View allAll Photos Tagged SW1500
NYNJ SW1200 2293 and SW1500 1133 pull a cut of boxcars across Colony Road in Jersey City, NJ. Both locomotives are of west coast descent, with the 2293 having been built for the SSW in April of 1966 and the 1133 for the Southern Pacific in November of 1969.
Akron Barberton Cluster 1501 brings a healthy cut of cars through South Akron on former Akron Barberton Belt trackage.
North Shore Railroad 1946 leads four loads for Cargill in Winfield past an old mill building in Lewisburg on the Union County Industrial Railroad. There used to be a wye at this location and the building now houses an antique shop.
Former Houston Belt and Terminal, now Lancaster and Chester Road Slug #52. Fascinating find after returning from taking the racecar to the track for the weekend races.
Neenah yard is bustling with action as usual this fine summer morning. A pair of switchers are in charge of the 08:00 lead job that have started their careers on the Southern Pacific and are now earning their keep on the WC. The FLO jobs are gone off to Appleton, L2627 to Manitowoc L2829 to Shops Yard etc, and this job will swap blocks, flat switch and kick cars around the yard while dissecting and building the evening locals and drags for freights to pick up. Not many freights got through Neenah, without making a stop to set out or pick up freight...it was quite the place to stay busy and I was lucky enough to hold down the midnight switch engine a couple years later.
WC 8 AM Switch Engine
WC 1555,1236
Neenah, WI. July 1989
A pair of SW1500s lead a Vermont Railway local south through Proctor, VT. I believe this would have been the Florence Switcher returning to Rutland with loads from Omya in Florence. These switchers were always a favorite of mine, and this may have been the only time I caught them operating together. The historic Vermont Marble Company complex provides a backdrop.
VTR 501 SW1500
CLP 502 SW1500 (ex-TPW 304)
Our veteran SW1500 is still hard at work pulling tonnage for the rail customers in Bensenville, IL. There’s not much for scenery around this area but with a little creativity it is possible to get shots that don’t look like the standard industrial park railroading. The faded UP yellow with a touch of SSW red showing through look pretty good with the surrounding trees at about full fall color.
The Sandersville Railroad 'Deepstep' job eases down Tybee Street with 41 cars bound for the NS at Tennille on the afternoon of the MLK holiday.
A New Castle Industrial Railroad SW1500 drills the small yard in New Castle, Pennsylvania, sorting scrap cars for the Ellwood Mill Products facility in the background.
====Info====
New Castle Industrial Railroad
New Castle, PA
Unknown Symbol (Local; New Castle, PA)
NCIR 41 SW1500 Ex. PRLX 3412, BNSF 3412, BN 32, SLSF 327 Blt. 1968
WC SW1500 1552, sitting in the CN deadline behind Woodcrest Shops for several months now, has finally been shoved to the furthest point it can go south and now we can get good shots not next to that light pole!
Homewood, IL
Photo by John Eagan
Chicago and North Western SW1500 1314 and Iowa Northern GP20 2003 were working the ADM local in Beverly yard back in 1996.
Shortly after this a few "friendly" shots were heard just up the street followed by a SUV flying down the road getting away from whatever had just taken place... back to foaming the IHB we went.
With the St. Lawrence & Atlantic pair of SW1500s for power, Job 512 is shoving back over the Little Androscoggin in preparation to switch out the NEPW just around the corner. The pair of SW1500s arrived on the SLR to replace a pair of Berlin Mills SW1s, but with the closure of the mills in Groveton and Berlin, they were relocated to Lewiston Junction, and handle most of the local duties around the area. The SLR crosses the Little Androscoggin twice between Lewiston Junction and South Paris, but both bridges are heavily grown in, leaving the drone as the best option to shoot them, but even then it's still tricky with the degree of foliage growth.
The Kaskaskia Regional Port District railroad runs west from Lenzburg, IL with 30 limestone empties from Prairie States Generating Station, dropped off minutes earlier by CN's L544.
This railroad used to have some interesting ex-Katy and Frisco power. Today it's KRRC SW1500 1117, reportedly built as SP 2532, and GMTX GP38-2 2611, built as Penn Central GP38 7683. So, not as good...
The Canton delivers cement loads to Lehigh Cement with their former CP SW1200RS and SP SW1500 switchers in a classic paint scheme stating that the Canton is pulling for Maryland.
Those cones in the road are used to guard the in-ground switch for working Lehigh Cement.
IHB #1515 rounds the bend at Michigan Avenue in East Chicago with a healthy cut of coils and mill gons from Lakefront Yard. In the background is former Inland Steel Plant #4 which was still in the process of demolition at the time.
A northbound freight rolls out of Sussex with a switcher third out. J. David Ingles photo, Brian Schmidt collection
An EMD GP7 and SW1500 roll south as the Iowa Southern crew pulls cars from interchange with BNSF in Albia, Iowa into their small yard on a frigid but sunny evening. Albia is the northern terminus of this shortline operative by Progressive Rail.
====Info====
Iowa Southern Railway
Albia, IA
Unknown Symbol (Local; Centerville, IA to Albia, IA Turn)
ISRY 116 GP7 Ex. APNC 116, MKT 116, MKT 1526 Blt. 1951
CBFX 1595 SW1500 Ex. PRLX 2205, NS 2205, CR 9515, PC 9515 Blt. 1972
A well powered Roseville to Kansas City manifest freight climbs through Gilluly, Utah with 66 cars on Sept. 29, 1996. The two SW1500 yard switchers were likely en route to Grand Junction or Pueblo.
On an unseasonably warm afternoon in the middle of November, the KCRR SW1500 No. 3408 poses at the east of State Line Yard near Hickory St. wearing it's new apparel. The SW1500 has recently been repainted to wear a Missouri Pacific-inspired paint scheme, complete with a screaming eagle and the KCRR initials under the cab on the engineer's side and a buzzsaw with "Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad" spelled out on the conductor's side. Here, the engine is posed at Hickory St in front of Doc's Caboose, an official merchandising partner of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society.
Purists beware, it's not 100% prototypical, as it is only a tribute engine. Creative liberties were taken, but it's certainly an improvement over the unimaginative red ITS paint it previously wore. We did it ourselves, and though we may not be professionals at painting, we did our best effort. It's pretty cool something like this happened, especially with a shortline raiload/transportation conglomerate.
The 3408 was never from the Mo-Pac, originally built for the Frisco in 1968 as the SLSF No. 323. It was later passed to the BN, BNSF and eventually retired and sold to ITS before finally landing on the KCRR in early 2025, a Jagaur Transport Holdings, LLC managed shortlne. The KCRR's State Line Yard and surrounding industrial trackage comes from the UP, previously the MP, so we figured a Missouri Pacific-tribute scheme would be fitting.
Thanks to the Union Pacific Railroad for giving us their blessing to do this, Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC for allowing this and of course, KCRR President Rich Duncan for getting behind this, too. 11/18/25.
A Sandersville RR industrial job works the Thiele kaolin plant at Sandersville, GA on March 29, 2022 with SW1500's No's. 1300 and 1400.
Another one from the archives. Flats Industrial Railroad's SW1500 #1222 is in the process of moving hoppers destined for Cereal Foods Processors, which sits across the lift bridge adjacent to the river. Here, an FIRR crew member prepares to stand watch over an unguarded crossing on the train's route. After picking up a few more carloads, #1222 would traverse the bridge again to deliver the hoppers to their final destination of CFP.
The crew on a Union Railroad industrial job converses with plant personnel before entering a building to pull a load at East Pittsburgh, PA on April 24, 1999.
The engineer on southbound Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac manifest No. 409 (Potomac Yard-Waycross) has them in the corner as he crosses Potomac Run and begins the climb up Leeland Hill at Daffan, VA on April 27, 1987 with GP40 No. 125, SW1500 No. 91 and SBD GP40 No. 6762.
The Sandersville Railroad thunders out of the NS interchange in Tennille, Georgia with cars for the local kaolin and pulpwood industries.
Operating ten miles of track between Sandersville and Tennille, the Sandersville has been independently owned and operated since 1893 and has made a name serving the region's enormous kaolin industry. They operate a small roster of endcab switchers, but don't be fooled, they haul some serious tonnage.
Alexander Railroad SW1500 #12 finds some sun light as it passes a church in Stony Point, NC as they head back to Taylorsville for the day. With 18 miles of track the ACR is a real neat operation. Photo taken Sep 13, 2016
(SEE & HEAR)---P&LE, Pittsburgh and Lake Erie MP15DC 1592, crossing the Youghiogheny River, and swinging onto the Mon-line at McKeesport, Pennsylvania. October 30, 1990. Jack D Kuiphoff photo © video
See this scene live in my Youtube link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkbomLVNoIM
1592, built for P&LE 5/1975. >to Amtrak 535.
fb, 6/15/2023.
Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad President Rich Duncan leans out the window for photo, acting as the hogger this afternoon on the KCRR 101 Job. The SW1500 has recently been repainted to wear a Missouri Pacific-inspired paint scheme, complete with a screaming eagle and the KCRR initials under the cab on the engineer's side and a buzzsaw with "Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad" spelled out on the conductor's side. Here, the engine is posed at Hickory St in front of Doc's Caboose, an official merchandising partner of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society.
Purists beware, it's not 100% prototypical, as it is only a tribute engine. Creative liberties were taken, but it's certainly an improvement over the unimaginative red ITS paint it previously wore. We did it ourselves, and though we may not be professionals at painting, we did our best effort. It's pretty cool something like this happened, especially with a shortline raiload/transportation conglomerate.
The 3408 was never from the Mo-Pac, originally built for the Frisco in 1968 as the SLSF No. 323. It was later passed to the BN, BNSF and eventually retired and sold to ITS before finally landing on the KCRR in early 2025, a Jagaur Transport Holdings, LLC managed shortlne. The KCRR's State Line Yard and surrounding industrial trackage comes from the UP, previously the MP, so we figured a Missouri Pacific-tribute scheme would be fitting.
Rich Duncan's father had a stint on the MOP, later moving to the Katy and ultimately the UP, primarily as a dispatcher. Rich himself worked for BNSF for about 25 years including as a Trainmaster and Superintendent, leaving in 2021 for US Rail & Logistics and then to Jaguar one full year ago for the new Kansas City West Bottoms Railroad startup. He's a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the industry and is always courteous and respectful with railfans.
Thanks to the Union Pacific Railroad for giving us their blessing to do this, Jaguar Transport Holdings, LLC for allowing this and of course, KCRR President Rich Duncan for getting behind this, too. 11/18/25.
A Cleveland-Cliffs crew brings hot steel slabs into the former Inland Steel Indiana Harbor Works behind one of a dwindling number of endcab switchers still wearing the paint of previous owner ArcellorMittal.
Terminal Railroad Association SW1500 1515 & 1512 pull a short freight north past the Gateway Arch on Wharf Street, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, 25 February 1982.
Union Railroad SW1500's 3 and 7 bring a large cut of coke out from within the confines of the gargantuan Clairton Coke Works into the NS staging yard for eventual transportation to Gary, IN.
A Cleveland-Cliffs slug set shoves a cut of empty mill gondolas to be loaded with steel slabs behind the slag dump at the west end of the former YS&T side of the Indiana Harbor Works.
New York Container Terminal's newest switcher pulls a cut of outbound containers into Arlington Yard for interchange with Conrail Shared Assets on March 23, 2021. GMTX SW1500 173 was built in December of 1969 for the Longview, Portland & Northern before being recently purchased by GMTX. The unit is now on long term lease to New York Container Terminal, which has replaced their PLS-1500-4RS locomotive, and leased M&E MP15DC 2354.
Casting a rippled reflection in the Passaic River is ME SW1500 (EMD blt. Oct. 1966 as RFP 91) crossing the aptly named Halfmoon Trestle for the first of three times with the hospital train of former NYGL equipment leaving for the final time. The train is entering the town of Garfield from the city of Passaic on a gorgeous fall morning.
To read the full story of this day check out the caption with this photo: flic.kr/p/2jPtLjZ
Garfield, New Jersey
Saturday October 3, 2020
Turtle Creek Industrial RR SW1 no462 parked at the Dura-Bond Industries pipe coating plant while a Union RR SW1500 no 6 switches hoppers in the URR Port Perry yard. Not visible through the vegetation is the Monongahela River which separates the two operations.
An EMD GP7 and SW1500 put on a good show as the Iowa Southern crew pulls cars out of their interchange with BNSF in Albia, Iowa on a frigid but sunny evening. Albia is the northern terminus of this shortline operated by Progressive Rail.
====Info====
Iowa Southern Railway
Albia, IA
Unknown Symbol
ISRY 116 GP7 Ex. APNC 116, MKT 116, MKT 1526 Blt. 1951
CBFX 1595 SW1500 Ex. PRLX 2205, NS 2205, CR 9515, PC 9515 Blt. 1972
Green Bay & Western Alco RS3 (RS3u) No. 308 leads a northbound Fox River Valley Railroad freight departing North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on a gray April 29, 1989. In the background and also crossing Lakeshore Drive grade crossing is a Wisconsin Central switch job drilling cars in their yard.
A scene from almost ten years ago when these smoky SW1500's were the power you'd always see on the Terminal, here on the MacArthur Bridge South Approach.