C&NW in the Far West

Today, however, the units are a common site. At least in the Central Valley of California. Now part of the massive Union Pacific system former C&NW units can be seen plying the ex-Southern Pacific tracks of the so-called "I-5 Corridor."  Witness the photos on this page. 

Above, a pair of cool looking North Western C44-9Ws lead by 8664 streak northbound through Keyes California with a short freight in tow during August of 2000. When these units began appearing on the UP after the merger with C&NW they became instant favorites with California railfans. Everybody flocked to shoot these units - including myself. 

Unfortunately, the 8600s remained oddly elusive to my lens until early 1998 when I made an intensive effort to find and photograph them. Of course it helped that I had just taken a job as a sales rep under contract to Hewlett-Packard. 

(Right) C&NW SD40-2 6935 switches at Stockton Calif on August 24, 2000

My territory took me up and down the I-5 Corridor between Merced, Modesto and Stockton five days a week (I also covered Tracy to the west and Sonora - in the foothills - to the east). I now could photograph trains during the course of my work.  Soon I began getting both still shots and video footage of these lightening-striped behemoths on a regular basis, and  in a variety of locations in the Central Valley. 

During the Summer of 2000 I had the pleasure of photographing a number of C&NW units, including SD40-2 6935 still lettered for Operation Lifesaver. The unit was switching out cars in the former Western Pacific Stockton Yard when caught near Ortega on August 23. Once the crew completed their task, they got the highball to continue southbound, which took them over trackage once part of WP's First Subdivision as far as Lathrop. From Lathrop the train switched back over to the former SP Fresno Sub for the trip to Bakersfield. 
 

- Ken Rattenne