The attached photo was taken earlier this week just West of Mojave, CA on the Oak Creek Branch. The power includes four SD40M-2's and one AC44CW, all in unpatched SP paint (with the exception of a "South-Central LA" Patch job on the lead unit. The weather was miserable, with the temperature around 40 degrees and a stiff. cold wind. For the number crunchers, the power was: 8605, 8582, 8595, 8652, and 310. According to the UP trace, 8602, 8582 and 8595 are still in Mojave while the 8652 and 310 have ecsaped to the LA/West Colton area.
You're lucky- every now & then, a 2-unit set of AC4400Ws in SP colors can still be found on coal trains on & off the Montrose & North Fork branches. The yellow has really spread here. BTW, we still have an SP SW1500 doing the switching locally- still in ratty-looking SP colors, but switching the local customers faithfully.
