Uneasy alliance

Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific 275, South Tacoma Shops, May 29, 1960. An uneasy alliance in uncertain days, as diesels and electrics share a moment or two between assignments.

Like neighboring Northern Pacific, the “Road” ran a spider web of tracks (Milwaukee in orange, NP in red) gathering this and that supporting the economy of Puget Sound.

There was always a curious ominous feeling around the South Tacoma Shops. The fellows in the maintenance shop were always agreeable types, and the clerks over in the yard office always offered up slightly burnt coffee, and were good for a yarn or two.

But it was the sight of the dinosaur Box Cabs, like a scene from the National Geographic, sitting there staring straight ahead. One could almost detect a slight swaying, side to side …

Well, I guess we can’t keep dwelling on what could have been, for christ’s sake, its been a long time ago …

Railroad Stuff: CMStP&P 275, nee 2441, built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division, La Grange, June 1954, as 1,750 hp GP9. Equipped with multiple unit wiring and dynamic braking. Road Class 17.5E-RS. Rebuilt as GP20M renumbered 981 December 1972. To Soo in 1985 and subsequently retired in January 1986. Sold to Chicago, Central & Pacific as CC&P 981, and still running, as of this writing!