One of my favourite locomotives was the Alco Century 636. Living in Portland when they were in service I saw and heard them several times. There is no forgetting the sight and sound of three big Alco's powering up on a freight.
They did not look at all bad in BN paint, even though I preferred the SP&S colors... The last one I ever saw was stashed in the old coach yard behind Union Station in Portland. It was there with a string of BN U33C units. According to the paperwork on them, being exported, I believe it was to Australia. That was in about March of 1981.
In the summer of 1980 BN retired all Alco power and many older GE's. There was a big line of them in the former coach yard behind the Hoyt Street roundhouse. The coach yard and roundhouse are long gone replaced by condos and apartments. The residents complain about the trains going through but the trains were there first.
Found that slide. It's dated March 7, 1981. Re: Those residents. They did not do their due diligence. Tough luck. They are MORONS.
