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921-D heads westbound through Niles Canyon with an A-B-B-B-A lash-up of F7's, just a few feet from Tunnel 2. (Chuck Donaldson photo. Date unknown.) |
On the same trip, minutes later, 921 and train approach Clark Dr. crossing just off Old Canyon Rd. The switch for the San Jose branch and Niles Tower lay just ahead. Notice the three trailing units in "pumpkin" solid orange. (Chuck Donaldson photo. Date unknown.) |
| 921 was built on January 30, 1950 (serial number 8979)
as number 921-D, losing the "D" suffix in 1975. Originally painted in orange
and silver, 921 was one of the last 2 WP locomotives to retain this paint
sceme (along with 918) until 1978 when she was repainted to "Perlman" green.
917 had been painted green (along with 914A) back in 1972.
In 1977, 921 was involved in a fatal wreck (to the truck driver that ran into her) that tore up several of her left side panels. Soon after that, she was sent to Morrison-Knudsen in Idaho for rebuilding. She ended up swapping prime-movers with 913. After her return, she was painted green in February 1978. 921 had a reputation for overheating after her return from Idaho and it was predicted that she would be the first of the four to be sidelined, permanently. As it turned out, 921 and 917 were the last two F-units to be retired in 1982. |
921 at Stockton - 1980 (Greg Elems photo) |
On one of her final trips, 921 is joined by 917 and several older geeps heading eastbound near Manteca in August 1982. By this time the 2 remaining F's were demoted to "B-unit" status because of their older, obsolete brake system. This was to be my last photo of WP F-units still in service. (Dan Furtado photo) |
921 was donated to the Feather River Railroad Society
(FRRS) in Portola later that year. New owners
Union Pacific repainted 921 and 917 before donating them.
They were both painted
in the modified version of passenger/freight orange and
silver that 913 had worn during her last few years.
921 is still operable and is used as part of their "Run
A Locomotive" program.
John "Stash" Stashik recently made a trip out to Portola
and sends photos of 921
and his moment running her around the yard there.
Control stand |
Stash takes 921 out for a spin. |
View from the cab. |
A peek at the engineroom. |
For more WP photos, be sure to check out Chuck Donaldson's
"Somewhere
Out West" website.
Information sources:
Western Pacific's Diesel Years by Joseph Strapac
D-Day on the Western Pacific by Virgil Staff
California's Final Four F's (Nov 1978 Trains Magazine)
by Ted Benson
