Train watchers.....what is this?

We got into Reno late this afternoon, and I looked out the window of our room, and could see the top of this engine. It looks like a freshly painted.......what?

If it's still here tomorrow, I'll try for a better shot, but they're promising snow. Aslo, there's no guarantee it'll still be here.

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I'd have to look it up in the books but it's not a GP7 or 9. Not an RS2 or 3... Maybe a GP20? No dynamic brake hood but the longer angled low nose... Gotta be along the lines of GP20.

Jon.

I'm looking in the Cyclopidia (Volume 2) and it must have been born as a GP20. The fan housings look more modern but the railing, hood angle and front glass all look like a GP20. So do the grills on the long hood (from what I can see of them). It actually looks similar to a configuration the New York Central had. Too bad we can't see the side windows.

Jon.

Interesting - checked my American Shortline Railway guide for Nevada but drew a blank. However, a long shot, Google came up with 4642/GP20 here:

http://military.railfa​n.net/roster/

Scroll down the list to Hawthorne. Being in the UK I have no idea where this is though, but perhaps the geep had been to Reno for overhaul?

John

I like this image. Did you get a good sleep?

Harold_L wrote:
I like this image. Did you get a good sleep?

Thanks. I slept like a baby. It's still fairly dark right now, but I can see the engine is still out there. Unfortunately, so is the same freight car that's blocking my view of it.

No clue what it is, but it looks like it's being used as a yard switcher. Given the yellow emergency-type lights, I'd venture to say that it might be radio controlled.

I would agree that it could be a military switcher in from one of the larger munitions depots that lay outside of Reno - very probable. I could be a GP20, or a 9/10 that has been rebuilt from the SP.

It's definitely manufactured by International Harvester. Any farmer knows, that's what red paint means.

Bingo. I think i-gadget figured it out. At least that's the most plausible candidate so far. Below is a satellite photo from Google Earth of the Hawthorne (Nevada) ammo depot. That certainly looks like a bright red locomotive to me. Unfortunately, they moved the engine last evening while we were out having dinner, so we'll never be positive.

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it appears to be an Alco