RailRoadFan.com

First off, thanks to Zack (And Mrs. Zack) for coming up with the idea of posting "first" photos in another thread on this board. I was digging through some old stuff and located some 110 "Pocket Instamatic" photos from way back. Since the image quality was nowhere near that of 35mm and digital photos, I really hadn't given them much thought. But now, 30-plus years later, while they may not be up to today's standards, they show a railroad setting that is long gone...but lots of fond memories remain!

This is Marquette---LS&I's Presque Isle roundhouse to be exact...this is where the power plant coal pile is now. Notice the variety of paint schemes; The Santa Fe Alligators had just arrived, and a newly maroon painted Alco is just visible, along with U25C's in the yellow sheme.


Here are two of the 'Gators at West yard.


Here is a Soo Line train heading west out of downtown Marquette with an F-Unit, a GP35 and a GP9. What I remember most is the incredible sound as they pulled up the grade.


F-Units were common at the ex DSS&A Soo Line roundhouse in Marquette.


Fast forward to Saginaw, in March of 1984. I caught GM50, a GP40-2 that was painted gold for GM's 50th anniversary in 1972. Still looking good 12 years later.






Mick Enright

AWESOME PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Though they may not be as crisp and clear as digital pictures, they are still better than nothing.
I wish I would have gotten into train photography earlier than 1993, though I do have some Chessie and Seaboard photos from the early 1990's.

Cool Photo's man.

Very cool.

I used to think the dog-food engine consists SOO put together were butt-ugly...now they look beautiful Did any other railroad combine as many different tyoes of engines together as SOO? Maybe CR?

Have any of the SOO bridge in Marquette? It went over an interstate near downtown... can't remember which one though.

AARR wrote:I used to think the dog-food engine consists SOO put together were butt-ugly...now they look beautiful Did any other railroad combine as many different tyoes of engines together as SOO? Maybe CR?

I've seen quite a few photos of CR consists that looked like they just coupled together whatever was laying around, especially in the early days of CR. I used to think the same thing in that it looked horrible, now I wish I was around back then to see all of that.

Awesome photos, love the ones of the LS&I and Soo line,and gotta love that GM50 geep.

More photos here:
http://railroadfan.com/gallery/thumbnails-1592.html


Mick

Nice photos, is the bridge above the derailment the DSS&A's lead to the Ore docks? and where were they taking LS&I 23 to?

Steve, that is the old steel ore dock approach trestle that ran through downtown Marquette. The Soo (ex-DSS&A) line between the lower yard, upper yard/shops/points west followed it at ground level.
The shot of #23 (someone in my family took it) is from when I worked on the M&HM, and we had the engine in the Soo Line roundhouse that winter. 23 went from the roundhouse to the Soo's Lower yard under her own power. The LS&I alligator picked us up there, and towed us on the "Downtown" branch along the lake shore and back to the M&HM at Presque Isle for the 1982 operating season. That's me in the cab with a passenger facing backwards.
Glad you guys like the shots!

Mick