Feather River GP40s
EARLY RETIREMENTS
 

 

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(Above) HAYWARD CA. An official surveys the remains of WP 3527 after it was involved in a fatal derailment on April 9, 1980 while pulling the RBW.  (Below) GP40 3540, one time bicentennial unit 1776, was also involved in the Hayward derailment. Not much was left of the unit after it met with a fiery end.  (Both Kyle Brehm photos, Rattenne Collection. From The Feather River Route, Volume II) 


Wp3540p.jpg (36213 bytes)Of course, not all 59 GP40s were on the roster when Union Pacific took over the reins in 1982. On March 28, 1970 the 3505 was destroyed at Floka, NV in fatal derailment This unit was sent to EMD as a trade-in against then-abuilding 3523. As much of the 3505 as possible was salvaged and rebuilt, then used in 3523's construction.  

The fleet stayed intact for ten years until another two units were destroyed on April 9, 1980 in a fiery derailment at Hayward, California, just south of Oakland. The wreck sent two employees to their deaths and totaled both the 3527 and former bicentennial unit 3540.   

Two more units were involved in mishaps but were resurrected by the railroad to serve again. The 3506 was sent to La Grange in 1971 after a derailment, being repaired by its maker EMD and returning as the first GP40 to be painted in the new Perlman Green colors. 


 
Rolling westbound past the old Oroville depot WP 3540's flaking paint displays its light green undercoating as it prepares to pause at the Oroville Yard office to change crews on April 5th 1980, only four days before it's fatal accident in Hayward.  (Ken Rattenne Photo)



Then in August of 1976 Burlington Northern was working the 3539 in pool service when it trashed the unit in a Washington State derailment. BN sent the unit back to WP then paid for its repair at Morrison/Knudsen.  
 
Copyright 1997 by Ken Rattenne