Trona Railway in the Mojave Desert: EMD SD40-2, SD40T-2, and Baldwin AS-616 Locomotives
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- Опубликовано: 29 янв 2022
- In this video, we cover the Trona Railway in the Mojave Desert of California during the EMD and Baldwin eras. Former Southern Pacific SD40T-2s are the stars of the show, as they work alongside former Union Pacific SD40-2s. These classic locomotives are seen operating in large five to seven unit consists as they lift heavy trains out of the Searles Lake Basin and climb the steep grade to the Union Pacific interchange at Searles. Trains of soda ash, salt cake, boric acid, borax, and other various minerals are assembled in Trona, and are then brought geographically south, past the Trona Pinnacles, and out into the desolate desert country between Trona and Searles. In addition to the outbound loads, coal trains are delivered to the Argus Cogeneration Plant in Trona, making for some good variety in equipment and operations. We then take a trip back in time to view Trona's famed Baldwin AS-616 locomotives as they toil in the hot desert sun sorting cars, servicing industries, and building trains. Mountains, beautiful desert scenery, Baldwins, and EMDs are all here for you in this C. Vision video presentation.
Locomotives seen:
TRC 52 (AS-616)
TRC 53 (AS-616)
TRC 54 (AS-616)
TRC 2002 (SD40 rebuild)
TRC 2004 (SD40T-2)
TRC 2005 (SD40T-2)
TRC 2006 (SD40T-2)
TRC 2007 (SD40-2)
TRC 2008 (SD40-2)
TRC 2009 (SD40-2)
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Развлечения
Ex-SP units still working hard after all these years. Great seeing them still dressed in gray and red. Thanks guys!
You’re welcome! We love the SP too. Great to see them in scarlet and gray in 2022!
Definitely
I grew up in a small coastal town that SP ran through moving logs and so much more .My father also worked for SP so I got to ride a beautiful coastal route a bunch of times as a kid .SP will always have a huge spot in my memories
This is amazing! The fact that we still have units like the SD40T-2 “Tunnel Motors” in service is insane. They also sound just as good as they did with their original owners! Although, they could use a new paint job.
We agree 100% Thank you for the comment!
Shows you what a lil oil can do to make things last! Plus new paint?!?! That’s what SP is known for; dirty grimey locomotives! Love it!!!
That is some stellar footage. I can't decide which I like more, the roar of the EMDs, or the novelty of the Baldwins! Man oh man, some good stuff here.
Thank you! We were very lucky to be able to include Dan Hadley's Baldwin footage. Glad you enjoyed it!
My great grandfather ran the steam locomotives and Baldwin's here in Trona. I have worked for the track department for 17 years.
@@michaelball760 For having all that jointed rail, the railroad seems to be in pretty good shape. Looked like newer rail around the Pinnacles. Awesome railroad and beautiful area!
Emd for me.
@@CVisionContributor we changed out most of the rail around the pinnacles about 12-13 years ago. Its held up pretty well.
Man, I love those SD-40’s and those Tunnel Motors. That era of diesel-electric locomotives is my favorite.
Ours too. They sound and look great! And not to mention, very reliable, easy to maintain, and a joy to run. Although, they can be a bit loud in the cab...
I just recently found out that Trona RR has one of the last Kodachrome SD40-2's in existence.I knew about their SD70's but I didn't know they had all this EMD power from SP & UP and those old Baldwins/Alcos,espiecally the SP tunnel motors.
If you photographed them on the mainline as to where it would be hard to see the white cab patches or erased lettering,it would look like you just went back to 1990's,or not older.
Here in Texas,the AWRR has a pair of SD40T-2's themselves along with a original SD40 from SP,you can often see them at Abbot yard or by Marble Falls and Temple Texas.
My only experience with a Baldwin/Alco was a former USAX RS-4-TC-1A,one of the last left and still in it's black military paint.
Even though not having a Alco prime mover,it still has a low rumble and grunt power for a Caterpillar 3508 that it was rebuilt with.
Neat stuff! And yes, they do have one Kodachrome. TRC 2003. Unfortunately, it is never used on road trains (that we know of). Thank you for the view and the comment!
Great information. Thank you for sharing!
And, presumably, the various commodities the line carries in those hopper cars are made from trona, a mineral composed of sodium carbonate and bicarbonate.
You got it! Also, lots of inbound coal for the power plant, along with a fair amount of sulfuric acid that is used in the processing of certain minerals.
Love seeing the tunnel motors running and in faded SP paint too!
So did we! Long live the SP!
Great video. Great sound in everything from the deep throated roar of the E.M.D.'s to the fighter jet, to the low rumbling growl of the Baldwins. Now I have finally heard a Baldwin engine, with their huge cylinder displacements. You get an A plus!
Thank you so much, Sam! Glad you liked the video.
Nothing like desert sunrise. Looking through those tunnel motors is a nice effect. It's good to see some SPs were not painted over.
It certainly is beautiful out there. Sunrise and sunset are great times to be in the desert. And yes, being able to see through the tunnel motors is one of the coolest things about them. Thanks for the comment!
Really enjoyed the Mojave scenery-so bleak yet so stunning, especially the silhouette shots with their subtleties of tone. Thanks!
Very happy that you liked it! Thank you for watching. And yes, the scenery has a special quality to it.
Just like.the SP used to do it love the sound of those old EMD's
Yes, sir! The whole railroad has an “SP feel” to it. The locomotives contribute to that.
Thanks airing the outstanding video and that of Magnificent Locomotives. Your exertions are preponderating. Bliss
You're welcome! Thank you for the nice comment.
i worked for them many years ago
Very cool! What did you do for them?
Love to hear those Baldwins!
They have quite the unique sound! Wish there were more around...
My father worked for Southern Pacific. He started right out of Vietnam doing teletype . One of his many jobs from the coos bay Oregon depot was to race in front of the trains . He would open 3 trestles .To my liking that gave many opportunities to ride in engines and even in a caboose a few times.My first ride was around 1982 and my last was 1993 the year before I graduated. I wish I would have understood what I had and how lucky I was at the time.
Those are great stories! The SP’s Coos Bay branch is so, so neat. We’re glad that you were able to experience Southern Pacific operations on that fascinating line, especially if you had the opportunity to actually ride the trains. Thank you for watching the video, and also for sharing your experiences with us.
I’ve been playing Run8 V3 lately which has the Lone Pine Branch as an add-on route as well as Trona SD45-2s in one of the locomotive packs, so it’s really cool putting real-world context to it.
Glad you enjoyed the video, Logan. Both the Trona’s mainline and the Lone Pine branch are very neat stretches of railroad.
One of the BETTER train videos I have seen. Thanks for posting!
Wow, thanks!
That’s quite the compliment! We both say thank you! Glad to have you as a viewer.
Thanks for the shot of the weighing process! I’ve operated very similar machinery back when I worked for a
mid-western regional in the 70’s-80’s.
That brought back good memories!
Overall great video! Thanks!
It was great to be able to include that shot. Pretty important part of the process at Trona. And thank you for the nice comments!
I love 645 and 710 EMD at run 8 sound never gets old
100% agreed!
As much as I enjoy watching ALCO's work, I enjoy the Baldwins even more. I love the sound of a baldwin locomotive. "Legends never sleep".
We are big Baldwin fans here at C. Vision. The history of those locomotives, and their builder, is absolutely fascinating. If only there were more of them left in service… Thank you for watching the video, John.
I was out there in 2017.Loved the desert, and did stop to watch the trains here and there. Great video, thank you!
It’s a great place. Glad you liked the video! Thank you for the comment.
Man this is killer...
Thank you! It’s pretty darn tough to beat the Trona these days.
The scenery and vantage points are amazing! Great video, thanks for sharing!
Thank you very much! Glad you liked it.
5:36 starts some amazing footage. Love this video.
Thank you!!! The Trona, and the land they run through, is something to behold.
22:59 a fresh looking, Rock Island hopper right there. Probably 10-15 years after their demise. By now, most of these are all faded and tagged up.
It was a cool car to see. The mix of SP, SSW, and Rock Island cars was great.
That scene with the F-35 zig-zagging into that AMAZING sunset looked perfectly staged! Almost like the pilot knew right where your camera was pointing and said, "I'm going to give this guy a show". Pure luck with that scene. It's funny, how to my eyes at least, that unit #52 looked much more sophisticated than the #54. The ridged looking cast Commonwealth trucks on the 54 looked antiquated even when they were brand new, and the large gap between the trucks and the frame didn't help much either. The drop-equalized trucks on the 52, plus the thicker frame sills and the taller hood made it the whole unit look more refined. It's funny though, how the newer drop-equalized trucks on 52 had friction bearings vs. the older design of 54's trucks with the roller bearings. I wonder which unit the crews liked running more.
Great comment! Thank you for the information on the F-35. We weren’t sure what it was. It totally caught us by surprise, as it popped up from behind a hill with really no warning. It was nearly outrunning its own sound. Thankfully, we had our camera on with the settings adjusted and pointed in the right direction! And yes, those two Baldwins were both AS-616s, but certainly not twins. Lots of differences, including the trucks. It’s great that those units survived, but really wish more were still out there.
You're welcome! I had to slow the video down to 25% normal speed and immediately pause it just as soon as it came into frame, but that single engine and tail configuration sure confirm it is an F-35. And that you mentioned that that it was lucky for the camera already being on, because I was thinking just that too....if my camera were off, that plane would've been parked in the hangar before it would fire up and have been able to capture that fast-moving jet!
@@espeescotty I’m glad you were able to tell what it was! It shot through the frame so fast that it was tough to identify.
My compliments to all who put this together. I'm sort of a new rookie foamer if you will & fortunate to had purchased a property in the Argus area of Trona. Been 4 years now & I've always tried to figure out the best time to go out & take photos or video of the short line. Of course without trespassing & safety 1st. I've only caught it leaving & returning to Trona. Never ventured out that far myself. You saved me the trip. I doubt if I could do it any better. Thank you much appreciated.
Thank you so much for the kind words, George. It took many years to complete this project. Everyone here at C. Vision is fascinated by Trona and the surrounding landscape. Unlike anywhere else on earth. Thanks again!
@@CVisionProductions1 Well it definitely shows in the quality of this video. Kudos to all involved. Helps with my mystique of this short line.
Great video! High-quality and excellent footage! :)
Thank you very much!!! Glad to hear that you enjoyed the video!
thank you for share detailed video
You’re welcome! Thank you for watching!
Not a tree in sight!!!! Looks like the friggin moon !!!!!😀😀😀😀🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂🍺🍺🍺🍺🍺
We agree!!! Either Mars, the moon, or somewhere else in the galaxy. It only partially resembles Earth!
Great video,love that part of the country,wide open spaces.
Same here. It’s absolutely beautiful. There’s just something about the vast open desert...
Love the roar of those 645 EMD’s! Great scenery & great production C Vision
Thank you! Those old EMDs sure get a great workout on the 2% grades climbing to Searles.
Thank you very much!
@@CVisionContributor I'd love to see /hear those Baldwins grind up grade as well!!
Us too! From what we read, after 1973 that was a rarity, since SP power was used on mainline trains until Trona purchased EMDs in the early 1990s. It was said that the Baldwins did hit the road (very, very rarely) when SP power failed, however.
Oh my Lordy Lord, great video guys!
Thank you, Wyatt!
those AS616's are really neat units!
Agreed! Very unique locomotives, for sure.
luv it
Thank you, Todd!
Thanks Chris. Very good presentation.
Thank you from the C. Vision team!
32:15 "Here we see the crews weighing each car after they're loaded."
Pfft, that car barely needs weighed. It's so light that one guy is pulling it along with one hand! 😉
Ha! It was interesting to watch him cut those cars off like that. The good old days!
Very nice video, filmed in some Great Locations👍👍
Thank you so much! It’s a beautiful part of the Mojave Desert. Glad you liked the video!
CVP Watching trains and an F/A-18 flyby awesome. Looks like a place to check out on my next trip to Death Valley. Well put together.
Absolutely! We’ve been buzzed several times along that railroad. They are very active in the air around Trona.
Fantastic as usual, thanks guys!! Matt
Our pleasure! Thanks Matt!
Thank you, sir!
Great video and sound, the desert looks amazing and hearing those locomotives working hard up those gradients is excilerating, I imagine even more if you are there "feeling the noise" so to speak :-) That evening shot @13:09 was great.
Thank you very much! And yes, you actually can feel it! Both the deep bass from the locomotives, and the ground shaking from the train. It’s all part of a pretty awesome experience on that railroad.
Nice... I really regret not trying harder to get shots of these when they had their red/silver units.
Those 3000s were neat. Really would’ve liked to have seen them in action. So yeah, regrets on this end too... Very much enjoy what they have now, despite their appearance.
Love This Video Great
Thank you, Darrel!
Excellent video!
Thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent! EMD fresh!
Thank you!!! Trona has the goods.
That was really good. I'm not a train person and don't know anything about them but I enjoying watching it.
Well, thank you very much! It’s always a nice surprise when one of our videos is enjoyed by a non-train fan.
God I'd love to visit the Trona one day, great coverage!
Thank you very much, Dom! And yes, we’d highly recommend at least one visit to the Trona Railway. Seeing trains operating through a landscape that almost appears extraterrestrial is a real trip. It’s a place like none other.
Awsome
Thank you!
Thank you!
Wonderful video :)
Thank you very much! We appreciate the comment!
The baldwins are cool and all but that mechanical scale is awesome!
Pretty neat, huh? Yeah, we thought so too. We’re guessing they’ve upgraded their scale by now...
@@CVisionContributor a digital scale was put in about 10 years ago. I was the one to throw the old one in the scrap bin, even though I suggested they donate it to the museum.
Not as big there is a scale like that at Onyx Ca called the Onxy Store. It's a truck scale but it has those mechanical ones in it
@@dougc190 drove by the onyx store yesterday
@@michaelball760 Wow, very surprised the old one lasted that long. Pretty incredible!
Used to ride dirt bikes out by those pinnacles.
That’s a great area for recreation. There’s plenty to do around Trona if you’re looking for a little desert adventure. Thank you for the comment.
Thanks for the video😀👍
You’re very welcome!
Really super camera placements!
Thank you very much, Tom! Those wide open desert landscapes provide nearly limitless opportunities for photography. It’s a beautiful area. We appreciate the nice comment.
nice
Thanks for watching!
Thank you!
I Love Your Channel
Thank you!
Thank you so much!
Nice Video
And thank you very much! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
11:30 Easy Rider! 😃
Please do RCPE. Great footage!
Thank you. We have.
Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern FULL VIDEO - RCPE SD40-2 Locomotives (2016)
ruclips.net/video/7ugEhjtXUK0/видео.html
If you like this you can go and run on the Trona Railway in Run8 v3 Train Simulator (not to be confused with the one on steam). One of the addons is this very line, and its quite wonderfully detailed out in terms of size (most train simulator type games compress stuff, Run8 doesn't).
Something to look into, for sure. It would be interesting to check out parts of the line that are tough to access. Virtual exploration through that game would be a great option. Thank you for the information!
I love the paint scheme on the AS-616s. I think the former Union Pacific SD40-2s would look good in that paint scheme. Just a thought.
That would be incredible. Painting those units in a scheme like that would greatly enhance their aesthetic appeal. They are a bit lacking in that category, currently!
@@CVisionContributor Yeah, the former SP units will keep their gray and red paint.
@@andrewcrumb8027 That would be fine with us!
@@CVisionContributor Glad you agree. Of course they'll need a new coat of gray and red paint, though. Just a thought, mind you.
@Andrew Crumb SP paint would be fantastic!
Great video! Say I am wondering if you can tell me if Coon Creek junction is a good and legitimate spot to railfan? I see you have shot many trains there so that is why I ask. If it’s legitimate and not sketchy, where is a good place to park?
Thank you! And yes, Coon Creek is fine. There is a public road you can park on west (railroad south) of the tracks.
@@CVisionContributor Thank you. Do you know If New Brighton is legitimate or not? Down by the diamond where the MNNR and CP meet?
@@JuggaloKev89 You’re welcome. Should be fine.
To bad you could not have filmed the UP"s coming out of the tunnel west of Searles
Oh well, what can ya do...
Ah yes, the sounds of a 608A?
Yes, sir! Very unique. And apparently they are turbocharged... Super neat.
The question I have is, whatever happened to the the SD-70s. I have found 2 of 7 around the US.
If you’re referring to the old 3000 series locomotives, they ended up as HLCX units and then went to PanAm Railways. Not sure of their current status. They were originally SD45-2s rebuilt into SD40-2s.
Isn’t that Baldwin footage the same footage used in the Pentrex video from the nineties?
Hi! Yes, it is. However, the footage is owned by and used with permission from Dan Hadley.
What years were these clips filmed?
The Baldwins should have all been 1992. The EMD era was shot between 2017 and 2022.
What’s the grade out of trona?
From what we’ve read, it’s around 2%
Run 8
The best sound. Trona delivers lots of run 8.
Wonder if that SD40R (looks like an SD40-2 but in SP paint) ever gets to lead?
For whatever reason, it does not. Which is unfortunate. It’s a cool unit.
@@CVisionContributor Also know they have a Kodachrome painted SD40R that's confined to be the plant switcher, as the dynamic brakes gave out soon after they got it - TRC 2003, if I recall correctly. Hope the poor thing winds up in a museum, I believe it's the last Kodachrome-painted locomotive in revenue service and one of only two in existence anywhere, the other being the SP 2873 at WPRM.
@@OrangeHeartRailfanProductions We’ve seen that thing lurking around the plant. Wish it could operate on road trains, but what can ya do. And that 2002... any idea why it never leads? I see it doesn’t have an air conditioner, so we’re guessing it is only used as a B-unit? Thanks for the information, by the way!
@@CVisionContributor I unfortunately am not from the area, just relaying what i heard in a railfan group on Facebook. Lack of AC would be my guess as to why 2002 never leads, though.
@@OrangeHeartRailfanProductions Roger that. Thank you for the reply.
Those are some cool scenes coming upgrade. Train is a little outta place, but Luke Skywalker wouldn't be on his levitating motorbike or two-seater Speedmoto. You sure this was filmed on Planet Earth? That whole area looked so young and new to us back in 1977, didn't it? Gracias por tu video. RT sends... envía... Colonia Centro Histórico, Puebla, México...
Yes, sir. It’s quite the landscape. Lunar? Martian? Places unknown? Inhospitable, for sure, but very beautiful (and apparently rich in minerals).
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thank you, Tony!
WERE ANY OF THESE BALDWINS PRESERVED AND RUNNING??
Yes, those AS-616s are now owned by SMS Rail Service. They got lucky.
@@CVisionContributor THANKS FOR INFO!
WHEN I WENT TO WORK FOR SANTA FE THEY WERE GETTING RARE AT ARGENTINE!
THE 1460 AT BARSTOW RR MUSEUM WAS VERY LAST ONE.
MY OLDEST GRANDDAUGHTER WOULD OCCASIONALLY RIDE TO WORK WITH ME ON PAY DAY,
AND THE 1460 BECAME HER FAVORITE LOCOMOTIVE !
IT WAS BEING USED AS THE
SHOP SWITCHING GOAT THERE!
KEEP THEM ROLLING BROTHERS!👍👍
@@rossbryan6102 You’re welcome! And yes, we remember the “Beep” (1460). As far as we know, only one of the Baldwins is operational on SMS. The former Trona 54. The other two were in storage from the looks of it.
Those sure are Baldwins , sound like a tractor!
Yes, sir! Pretty neat locomotives.
I remember the red and gray locomotives but after that didn't they run all red locomotives
Yeah. They’ve had these ex SP and UP units for about two decades now.
Yah before the SD-40, they had SD-70s Red and white stripe livery.
@@ericepperly9517 Why did they replace the sd70s with older and less powerfull sd40s?
@Folke Klarström Money, the had cost a lot.
Why no graffiti?
These cars must stay in desolate places for the most part.
We have plenty of graffiti on our cars here in trona.