Pacific Imperial Railroad in Rancho Cucamonga California purchased these locomotives from Idaho Northern and Pacific in 2013, then went bankrupt a year later and parked and abandoned them. They actually legally still belong to IN&P although due to vandalism were written off as a loss.
I bet there's some railroad museums out there that would love to get their hands on these to restore and use, I'm sure it would cost a fortune just to get then moved, little loan restored.
Restore them ???-----where they gonna get the parts ? If it's California the EPA would arrest the person that fired on up. A railroad museum can get a working one cheap. Tgake a picture it'll last longer. Those old traction motors are now rattle snake dens.
Thank you for sharing. We operated these locomotives on the Thunder Mountain excursion Train out of Cascade, Idaho which we started in 1998. The railroad operated them from the 1990s through about 2008. It ran from Cascade to Smiths Ferry. The Railroad operated from Payette, Idaho to Cascade. Also Operated from LaGrande, Oregon to Joseph, Oregon. It is sad to see them as deriliks now.
What you have found here are three GM-EMD (General Motors Electro-Motive Division) model GP40 or GP40-2 diesel-electric roadswitcher type locomotives. Roadswitchers are so named because they were designed both for mainline railroad (road) use, and for switching train cars in railyards. Diesel-electric means a large diesel engine rotates a big electrical generator, which in turn powers electric traction motors in the wheels. This model locomotive is powered by a GM-EMD 16-645E3 turbocharged V16 engine, producing 3,000 horsepower! The sound they make when running is amazing. These were likely built in the 70s or 80s but are still highly desirable and valuable locomotives, even on large railroads, which is why it's hard to believe they were just left to rot. When you opened the valve cover on top of the engine, the interior looked clean and oiled, suggesting these were cared for and may have even run recently, within the past few years. You were asking about the sand switch; locomotives carry sand in a tank that can be sprayed on the top of the rail, just in front of the wheels. This extra grit helps a locomotive gain traction when the wheels slip. As for the toilet, on this type of locomotive, it's located down some steps in the front of the cab, in the front nose. Waste is stored in a tank and emptied at service facilities. This is a nicely put together video with fitting music. I would say to be careful when exploring, filming, and posting video like this. These locomotives may appear to be abandoned, but they are most likely still owned by a railroad or holding company. It's probably a pretty safe bet that nobody is keeping a watchful eye on these three units, but even so, if local law enforcement sees you there, they'll probably levy a pretty hefty fine and maybe even jail time. Be safe!
SpeakerPolice .... Question for you....Why when freight trains are moving with their payload is it that the engine that sits between the two front engines and the payload is facing backwards ??? ... All those I have asked who claim to be locomotive "Hot-Dogs" can't come up with an answer for some reason. If you look at the still photo in this video, these 3 engines are sitting in such a way.
twilight's last gleaming One engine at the rear of the consist (group of locomotives) is frequently turned the other way so that when the train is detached from the engines at the destination, the crew doesn't have to turn the engines using a turntable, wye, etc. They simply use the rear-facing locomotive as the leader on the return trip!
SpeakerPolice .... Makes sense to me ! ... My dad retired from EMD in McCook, IL in 1979 and if not mistaken, the plant is still active today(whats left of it) in the railroad business, But no longer a GM facility....Thanks for your expertise !
SpeakerPolice .... Yes, McCook and LaGrange are/were the same plant !....Most called it LaGrange. The plant was so large and in fact, "Electro-Motive way" was the street that separated LaGrange from McCook and was the main entrance to the plant. LaGrange is business/residential were as McCook was industrial. Man I tell'ya, that parking lot was the size of a major airport and was FULL, EVEN ON SUNDAYS !...It was still EMD when they started downsizing the facility and some of the guys who made their living there whom had retired was on site when some of the buildings were being torn down...They were all in tears including my dad. I hated it most when they took apart that iconic water tower with the GM insignia on it.
@@Jimmyxsx Railroads prefer the old ones, they are more reliable and easier to fix. These ones are so destroyed they will probably be sent to a locomotive rebuilder to get a big overhaul or turned into parts for others of this kind.
Harley Man The Train Fan they are pretty much trash in the desert left to die by their owners pushed far way to be never dealt with again, probably be completely destroyed by the element in 10 years. All I saw was a couple cracked windows on the locs, and those passenger trains in the middle of nowhere are a perfect place for graffiti.
lol like someones really going to go and pick them up anytime soon.....these been sitting here for years,,,,,whats the problem? only question i have is why would people leave these out here and not move them?
They may be abandoned but they were still good working machines when they parked them there. Because they have been there years does not mean free to destroy them. They were left there because of a legal problem over ownership I believe. But now they’re junk.
These locomotives were originally purchased by Pacific Imperial Railroad around 2013. PIR had promised to rebuild and restore freight service on the old San Diego and Arizona (later San Diego and Arizona Eastern), a subsidiary of Southern Pacific, and these units were supposed to run on it. PIR turned out to be more of an investment scam than anything, and never repaired the line. These units have been sitting there for years now and have been stripped of most everything useful. At this point the newest railroad to try to restore the line, Baja Railroad, may be able to use the parts out of all three to repair a different abandoned locomotive in Jacumba, further west up the line. Otherwise they're not worth the money it would cost to tow them to scrap, so they'll be scrapped in place.
I live in Idaho where these units were used on the Idaho Northern & Pacific from 1993 to 2001 when all the sawmills closed down. The INPRR purchased several Union Pacific branchlines and operated them with non-union labor until the mills closed. The PIR purchased them, at least on paper, and moved them to the desert where they were never officially put into service. I've spent many hours on all three of these units and they were in top shape when they shipped. Sad to see them like this now.
We pass thru there on Interstate 8 West to go to San Diego in Ocotillo, California all the time!!! Thanks for sharing. I always wondered how it was up close.
The trashed car is a rare International Harvester Travelall. Hard to tell the year but I'm guessing around 1970-72? They were built off the full size IH pickup chassis. Very heavy, often sold for fleet use. Just a basic work truck and crew hauler. IH was in the full size pickup and SUV truck business until 1975 model year. They made the little Scout line of smaller SUV's until 1980 when they finally pulled the plug for good. Their last pickup was the 1980 Scout Terra, about the size of a Ford Ranger. Not many left around and sad this one wound up stripped in the desert. I'm an IH fan, but I have to admit they never got out from under Jeeps shadow.
STBX is the reporting mark of the railroad that owns these engines - Sterling Bomba LLC. They were purchased at some point in the past from the Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad (reporting marks - INPR), but instead of repainting the whole engine STBX spray painted their marks on the side. I would guess these engines are probably in storage, not abandoned.
PIR wanted to reopen the line, but it hasn't happened. Those knobby things on the side at 2:23 are not spark plugs. They are air cocks for cold starting the locomotive, because the individual pistons are so BIG that water can condense inside when the engine cools. When starting a cold engine, they have to open those cocks and turn the engine without fuel to blow any water out before they try to actually start the engine.
It’s nice to see how good you are doing to keep us very well entertained, I believe your channel is continuously improving. I am planning to go to LV the third week of March for the fourth time in 1 year. It would be great if you can make a video about the buffets (cheap and expensive ) around town.
These are the tracks of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway. It ran from San Diego through Mexico back across the border at Campo, down the Laguna Mountains to El Centro. The line has been abandoned for years. This scene is across from Coyote Wells near Ocotillo.
I see locomotives with this same paint scheme all the time. I live in the Boise area; "Idaho Northen & Pacific" is a short line railroad that serves the "Treasure Valley".
I used to go camping in the Mojave desert often and I’m not sure but I think I remember seeing these units running maybe 13 years ago. Awesome vid but sorry to see they’re out of service.
Jaw Tooth.... These could easily be made serviceable again by any of the locomotive rebuild/reman shops around the country.... though, mostly in the eastern third of the country.
To answer your son's question: "What does sanding" mean... There is a reservoir near the wheels that holds sand. When the locomotives are on icy or wet tracks and can't get traction, they would "sand" the tracks. This meant to open that lever and release sand onto the track directly in front of and behind the wheels thus giving the wheels traction to get moving.
If you did not know, these locomotives were on Pacific Imperial Railroad's roster. If you have seen the Ex-Metra railcars in Jacumba, they went to the Pacific Imperial railroad. And they have a bunch of 10 year old grain cars sitting in the desert that belong to them [PIRR]. It happened after that simple axle-off-track derailment in Jacumba. The line used to go from Colton to IDK. But that place was in the middle of no where.
1:04 They aren't just diesel, it's diesel electric. The diesel engine power a generator which makes the train go. 1:40 That's actually the engineers seat, the conducter's seat is on the left. 1:56 Generator, actually. 2:13 What you're seeing right there is an EMD 645E3 Prime mover. 2:51 That thing you were pulling was the horn, imagine you're at a crossing, honking the horn. 3:42 The toilet should be located in the nose or near those switches. 4:51 The plow is used to clear any unwanted debris from the tracks. 4:59 There you have it, the one and only IN&P 4501 GP40-2 5:07 STBX is a leasing or scrapping company probably. 5:19 Fact: Some trains have a system to save fuel, so this is probably why it still has some. Over all, nice video!!
On a couple of trips out west in recent years, I spotted several instances of long strings of rail cars that may well have been the same type attached to these locomotives which may also have been abandoned.
18 years ago I rode a many miles outta Nampa, Idaho on the Idaho Northern and Pacific, pretty damn cool y’all found them old motors in their original paint scheme.
That is a mostly abandoned line that originally ran from San Diego to Yuma. The part from San Diego to Tecate is back in service, and they are looking at bringing the rest of the line back because of the demand for freight transit by rail. A tourist train also used part of the line out of Campo for excursions. I can't find it again, but somewhere on RUclips is a long video of a ride along that whole, unused section of the line in a work train.
@ 2:52 it's a 26C automatic, the small lever with the words pass, out, & freight has to be depressed before it will turn. The lever you pulled down looks to be a horn valve, either a graham white 353, or maybe an old vilico.
The Sand switch is for putting sand on the rails right in front of the wheels. It gave the wheels more traction if any started to slip. If you look at the traction wheels, you'll see a little nozzle in front of them, which is where the sand would come out.
The RR is probably Southern Pacific's former secondary mainline between Niland, El Centro and Yuma, which looped into Mexico at Mexicali before returning to the US at Yuma. SP's "Imperial" passenger train operated on this line from LA to Chicago into the 1960s. The primary main line further east is operated by successor Union Pacific, which hosts Amtrak's Sunset Limited to New Orleans today, as it has for over 100 years. The locos were left there probably for tax purposes. That old SUV is an International Travelall from the 1960s.
Greatdome99 the paint scheme the locomotives are in are from the Idaho Northern and Pacific a shortline in western Idaho that used to pull log trains from the forests down to the boise cascade lumber mill. The line stopped revenue freight in the late 90s. The locomotives were sold to the leasing company that is painted on the side of the cab Ownership was transferred and the leasing company went south before they even really used the locomotives then left them abandoned on that spur. Little money was paid for those locomotives and they now sit in the desert rotting away. A few were sold to local Idaho shortlines and one still wears the original paint like these. The locomotives were in great condition when the INPR shipped them off
Idaho Northern & Pacific! Those engines used to run through my neighborhood, less than a mile from my house! I always wondered what happened to them. IN&P owned a small spur line that connected Nampa, Idaho to Boise. The company still operates but in the economic downturn of 2008 they sold their interest in that line to Boise Valley Railroad. The BVR *only* operates on that short spur so the engines were probably considered excess and driven out to Nevada to mothball them (that's just my guess). "STBX" usually means "Soon To Be Ex" and refers to a person about to be divorced but might also be used to indicate something is going to be written off as excess. Perhaps the company that owns them are the ones that stripped out some of the useful stuff to keep other engines running.
1:54 That's the alternator I believe. The electric motors (referred to as "traction motors") that drive the wheels are under the locomotive, in the "bogies" (sets of wheels, axles and other equipment such as brake cylinders... there are two bogies on each of these locomotives). 2:18 Did you know that these diesel engines have no intake valves? They are two-stroke engines, with ports (holes) on the cylinder walls that is uncovered by the pistons. There are 4 exhaust valves, and the middle rocker arms are for the fuel injectors. 2:50 Sand is used to improve traction, often on wet rails. 3:40 The toilet is located in the front "nose" of the locomotive. It might have been stolen (LOL) or removed. 3:58 The engine-like object at the bottom of the screen is the air compressor, which provides compressed air for the brakes. Above your head (out of the shot) is the engine cooling radiator. 5:08 "STBX" is the reporting mark (ID) of the owner (or whomever previously owned them). I looked it up, seems to refer to "Sterling Bomba LLC." They have no website, and can't find much info about them - might be out of business. I think they probably bought the locomotives from the Idaho Northern and Pacific railroad (Which is still in business, actually, well according to wikipedia.) but didn't re-paint them. Oh, and yeah, Idaho Northern and Pacific's reporting mark is "INPR" ...
@1:56 - The main alternator, actually, the motors are in the bogies/trucks. @2:15 - Valve springs, rockers and cams, for the valves and fuel injectors, the pistons are inside the engine. @2:48 - Sand is sometimes sprayed on to the track to help with traction. I think you show where the toilet should have been @1:30.
Wow that was a surprise coming across this and seeing those units. I worked with those engines out of Emmett, ID running to Cascade, ID hauling logs and green lumber almost 20 years ago. Also out of Nampa running to Boise and Wilder after the Cascade line was closed down. I have some pics even from back in the day by one or two of those locomotives. Small world.
I always loved driving around the western states, out in the desert. There is so much to find out there, like an old abandoned mining town I found somewhere out in Nevada in 1991. Here in the UK we have nothing like these places, I guess because its a small country and space is valuable. I need to get back out there again someday - probably when I've retired.
Genesee & Wyoming Company based in New York State owns many railroad lines, that rail line is the San Diego & Imperial Valley railroad which used to be the San Diego & Arizona Eastern. The line needs to be completely rebuilt and needs to be put back to use. I see those locomotives every time I go home to the San Diego area for visits.
Barry Deditch Yup! Don't park it next to a corn field. You'll come back and see it out there workin'. I had a '72 IH pick up. That thing was built like a tank. Was an ex forestry truck up here in Canada.
By the way, you both are correct in your statements that they run on electric AND diesel. The engine drives an generator that makes electricity. Then the electricity drives traction motors on each of the wheels. Also, you have a conductor and an engineer. The engineer (driver as you call him) handles the locomotives, the conductor is in charge of the freight cars. STBX is a leasing company of locomotive, names Sterling Bomba LLC. Chances are these locomotive aren't abandoned, just put in mothballs. Looks like they have salvaged parts from them to be used or sold to other locomotives or companies,
I live in the high desert area of Southern California. Trying to think where these would be...the area looks familiar, but the windmills make me think it is by Mojave, boron or someplace close. Love your exploring.
I looked up STOX, it comes back as ACF Industries, or American Car and Foundry. These locomotives where purchased by the Pacific Imperial Railway, however it never did anything. Also it is reported that the locomotives are damaged by a runway centerbeam.
These are diesel powered electric engines. Diesel powers electric generators. When you was looking at the engine without the valve cover is where the camshaft, rockers, and valves are. Under that is the pistons. The head houses the camshaft, and valves and mounts over the pistons. The engine runs off of high compression causing high pressure for combustion.
"I do all this damn work, break my back everyday for almost 50 years, and this is the thanks I get?" The old girl still has a long time left. Give er a chance.
There units have been sitting in the same spot for at least the last couple of yrs, the last 4-6 times I've traveled to San Diego i've seen them. The value in a older unit like these are the prime movers, even know they look to be in really rough shape, units like these still have a chance at being rebuilt and running the rail again. Mother nature hasn't been kind to the railroad over the years. For the history of this line Google, "Carrizo Gorge Railway" or for links to youtube videos.
Class III railroads might be able to use units like these. IMHO, they're probably pretty well preserved (except for the vandals of course, who seem to have stripped it) being in the dry-ish weather there...
I worked for a small class 2 railroad, that would purchase used locomotives at auction (sometimes in worse condition than these) and rehab them for a fraction of the price of a new unit. I've seen Mechanical shops work miracles on units that looked like they should of been sent to the scraper, and then go on to earning the RR revenue once again.
Those are GP40s with a EMD 16-645 diesel. All three of those units ran and were used for revenue freight when they were leased to the company that is painted on the side of the cab. The leasing company went over and ownership of the locomotives is confusing as they still belong to INPR but also the leasing company. INPR still has the brother units that still operate to this day. The locomotives are defiantly something that could be saved if someone had the opportunity to
The locomotive were not abandoned, but placed in the desert for storage in dry conditions. The owner naievly assumed vandals would leave them alone. Cab parts are worth something to locomotive rebuilding companies, as are the prime movers. In this case, they will probably be scrapped and some parts, such as fuel tanks and engines will be harvested for rebuilding and reapplication. The best thing you can do is stay off them and merely take your pictures.
Those were part of a short lived railroad that reopened a rail line that crossed into Mexico. They ran out of funding and ditched everything. There is a ton of passenger cars somewhere near there. The state put those there so the railroad would have to fix the tracks which they never did. Then the railroad took all the horns and valuable pieces off the units so no one could steal them.
The location is the old Coyote Wells water stop on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. It was used to water the steam locomotives before they started the 2.2% grade up the eastern escarpment of the Laguna Mountains to Carriso Gorge enroute to San Diego.
Great video! I wonder if it was too costly for the RR company to scrap these locomotives. I think its awesome that they are just left out there to explore.
Let's see is it useless? Yes. Does it go nowhere? Yes. Is it in a place no one wants to go? Yes. Would it cost more money than its worth to make it run? Yes. Yup, this is California bullet train alright.
Cool Vid. When you were looking at the brake FRT is freight Pass passangerpassanger. Out is what it's in when your pulling a unit. And the toilet was in the nose. Usually. They may have removed it and used it as storage room. I'm a freight conductor we pass that not when they drive crews out to that way.
Pacific Imperial Railroad in Rancho Cucamonga California purchased these locomotives from Idaho Northern and Pacific in 2013, then went bankrupt a year later and parked and abandoned them. They actually legally still belong to IN&P although due to vandalism were written off as a loss.
Thanks for the info !!
I bet there's some railroad museums out there that would love to get their hands on these to restore and use, I'm sure it would cost a fortune just to get then moved, little loan restored.
No smart museum would take these particular locomotives.
wasnt there a San Diego and Arizona Eastern RR?
Restore them ???-----where they gonna get the parts ? If it's California the EPA would arrest the person that fired on up. A railroad museum can get a working one cheap.
Tgake a picture it'll last longer. Those old traction motors are now rattle snake dens.
Painful to watch videos from people that have no idea what they are looking at. "look at all these pistons" while looking at the valve train. lol
Autism Warrior amen
Exactly
If thats painful to you, I hope you never get cancer
Don’t watch it then...jackass
I'm surprised they didn't start saying that meth and crack manufacturers are using abandoned trains to produce and fuel these engines.
Thank you for sharing. We operated these locomotives on the Thunder Mountain excursion Train out of Cascade, Idaho which we started in 1998. The railroad operated them from the 1990s through about 2008. It ran from Cascade to Smiths Ferry. The Railroad operated from Payette, Idaho to Cascade. Also Operated from LaGrande, Oregon to Joseph, Oregon. It is sad to see them as deriliks now.
When I lived in La Grande, Or I remember seeing these units. Sad really.
sanding is for traction. they drop sand, via tubes, in front of the wheels when they slip
Thanks for the info. Cool engineering
Yeah thanks for sharing
What you have found here are three GM-EMD (General Motors Electro-Motive Division) model GP40 or GP40-2 diesel-electric roadswitcher type locomotives. Roadswitchers are so named because they were designed both for mainline railroad (road) use, and for switching train cars in railyards. Diesel-electric means a large diesel engine rotates a big electrical generator, which in turn powers electric traction motors in the wheels. This model locomotive is powered by a GM-EMD 16-645E3 turbocharged V16 engine, producing 3,000 horsepower! The sound they make when running is amazing. These were likely built in the 70s or 80s but are still highly desirable and valuable locomotives, even on large railroads, which is why it's hard to believe they were just left to rot. When you opened the valve cover on top of the engine, the interior looked clean and oiled, suggesting these were cared for and may have even run recently, within the past few years. You were asking about the sand switch; locomotives carry sand in a tank that can be sprayed on the top of the rail, just in front of the wheels. This extra grit helps a locomotive gain traction when the wheels slip. As for the toilet, on this type of locomotive, it's located down some steps in the front of the cab, in the front nose. Waste is stored in a tank and emptied at service facilities.
This is a nicely put together video with fitting music. I would say to be careful when exploring, filming, and posting video like this. These locomotives may appear to be abandoned, but they are most likely still owned by a railroad or holding company. It's probably a pretty safe bet that nobody is keeping a watchful eye on these three units, but even so, if local law enforcement sees you there, they'll probably levy a pretty hefty fine and maybe even jail time. Be safe!
SpeakerPolice .... Question for you....Why when freight trains are moving with their payload is it that the engine that sits between the two front engines and the payload is facing backwards ??? ... All those I have asked who claim to be locomotive "Hot-Dogs" can't come up with an answer for some reason. If you look at the still photo in this video, these 3 engines are sitting in such a way.
twilight's last gleaming One engine at the rear of the consist (group of locomotives) is frequently turned the other way so that when the train is detached from the engines at the destination, the crew doesn't have to turn the engines using a turntable, wye, etc. They simply use the rear-facing locomotive as the leader on the return trip!
SpeakerPolice .... Makes sense to me ! ... My dad retired from EMD in McCook, IL in 1979 and if not mistaken, the plant is still active today(whats left of it) in the railroad business, But no longer a GM facility....Thanks for your expertise !
twilight's last gleaming No problem! As far as I know, LaGrange, IL and London, ON, CA are gone, but McCook might still be around as a CAT property.
SpeakerPolice .... Yes, McCook and LaGrange are/were the same plant !....Most called it LaGrange. The plant was so large and in fact, "Electro-Motive way" was the street that separated LaGrange from McCook and was the main entrance to the plant. LaGrange is business/residential were as McCook was industrial. Man I tell'ya, that parking lot was the size of a major airport and was FULL, EVEN ON SUNDAYS !...It was still EMD when they started downsizing the facility and some of the guys who made their living there whom had retired was on site when some of the buildings were being torn down...They were all in tears including my dad. I hated it most when they took apart that iconic water tower with the GM insignia on it.
"Do these run on battery?" Jesus you guys are clueless. You could probably start it if you knew how.
Jesus has nothing to do with this
It's an expression, not saying his name, man you religious people are sensitive.
@@yourlocalbaltimorerailfan.6756 man has nothing to do with this ..lol
@@Island_Line_Rail_Productions Not anymore.
Your local Baltimore Railfan. I don’t think they can start in the condition they are in
Thank you for being kind to some pieces of EMD history. Hopefully they will get lucky again one day and have another shot at life!
Elliott Engine & Misc. Repair I hope the engines do too
Elliott Engine & Misc. Repair sadly then wont, they were retired because the newer locomotives are more efficient.
@@Jimmyxsx Railroads prefer the old ones, they are more reliable and easier to fix. These ones are so destroyed they will probably be sent to a locomotive rebuilder to get a big overhaul or turned into parts for others of this kind.
The railroad abandoned these engines after it failed. This section of track is now leased by, BJRR. San Diego metro is the track owners.
Great Video! Its sad that vandals are too immature to just leave things alone, instead of destroying everything.
Harley Man The Train Fan they are pretty much trash in the desert left to die by their owners pushed far way to be never dealt with again, probably be completely destroyed by the element in 10 years. All I saw was a couple cracked windows on the locs, and those passenger trains in the middle of nowhere are a perfect place for graffiti.
You think the weather will destroy a 400,000 pound piece of steel in 10 years?
lol like someones really going to go and pick them up anytime soon.....these been sitting here for years,,,,,whats the problem? only question i have is why would people leave these out here and not move them?
They may be abandoned but they were still good working machines when they parked them there. Because they have been there years does not mean free to destroy them. They were left there because of a legal problem over ownership I believe. But now they’re junk.
nobody is destroying them,,,just because he hade a video of them doesnt mean hes hurting them.
These locomotives were originally purchased by Pacific Imperial Railroad around 2013. PIR had promised to rebuild and restore freight service on the old San Diego and Arizona (later San Diego and Arizona Eastern), a subsidiary of Southern Pacific, and these units were supposed to run on it. PIR turned out to be more of an investment scam than anything, and never repaired the line. These units have been sitting there for years now and have been stripped of most everything useful. At this point the newest railroad to try to restore the line, Baja Railroad, may be able to use the parts out of all three to repair a different abandoned locomotive in Jacumba, further west up the line. Otherwise they're not worth the money it would cost to tow them to scrap, so they'll be scrapped in place.
I live in Idaho where these units were used on the Idaho Northern & Pacific from 1993 to 2001 when all the sawmills closed down. The INPRR purchased several Union Pacific branchlines and operated them with non-union labor until the mills closed. The PIR purchased them, at least on paper, and moved them to the desert where they were never officially put into service. I've spent many hours on all three of these units and they were in top shape when they shipped. Sad to see them like this now.
@@ddopf They were in working condition when they were shipped? This makes it even sadder.
wouldn't they have stripped them of all the electronics or do you think it was all stolen? @@ddopf
We pass thru there on Interstate 8 West to go to San Diego in Ocotillo, California all the time!!! Thanks for sharing. I always wondered how it was up close.
Thanks for watching!
The trashed car is a rare International Harvester Travelall. Hard to tell the year but I'm guessing around 1970-72? They were built off the full size IH pickup chassis. Very heavy, often sold for fleet use. Just a basic work truck and crew hauler. IH was in the full size pickup and SUV truck business until 1975 model year. They made the little Scout line of smaller SUV's until 1980 when they finally pulled the plug for good. Their last pickup was the 1980 Scout Terra, about the size of a Ford Ranger. Not many left around and sad this one wound up stripped in the desert. I'm an IH fan, but I have to admit they never got out from under Jeeps shadow.
My husband never watches youtube! HOWEVER he loves trains, he took his eyes off his phone looking at cars, to watch this with me lol! Cool video!
Thats awesome. I love cars too. I would like to find a 63 split rear window vette to sit in my garage. =)
STBX is the reporting mark of the railroad that owns these engines - Sterling Bomba LLC. They were purchased at some point in the past from the Idaho Northern & Pacific Railroad (reporting marks - INPR), but instead of repainting the whole engine STBX spray painted their marks on the side. I would guess these engines are probably in storage, not abandoned.
PIR wanted to reopen the line, but it hasn't happened. Those knobby things on the side at 2:23 are not spark plugs. They are air cocks for cold starting the locomotive, because the individual pistons are so BIG that water can condense inside when the engine cools. When starting a cold engine, they have to open those cocks and turn the engine without fuel to blow any water out before they try to actually start the engine.
Nice editing, and good to see it hasn't been vandalized.
It’s nice to see how good you are doing to keep us very well entertained, I believe your channel is continuously improving. I am planning to go to LV the third week of March for the fourth time in 1 year. It would be great if you can make a video about the buffets (cheap and expensive ) around town.
These are the tracks of the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railway. It ran from San Diego through Mexico back across the border at Campo, down the Laguna Mountains to El Centro. The line has been abandoned for years. This scene is across from Coyote Wells near Ocotillo.
A 4-axle diesel-electric switch engine with about 3000 hp. Cool stuff. Thanks.
Thanks for the tour. We drive by these on trips from San Diego to Arizona. Great video!
I see locomotives with this same paint scheme all the time. I live in the Boise area; "Idaho Northen & Pacific" is a short line railroad that serves the "Treasure Valley".
Just there today. 4/30/19 FYI. All access to inside has been welded shut. Good news! These are in storage. Not abandoned.
Brian Chisnell thank goddess
"So do these thongs run off of battery?"
"No I think it runs on diesel."
Naaaahhh I think a DIESEL engine would run on laundry detergent.
See these every time on the way to the river. Cool to see someone else appreciate these!!
I used to go camping in the Mojave desert often and I’m not sure but I think I remember seeing these units running maybe 13 years ago. Awesome vid but sorry to see they’re out of service.
What's up man, glad to see your channel is doing well. Keep up the great work bro.
Toilets were usually in the short end of the locomotive.
Looks like those poor locomotives will never run again. Nice video!
Jaw Tooth.... These could easily be made serviceable again by any of the locomotive rebuild/reman shops around the country.... though, mostly in the eastern third of the country.
If some could find the parts missing (not many) and rewire them... these would start up.
They are screwed now thanks to these idiots leaving all the doors open. Selfish, ignorant fools.
They probably need at least $10,000 in repairs
"Look at all these pistons".... LOL - You guys are a car mechanics dream! Yeah I rebuilt all your pistons - thats 10K please.
To answer your son's question: "What does sanding" mean... There is a reservoir near the wheels that holds sand. When the locomotives are on icy or wet tracks and can't get traction, they would "sand" the tracks. This meant to open that lever and release sand onto the track directly in front of and behind the wheels thus giving the wheels traction to get moving.
You guys are so cool! I wish I had friends i could take on these sorts of adventures. Thanks for all the good material!
If you did not know, these locomotives were on Pacific Imperial Railroad's roster. If you have seen the Ex-Metra railcars in Jacumba, they went to the Pacific Imperial railroad. And they have a bunch of 10 year old grain cars sitting in the desert that belong to them [PIRR]. It happened after that simple axle-off-track derailment in Jacumba. The line used to go from Colton to IDK. But that place was in the middle of no where.
1:04 They aren't just diesel, it's diesel electric. The diesel engine power a generator which makes the train go.
1:40 That's actually the engineers seat, the conducter's seat is on the left.
1:56 Generator, actually.
2:13 What you're seeing right there is an EMD 645E3 Prime mover.
2:51 That thing you were pulling was the horn, imagine you're at a crossing, honking the horn.
3:42 The toilet should be located in the nose or near those switches.
4:51 The plow is used to clear any unwanted debris from the tracks.
4:59 There you have it, the one and only IN&P 4501 GP40-2
5:07 STBX is a leasing or scrapping company probably.
5:19 Fact: Some trains have a system to save fuel, so this is probably why it still has some.
Over all, nice video!!
Love that you find all of these interesting thing to explore and take us with you Thanks
Awesome guys! Love seeing abandoned things, keep up the good work!
On a couple of trips out west in recent years, I spotted several instances of long strings of rail cars that may well have been the same type attached to these locomotives which may also have been abandoned.
very cool video - as a historian I am impressed
Cool stuff guys! Craig I love the drone stuff, great job on that. Really enjoy the adventure vids. Keep em coming.
someone must rescue those perfectly good geeps!
18 years ago I rode a many miles outta Nampa, Idaho on the Idaho Northern and Pacific, pretty damn cool y’all found them old motors in their original paint scheme.
That is a mostly abandoned line that originally ran from San Diego to Yuma. The part from San Diego to Tecate is back in service, and they are looking at bringing the rest of the line back because of the demand for freight transit by rail. A tourist train also used part of the line out of Campo for excursions.
I can't find it again, but somewhere on RUclips is a long video of a ride along that whole, unused section of the line in a work train.
@ 2:52 it's a 26C automatic, the small lever with the words pass, out, & freight has to be depressed before it will turn. The lever you pulled down looks to be a horn valve, either a graham white 353, or maybe an old vilico.
The Sand switch is for putting sand on the rails right in front of the wheels. It gave the wheels more traction if any started to slip. If you look at the traction wheels, you'll see a little nozzle in front of them, which is where the sand would come out.
The RR is probably Southern Pacific's former secondary mainline between Niland, El Centro and Yuma, which looped into Mexico at Mexicali before returning to the US at Yuma. SP's "Imperial" passenger train operated on this line from LA to Chicago into the 1960s. The primary main line further east is operated by successor Union Pacific, which hosts Amtrak's Sunset Limited to New Orleans today, as it has for over 100 years.
The locos were left there probably for tax purposes. That old SUV is an International Travelall from the 1960s.
Greatdome99 the paint scheme the locomotives are in are from the Idaho Northern and Pacific a shortline in western Idaho that used to pull log trains from the forests down to the boise cascade lumber mill. The line stopped revenue freight in the late 90s. The locomotives were sold to the leasing company that is painted on the side of the cab Ownership was transferred and the leasing company went south before they even really used the locomotives then left them abandoned on that spur. Little money was paid for those locomotives and they now sit in the desert rotting away. A few were sold to local Idaho shortlines and one still wears the original paint like these. The locomotives were in great condition when the INPR shipped them off
2:50 Sand is used for traction/ to increase the friction between the steel wheel and rail.
Excellent video!! Well done!!!
OMG Ineed to see these on my tour 8. where are they located?
Google Maps "Coyote Wells California" then go to satellite view -- can't miss it.
When you search, the orange arrow points right at where the engines are located.
They most likely never even thought about scrapping when the company went under no nobody in charge cared .
Idaho Northern & Pacific! Those engines used to run through my neighborhood, less than a mile from my house! I always wondered what happened to them. IN&P owned a small spur line that connected Nampa, Idaho to Boise. The company still operates but in the economic downturn of 2008 they sold their interest in that line to Boise Valley Railroad.
The BVR *only* operates on that short spur so the engines were probably considered excess and driven out to Nevada to mothball them (that's just my guess). "STBX" usually means "Soon To Be Ex" and refers to a person about to be divorced but might also be used to indicate something is going to be written off as excess. Perhaps the company that owns them are the ones that stripped out some of the useful stuff to keep other engines running.
I have some fond memories of seeing these units.
Cool • Cheers from The Detroit & Mackinac Railway 🚂
I'll keep this in mind when I'm in Vegas. I hate to see good locomotives abandoned. GP40 units are rare. Great video.
1:54
That's the alternator I believe. The electric motors (referred to as "traction motors") that drive the wheels are under the locomotive, in the "bogies" (sets of wheels, axles and other equipment such as brake cylinders... there are two bogies on each of these locomotives).
2:18
Did you know that these diesel engines have no intake valves? They are two-stroke engines, with ports (holes) on the cylinder walls that is uncovered by the pistons. There are 4 exhaust valves, and the middle rocker arms are for the fuel injectors.
2:50
Sand is used to improve traction, often on wet rails.
3:40
The toilet is located in the front "nose" of the locomotive. It might have been stolen (LOL) or removed.
3:58
The engine-like object at the bottom of the screen is the air compressor, which provides compressed air for the brakes. Above your head (out of the shot) is the engine cooling radiator.
5:08
"STBX" is the reporting mark (ID) of the owner (or whomever previously owned them). I looked it up, seems to refer to "Sterling Bomba LLC." They have no website, and can't find much info about them - might be out of business. I think they probably bought the locomotives from the Idaho Northern and Pacific railroad (Which is still in business, actually, well according to wikipedia.) but didn't re-paint them.
Oh, and yeah, Idaho Northern and Pacific's reporting mark is "INPR" ...
@1:56 - The main alternator, actually, the motors are in the bogies/trucks. @2:15 - Valve springs, rockers and cams, for the valves and fuel injectors, the pistons are inside the engine. @2:48 - Sand is sometimes sprayed on to the track to help with traction. I think you show where the toilet should have been @1:30.
👍 Fantastic Guys ! Great Urban exploring video. Love the old trains. keep up the good work Colin.
Wow that was a surprise coming across this and seeing those units. I worked with those engines out of Emmett, ID running to Cascade, ID hauling logs and green lumber almost 20 years ago. Also out of Nampa running to Boise and Wilder after the Cascade line was closed down. I have some pics even from back in the day by one or two of those locomotives. Small world.
Those units once belonged to my state but now they rot it's sad to see them here in such a barren location
While the electrical is bad, these things are mechanically in good shape. Very good rebuild candidates.
I always loved driving around the western states, out in the desert. There is so much to find out there, like an old abandoned mining town I found somewhere out in Nevada in 1991. Here in the UK we have nothing like these places, I guess because its a small country and space is valuable. I need to get back out there again someday - probably when I've retired.
Genesee & Wyoming Company based in New York State owns many railroad lines, that rail line is the San Diego & Imperial Valley railroad which used to be the San Diego & Arizona Eastern. The line needs to be completely rebuilt and needs to be put back to use. I see those locomotives every time I go home to the San Diego area for visits.
Which road were you on when you saw these ?
There is a 50/50 chance I put the instrument panel in the old International Travelall . They were built in Springfield , Ohio
+Jay Low that's cool. That engine has seen better days.
The "Corn Binders" is what we used to call the international trucks
Barry Deditch Yup! Don't park it next to a corn field. You'll come back and see it out there workin'. I had a '72 IH pick up. That thing was built like a tank. Was an ex forestry truck up here in Canada.
I am from Canada originally, Saskatchewan.
I'm in BC
By the way, you both are correct in your statements that they run on electric AND diesel. The engine drives an generator that makes electricity. Then the electricity drives traction motors on each of the wheels. Also, you have a conductor and an engineer. The engineer (driver as you call him) handles the locomotives, the conductor is in charge of the freight cars. STBX is a leasing company of locomotive, names Sterling Bomba LLC. Chances are these locomotive aren't abandoned, just put in mothballs. Looks like they have salvaged parts from them to be used or sold to other locomotives or companies,
Is the whole line abandoned? or just the siding with the locos on it?
FYI - the Diesel engines are used to power the electric generators to power the electric motors which drive the wheels
I live in the high desert area of Southern California. Trying to think where these would be...the area looks familiar, but the windmills make me think it is by Mojave, boron or someplace close. Love your exploring.
bil46lyn They're located in Ocotillo, just off of Interstate 8. It's about 30 miles west of El Centro.
I looked up STOX, it comes back as ACF Industries, or American Car and Foundry. These locomotives where purchased by the Pacific Imperial Railway, however it never did anything. Also it is reported that the locomotives are damaged by a runway centerbeam.
Reporting marks STBX are For Sterling Bomba LLC units purchased from The Imperial Pacific Railroad . STBX is based In Texas. Units are EMD GP40-2.
SD 40s
Lisa Kopp they are gp40-2's
SDs are six axle. These are GPs with four axle.
Damn, nice catch my friend. It's sorta hard to find that train as it is a small company railroad
These are diesel powered electric engines. Diesel powers electric generators. When you was looking at the engine without the valve cover is where the camshaft, rockers, and valves are. Under that is the pistons. The head houses the camshaft, and valves and mounts over the pistons. The engine runs off of high compression causing high pressure for combustion.
Stbx on the side of the locomotives stands for sterling bomba llc the units where sold to them from the railroad they originally worked for
"I do all this damn work, break my back everyday for almost 50 years, and this is the thanks I get?"
The old girl still has a long time left. Give er a chance.
@@MacquarieRidge Amen to that.
can these emd sd or gp locomotives be saved and be preserved on a private railway
Nice vid, I hope you guys closed all those doors. That will help slow the deterioration process.
sudden flood flood
Very cool vid! Always looking forward to the next video
goodi2shooz
Randy Vanfossen Randy Vanfossen
The 3 locomotives used to be in Placter City, I saw them roll down and crashed with that center beam and 4 more cars.
Wow...wonder how long they have been there??..in pretty good shape..not vandalized..yet....thanx for another cool video...!!
Hi Bev! Happy Sunday...I think a few years. The brake was replaced in 2013.
Hi, I don't believe these are actually abandoned. They are most likely owned by the UP or BNSF waiting to be rebuilt due to backlog.
There units have been sitting in the same spot for at least the last couple of yrs, the last 4-6 times I've traveled to San Diego i've seen them. The value in a older unit like these are the prime movers, even know they look to be in really rough shape, units like these still have a chance at being rebuilt and running the rail again. Mother nature hasn't been kind to the railroad over the years. For the history of this line Google, "Carrizo Gorge Railway" or for links to youtube videos.
Class III railroads might be able to use units like these.
IMHO, they're probably pretty well preserved (except for the vandals of course, who seem to have stripped it) being in the dry-ish weather there...
I worked for a small class 2 railroad, that would purchase used locomotives at auction (sometimes in worse condition than these) and rehab them for a fraction of the price of a new unit. I've seen Mechanical shops work miracles on units that looked like they should of been sent to the scraper, and then go on to earning the RR revenue once again.
Those are GP40s with a EMD 16-645 diesel. All three of those units ran and were used for revenue freight when they were leased to the company that is painted on the side of the cab. The leasing company went over and ownership of the locomotives is confusing as they still belong to INPR but also the leasing company. INPR still has the brother units that still operate to this day. The locomotives are defiantly something that could be saved if someone had the opportunity to
Where do the lines running besides the locos go to, are they operational??
The locomotive were not abandoned, but placed in the desert for storage in dry conditions. The owner naievly assumed vandals would leave them alone. Cab parts are worth something to locomotive rebuilding companies, as are the prime movers. In this case, they will probably be scrapped and some parts, such as fuel tanks and engines will be harvested for rebuilding and reapplication. The best thing you can do is stay off them and merely take your pictures.
The desert, the place where things go to die.
Guess the desert can be considered the trash dump, junkyard and litterbox of the world.
@@dexterricketts8490
Along with the oceans unfortunately.
A diesel engine Powers the generator which turns electric motors
Same difference
Loving the Mavic footage Im driving to Laguna Feb 25 to get some ocean shots. Keep it up
Those were part of a short lived railroad that reopened a rail line that crossed into Mexico. They ran out of funding and ditched everything. There is a ton of passenger cars somewhere near there. The state put those there so the railroad would have to fix the tracks which they never did. Then the railroad took all the horns and valuable pieces off the units so no one could steal them.
where were these specifically? it would be awesome for me to drive down and look at them. I wouldn't be more than a few hours away...
They are located in an unincorporated community known as Coyote Wells, CA, which is just south of Ocotillo, CA.
The location is the old Coyote Wells water stop on the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway. It was used to water the steam locomotives before they started the 2.2% grade up the eastern escarpment of the Laguna Mountains to Carriso Gorge enroute to San Diego.
Great video! I wonder if it was too costly for the RR company to scrap these locomotives. I think its awesome that they are just left out there to explore.
What was going on with the carriage at the end? It appeared to be bent up. I kept waiting for you to fly over it.
Ya, not sure how but it was bent. almost like it was sandwiched against a wall then rammed into?
The music is a nice touch 👍
"Hey Tod, there's a dead body in the car, Dude..." LOL - 5:43
Is this California's new bullet train??
Let's see is it useless? Yes. Does it go nowhere? Yes. Is it in a place no one wants to go? Yes. Would it cost more money than its worth to make it run? Yes.
Yup, this is California bullet train alright.
quizario1 let's not forget, the money for the bullet train project could be used to save us from another drought
Yes. They'll soon paint a picture of Captain Moonbeam on it, fit it with rubber tires and run it up and down the Central Valley on Hwy 99.
Gov Browns project
r/wooosh
I subbed back in the day for the exploring, now I'm hooked on casino walkthroughs😛 You guys are great!
Land Scapes Thanks for watching!
Awesome video you guys,Cool to see them up close and inside,Keep up the great videos.
As of January 2022, I can confirm that they are still there, for I saw them while driving.
They don't rust & the weather temps aren't extreme causing shelf life to accelerate. Like dry storage.
Where are these located?
How did Idaho Northen and Pacific engines and up down there?
Cool Vid. When you were looking at the brake FRT is freight Pass passangerpassanger. Out is what it's in when your pulling a unit. And the toilet was in the nose. Usually. They may have removed it and used it as storage room. I'm a freight conductor we pass that not when they drive crews out to that way.
any better detail on where they are sitting? ill be driving around southern California in a few months and would like to explore these.
david johnson They're on the south side of Interstate 8 just east of Ocotillo. They're east of the imperial highway exit.
Cool video. Did you get a drone for Christmas?
steve bradley Yes, he did!!
Good work Buckeye Girl. I always liked the way he incorporated the drone in the videos when he had the other one.
At 4:00 is the air compressor. It's a Gardner Denver WBO.