Seattle, Washington

August, 1967

Photos Copyright 1998 and 1999 by James E. Lancaster

During the mid-1960s the Southern Pacific and Northern Pacific operated run-through freight trains between Eugene, Oregon and Seattle, Washington. This photo shows one of the run-through SP F-units resting nose-to-nose with an NP F-unit in Seattle in August 1967.

I learned about the run-through agreement from the June 1967 issue of Pacific News. Here's what Pacific News had to say:

"Joint operation of Southern Pacific and Northern Pacific locomotives through the Portland, Oregon interchange area began last February 9th under a pooling arrangement between the two roads. The units of the two roads operate between Eugene, Ore. on the Southern Pacific and Seattle, Washington on the Northern Pacific. The service began with the complete trains running on through Portland with only a crew change. Less than a month later, in early March, however, the practice was revised to allow for changing of the train’s caboose, at Portland, to that of the road on which the train was operating. Locomotives continue to operate on through the terminal and into Seattle and Eugene. Although the Northern Pacific normally assigns E.M.D. F-units to this service, the Southern Pacific has refused to allow the Northern Pacific to use its older FT model units. Due to a top speed of 55 miles-per-hour the FT units are too slow to be used, as the Espee says, "on our fast railroad". To keep the power pooling in balance the Southern Pacific is assigning E.M.D. F-7 units to work with the Northern Pacific F-units in the pooling arrangement."

Here are three additional photos of the run-through locomotives in Seattle in August 1967.




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