Plan B

In the March 2017 MR Tony Koester discusses having a plan B on era and I think this is something that merits discussion.

When I started modeling the Southern Pacific it was the early 1990's.  In fact the other night I was relaying to some friends that it was Presidents Day 1989 (George Washington's birthday or what ever it was called back then) when I first laid eyes on a Southern Pacific locomotive, albeit a steam locomotive.  It was on that day that Southern Pacific 4449 lead an excursion train, across what would become my railfan stomping grounds the Burlington Northern Cascade Subdivision over Stevens Pass, for the Washington State centennial celebration.  On that day a love affair with the Southern Pacific was born and although I still have a soft spot in my heart for BN in the late 1980's and 1990's it is nothing compared to my passion for the Espee. 

Of course for the first few years I had to have everything  the SP ever ran (and somethings it did not, but hey someone made a model of it), I didn't care if I was running a wood sheathed boxcar with GP60's I had to have it, what can I say I was all of 9 years old. When my teen years hit I had pretty much settled on being a contemporary modeler.  Although my dad still bought me tons of Black Widow locomotives (he models the 1950's and doesn't much care for "modern" paint schemes) I just couldn't get enough Bloody Nose power and like Tim Taylor I wanted more power (grunt grunt grunt) so I was trying to keep up with the horsepower race that was going on in the mid 1990's.  On a side note there is an excellent article on the last locomotives ordered by SP in the most recent issue of Trainline, the Southern Pacific Railroad History and Technical Society magazine.

Enter September 11, 1996 and the Southern Pacific ceased to be; Swallowed like many great railroads before it by the Union Pacific. Call it the Borg or other derivative name the fact of the matter is that the Scarlet and Grey was gone and being replaced as fast as possible with that disgusting Armor Yellow.  As a modeler this was great as I had an end to my era unless I became a UP modeler but as a railfan an history buff it was a sad day. I continued on planning to model the 1990's and began the task of collecting the necessary intermodal equipment and high horsepower diesels.

When Plan A becomes Plan B

I don't remember the exact day it happened and it was probably many months in the making, but I know it was after I got married in 2007 but most likely sometime after moving to Yuma in 2008.  It started like with all things money; I was looking at the price of model trains and how it was continually rising and making some comparisons. For example a well car set from intermountain will run you well over $100 and then you still have to buy the containers. 89 foot flatcars are not cheap either, infact most longer equipment such as passenger cars or auto racks seem to carry a significantly larger price tag with it. At the same time I was lamenting how much I missed miss matched locomotive consists and heavy drag freights. My ever growing video collection also allowed me to see SP power in the pre ditch light days with fully functional light packages.  The final push came when Athearn released their Genesis SP C-50-7 bay window caboose (it should be noted that other than a Details West casting which are becoming harder and harder to find, no one makes an era appropriate End of Train Device). It was then I decided I was going to model the 1980's. Obtaining a copy of the 1981 SPINS book for Yuma set the year at 1981.

So Plan A is currently 1981, this ironically is the last full year of SDP40Fs on Amtraks Sunset Limited. It was also in this time frame that the SP cut back operations on the Somerton Branch.

So what about plan B? Well my research shows that the biggest physical plant changes in Yuma occured in the late 1970's with the construction of Interstate Highway 8 and Giss Parkway.  It was during this timeframe that the new yard office was built (the old one stood where the Giss Parkway underpass is today) and the ice deck was removed. From then until after 1996 the physical plant of the railroad did not see many changes so it is concievable that I could change years easily just by adding and subtracting locomotives and vehicles to fit the modeled year. So I looked at the various years and decided on a couple that I could model in the three and a half decade span I am interested in.  I have broken the plans down as follows with the specific year listed as a subset of the plan and list some of the interesting points of that year.

PLAN A The 1980's 

Plan A1 1981- pre HEP Amtrak, Somerton Branchline still in use, Cabooses, Iron ore train, copper trains, missmatched consists. B-boats have been on property 3 years Some Alcos still on roster.

Plan A2 1985- Kodachromes, need I say more? There is optimism as the SPSF Merger has not yet been denied. Last hurrah for the big U-boats. Superliner Amtrak (unfortunately no one makes a P30CH in plastic). No Somerton Branch but produce traffic is still heavy and lots of Beet trains out of El Centro. Copper mine in Ajo has closed so limited interchange at Gila Bend.

Plan A3 1988 - GP 60's and B39/B40's are arriving on property. Merger with DRGW brings more Rio Grande power to SP rails. Some trains still have a caboose but more and more are using a FRED.

Plan B the 1990's 

Plan B1 1992- Speed lettering makes its debut, more intermodal trains, P30CHs are starting to disapear in favor of more reliable F40's and new dash 8 "Pepsi Cans"

Plan B2 1994- all new locos have been delivered. SD70's and Dash 9's are starting to be more common on trains. AC4400's are on property but mainly on coal trains on the former DRGW in Colorado, Depot Burned down in 1993, Amtrak P40 and P42 locos are replacing the older Amtrak power. Its the last year before the mergers of the 90's began and doomed SP (BNSF merger approved September 22, 1995).

Plan C 1970's

Plan C1 1978- Agriculture is still a booming source of traffic, Alcos still on the roster physical plant changes have been completed in Yuma, Colton Tower is in its final years, Iron ore drags for both export and domestic production, post rainbow Amtrak. DD35s and U50s scrapped.

Plan C2 1975-1976- Bicentennial locomotives, American Freedom Train and Preamble Express, rebuilds are becoming a common sight,  Amtrak begining to find its identity, some rainbow but not as much, Ice deck present but derelict. Post FRA roofwalk ban.

Plan C3 1972- PFE still icing some reefers, Amtrak is full on Rainbow, old yard office some Black Widow units still around, F units are still in regular use, odd ball locomotives (U50 & DD35) still in mainline use. Roofwalks being removed from older cars.

All of this does not of course rule out a retro night of 1960's or late 1950's operation. Hey I have to find an excuse to run all those beautiful Black Widow F units my dad made me and my Daylight E9. Remember as a certain publication used to proclaim "Model Railroading is Fun"