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Portland and Western No. 1801 is an EMD GP9 that was built by the Electro-Motive Division (EMD) originally for the Southern Pacific Railroad in April 1959.

History[]

The locomotive had started its life as 1959-built SP GP9 No. 5830, in 1977, the #5830 went through the Southern Pacific’s own rebuild program known as the General Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (G.R.I.P) and it re-entered service on the Southern Pacific Railroad as No. 3855, remaining with SP until being purchased by the Willamette and Pacific Railroad (W&P) in 1995.

The locomotive arrived in the popular SP “Bloody Nose” paint scheme PNWR #1501 (formerly SP #1530) and PNWR #1852 (formerly SP #4397) still sport. But it did not stay that way; the Willamette and Pacific head of operations Bob Melbo (later head of state rail planning at the Oregon Department of Transportation) decided the engine should be painted to celebrate the history of the former Southern Pacific branch lines that made up the Willamette and Pacific.

He had #1801 repainted the locomotive back into the SP's “Black Widow” paint scheme, complete with the Willamette and Pacific lettering. From all accounts, Genesee and Wyoming management was infuriated, and it was only after copious amounts of arguing over how to best manage the railroad’s paint stores was the locomotive saved from being repainted again into the G&W corporate livery.

Even after the Willamette and Pacific Railroad was superseded by the Portland and Western Railroad (PNWR), no changes have been made to the locomotive, which still sports WPRR reporting marks above the number boards. Currently, the locomotive serves as motive power for secondary services, such as industrial switching jobs in the McMinnville and Eugene areas.

As of today, Portland and Western No. 1801, along with other locomotives 1803, 1852, and 1854 have been sidelined due to G&W's EPA scandal.

Locomotives of the Portland and Western Railroad
EMD SW1200m: 1201
EMD SW1500: 15511552
EMD GP9: 180118021803
EMD SD7: 1501
EMD SD9: 1851185218531854
EMD GP38m: 20052152
EMD GP39-2: 23012302230323042305230623072308230923102311231223132314231523162317
EMD GP40P-2: 30013002
EMD GP40: 30033004300530063007
EMD SD40M-2: 30513052
EMD SD40-2: 3369
EMD SD40-3: 3300
EMD GP38-2: 3532
EMD SD45-2: 3601360236033604
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