I took a bunch of photos during that time frame too. Some UP as well. I remeber one time there was a string of I want to say U28B's that were freshly painted in UP livery getting cut up. I thought to myself, why would a RR cut up a freshly painted loco? Turns out they were a bunch of ex RI locos that UP footed the finacing on and when the ROCK went under the locos went back to UP. There are also lots of BN pics I took too. I need to get down to my dads and scan the photos I took. Unfortunately he lives about 2 hours south of me now. Now if we could just turn the clock back to 1980-1982 when all these were getting cut up, it would be a photographers dream!
I also photo'd that same roadside dead line. Seems as though it was further east than the Simon & Sons yard. There were several scrap yards in and around the Tide Flats. Wasn't S&S closer to the River? And the one pictured closer to the Hylebos side? Boxcab E50
General Metals was also down there somewhere too. I know one of them was located down by where the current BNSF log yard is. I think that one is Simon & sons. There was also one across the bay from where this dead line is over by where Maenke lumber has their yard at. I think that one is General Metals but I am not quite sure. That could also be Schnitzer steel. I think they have a yard in that area too.
I remember those ex-RI U28B's in UP paint at Tacoma. I photographed three of the ten I saw there on 2-27-83, the 514, 517, 519. Wish I had shot the other seven now. Also noted at J. Simons that day were BN GP7's 1553, 1628, 1629 and 1634. Didn't photograph them either. Brian Ambrose Renton, WA
General is around the east side, across the Hylebos. That's where my SW1 met it's demise. I believe this one is Schnitzer. I saw many neat things go in there. Forty foot box cars, at least one UP DD35B. UP and BN F units. Old Geeps. I remember seeing some of those UP U boats. Simon is where the ex-NP RS3 was cut up- That one which had been repainted for the court case. Boxcab E50
I have pics of the bits of metal in NP fresh paint. Also in that same time era all the 5700's were laid up in Portland, shot them all. 83 or so i think.
Are those the ones which were stashed behind Union Station? There was at least one C636 amongst them, and the batch I saw there were going to Australia. This was about February/March of 1981. Boxcab E50
Yes about a block from the station, 3 tracks of them if i remember right but an Alco? Missed that one. Only BN alcos I shot were in Livingston.
Found it- March 7, 1981, it was the 4369 (ex-SP&S #343.) And a string of seven U33C. Placards taped in windows showed billing for a move to Australia. Boxcab E50
The scrap line at Joseph Simon & Sons. 1983 The RS3 was in a scrapyard near the old UP freighthouse in Tacoma. 1983
The RS3 was in Simon & Sons, which was where you noted. I do not believe the line in these photos was at that time connected to those S&S operations. Boxcab E50
Yep! Those are the UP's I was referring to earlier. The SP&S unit, my dad has that photo as well. He took it years ago when he was hauling logs into the Port of Tacoma.
Fun in the Scrapyard Here are some of things I caught in the Tacoma area scrapyards back in the 80's. 1-4) BN 5628, 5626 and 5629 are all former NP GE U25C's. Tacoma, WA on 5-30-81 5) BN F3A 702 on 1-24-82. Another former NP unit. Just now looking at some of the surrounding "scrap" I see a large chunk of metal to the left of the F-unit with a curved handrail. Wondering if this was off of a BN Alco? Brian Ambrose Renton, WA
It would have been nice if one of those ex-NP U25C had somehow survived and made it to a museum. Whether or not the RR or crews liked them, their appearance was interesting. Boxcab E50
Wow! These photos are amazing! I've been trying to find photos of the Purdy Co. scrap operation here in Ephrata, WA back in the 1970s. I remember the operation, but not any details. I've heard they scrapped everything but locomotives there. I've been told all of the preserved cabeese in the area came from there (about 5). No one here seems to have taken any photos. I certainly didn't! They used to burn wooden cars to easily reclaim the metal. Big Bend Railroad History: Purdy Scrapyard at Ephrata
