a nerdd

[@haroldsmith8698]

SOUTHERN PACIFIC LET THE E-M-D'S STAND IN THE LONG TRACK WAITING TO BE SCRAPPED , AND WILL MAY BE SOLD FOR PARTS ENGINES TRUCKS AND WHEELS, AND SO ON. THAT IS BECAUSE THESE LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES ARE NO GOOD AS FAR AS THE UNION PACAFIC IS CONCERNED

[@mr.boomer8794]

...I think your caps lock was on..

[@robertmiller5217]

Hello Harold Smith. The SD9’s were replaced by newer technology. And anyone (including the UP) who says the engines were no good has never asked an SP hoghead. I started running them in 1973 and ran them until their end. These units were wonderful engines for a number of reasons. First and foremost, the “ride.” Heavier and longer than a Geep and with six axles they were unbelievably smooth riding, even at speed. I don’t know how widespread was the term, but that is why of the Sacramento and Oregon Divisions called them “Cadillac’s.” An aside. When running from Roseville to the NWP they were also referred as “Shellville’s,” after the station where crew changes were made before continuing on the North Western Pacific, a wholly owned subsidy of the SP at the time, and the heaviest engines that could handle the most tonnage that could operate there. That is what matters and that which made the engines so efficient. From when SP started making orders and receiving SD45s they had 3600hp prime movers. Later these were detuned to 3000hp. This extended the life of the engine’s bottom end; crankshaft, connecting rods and especially main-bearings. So by way of comparison let’s look at a single 3600hp SD45 vs two 1800hp SD9s equaling the same horse power. The SD9s will pull a lot more tonnage up a grade than would an SD45. Here are some reasons why. Adhesion. Thousands of horsepower are useless unless you can get it to the rail. That is where weight comes in. The heavier the engine the greater is the adhesion, and the greater the tractive effort the greater the tonnage moved. In addition you have only twelve points of contact with the 45 vs. 24, on the other hand. Speed is a major factor because of the SD45’s (and every diesel electric I’ve ever known) ‘short time rating.’ As speed decreases amperage to the traction motors increases. Assuming our SD45 is still holding the rail at all if, you get below 13 or 14 mph there is a time limit for the motors to keep the motors and the cables feeding them from melting. Literally. I’ve experienced that. On an analog ammeter the ranges are color coded as to time limit, no more than 5 minutes at the extreme, non-cumulative. So I’ll wave at you as I pass by on my SD9s. Same horsepower, same tonnage. The differences? Adhesion for certain by way of greater weight and more contact with the rail. In this case, speed is the final arbiter. The SD9s had no short time rating. At a modest 1800hp feeding 6 traction motors it didn’t generate enough current to come close to any damage being done by high amperage. I may only be passing at 7mph, but I’m still passing and I’ll still wave. Finally, the air brake schedule (just a fancy word for type) was tailor made for local freight and road switchers which is where I ran them. Road engines incorporated the 26L type and still do. On the brake valve quadrant (where the handle is) your choices are released, minimum reduction, service, suppression, handle off and emergency. That’s all you need for road freight. But the SD9s had either a 24L or 24RL schedule. On that quadrant the choices were charging, running, pressure maintaining, lap, service, handle off and emergency. These different abilities are exactly what the doctor ordered. Best of all was the independent brake valve that controlled the engine brakes alone. They were of a design that allowed for the highly illegal use of a “bail block.” On a local you’re using a lot of air and you have to keep the engine brakes released by “bailing off.” This requires that the brake valve be depressed that operates the bail, a good two and a half feet and required strength to operate. So these valves had a notch where a piece of wood could be inserted but usually a dime worked best. We carried old ones and new ones so they could both have been needed depending on the wear on the bail. So a hoghead walking down the street may not have a single dollar bill on him, but you can bet your butt he damned sure had 20 cents in his pocket...

[@donaldmoore8920]

Union Pacific let those locomotives stand in the long track. Not Southern Pacific. At that point Union Pacific had complete control over Southern Pacific.

[@timcoyle50]

What is that 3rd unit back in the helpers and old B unit??

[@brianbooher7318]

Slugg.its a old l locomotive they they removed the cab an motor an hook to another engine an it powers up the truck assembly for more traction.

[@westernpacificrr]

A tebu slug… rebuilt from u25bs I believe. They helped in yard service providing extra power to switchers.

[@Dannyedelman4231]

I wonder if 5399 was in that consist

[@Artines999]

♥.♥ Nice engine sound, but very polluting...