So, while I made a proposal awhile back for a route set on Beaumont Hill in the modern times, I think one set in the Southern Pacific era could be a good idea as well. The route proposal itself would be a bit longer than the UP one, with the line going from West Colton yard to Indio, a length of about 80 miles. Indio was used as a helper pocket for the Southern Pacific, to help Westbound trains get over Beaumont Hill. The era would be the early 1990's to 1996. This would also put the Speed Lettering Paint and Kodachrome paint as possible alternate liveries for the route. Outside of the mainline runs, services can also be based around the large West Colton Yard. Speed Lettering Kodachrome Route and ruling grade (Credit: Video Rails) Rolling Stock Outside of the general freight cars of the era used on manifest trains, the following should be included in the route. 48' Well Car w/ 48ft Southern Pacific Containers (5 unit or single unit) 89ft Flat Car w/ 45ft Southern Pacific Pig Service trailers 40' Southern Pacific Sugar Beet Gondola Route Layering During this time it wasn't uncommon for SP to lease or borrow power locomotives from other railroads due to a power shortage on SP's roster. This would be perfect for the YN2 CSX SD40-2 and GP38-2 to be added to this route as borrowed power. The UP SD40-2 could also be a candidate, depending on what paint scheme it comes in.
This route needs Cane Creek and Sand Patch Grade to work. Looks like this is the train simulator world 2 version of TS21 Arizona divide due to the desert environment.
Locomotives So I think the route would do best with at least 3 locomotives, categorized into 3 areas, 3 axle mainline, 2 axles mainline, and a heavy yard shunter. If possible, Southern Pacific subsidiary Cotton Belt (Or SSW) could also be added, as they were also common on the route. 3 axle mainline SD40T-2 Pretty much the bread and butter of SP's diesel fleet from 1974 till the end, they own a total of 229 of them, with 10 more for subsidiary Cotton Belt. These "Tunnel Motors" were found all across the SP system. SD45/SD45R While a little bit older than the tunnel motors, the SP owned more SD45's than SD40T-2, with a total of 317 ordered, with 39 more for the SSW. 167 of them went thru the GRIP rebuild at Sacramento, and were redesignated as SD45R's. The SD45's were numbered 8800-8963, 8982-9051 ,9069-9151, while SD45R's were numbered 7400-7566. 2 axle mainline GP60 The last Geep ever built to date, they put out about 3,800hp. Southern Pacific owned 100 of them, with 95 more going to the Cotton Belt railroad. SP #9794 is the last domestic built GP currently built for any railroad. B39-8/B40-8 To keep the roster a little bit varied, a GE Dash 8 could be used as the 4 axle unit for this route. Southern Pacific had 40 B39-8's, while subsidiary SSW had 55 B40-8's, they use the same carbody, so only the performance would need to be changed between the 2 units. Heavy Yard Shunters SD38-2 Delivered in 1973, the SP purchased 6 SD38-2's from EMD, they were mated with ex-ALCO slug units. They were originally bought to work the automated hump yard in West Colton. They worked in pairs with 1 ALCO slug unit. Eventually the slugs were retired in 1984, and they were teamed up with older SP power such as SD7R's, SD9E's and SD35's, they are still in use with the UP today. SD39 Originally purchased as a road unit, these units were eventually assigned to Yard duty at West Colton, as well as local shuttle runs around the LA basin. Southern Pacific had 26 of them DLC Pack idea One thing that can compliment this route would be a locomotive pack, like the Diesel Legends Pack, that would fit in this route, using locomotives already found in the game on other route. This pack would contain 3 locomotives already available, a GE AC4400CW (Sandpatch/Cane Creek) , a EMD SD40R (Clinchfield), and a SW1500(MP15DC). AC4400CW The AC4400CW was Southern Pacific's last new locomotives, being delivered in 1995. While probably a little new for the route (They mainly worked trains in Utah and Colorado) they would be an easy addition to this pack. SD40R Southern Pacific ordered 89 SD40's in the 60's. Beginning in 1980, they started sending them thru the GRIP rebuild program, upgrading them to SD40R's. They were still on the roster in 1996. SW1500 While note exactly an MP15DC, the SW1500 was a precursor to the MP15 series, and share a nearly identical carbody, aside for the trucks. Alternately, Southern Pacific MP15AC's can also be used in this pack (Though I don't know if any MP15AC were ever assigned to West Colton)
Hence why I suggested those units, since outside of the SW1500, they would just need road specific modifications made to them to make them accurate, just like the Diesel Legends pack, use 3 locomotives that are already available to make a pack.
That should save time and if you owned this one the SD-38-2 & GP-60 can layer onto Cane Creek due to Union Pacific owning Southern Pacific since the merger in the 90s. It's the same way as how Clinchfield RR SD40 is usable on Sand Patch Grade. SP GP60 can be made off from Cane Creek Union Pacific GP60 if Skyhook Games made this route.
The GP60, yes, the SD38-2, no. Union Pacific has kept 4 of those at West Colton, and moved them over to the UPY roster, 2 others (UPY 834,835) have found their way to Texas.
Not to mention the GP60's and B39/32/40-8s would filter in perfectly with both the Norfolk Southern Washington District route I proposed and the RF&P Subdivision route someone else proposed.
Thank you for telling me if there was a present-day Union Pacific route made featuring Sd70 GE Dash 9 can layer here like how Clinchfield RR gave SD40
And the other route that would work well would be Southern Pacific's Colton-Palmdale Cutoff which runs parallel to Santa Fe's Cajon Sub. Or Tehachapi Pass.
You mean The Cajon Pass BNSF Union Pacific Railroad and Interstate 15 Escondido Fwy and that is a classic train simulator 21 route that can give Locomotives to this proposal. Here is TrainSim Matt Playing the Route
Before 1995, it was Southern Pacific and Santa Fe, with Union Pacific having trackage rights on Santa Fe Trackage so they could access LA from Daggett. UP obviously took over the Palmdale Cutoff in 1996 after acquiring the Southern Pacific, but they could not access it from BNSF's tracks until the triple track project in 2008. Ive actually made that proposal in the past, but only to Hiland Siding, as Palmdale is too far away for a TSW2 route. https://forums.dovetailgames.com/th...u-cajon-pass-hiland-siding-west-colton.32101/
I'd also like to add the SD45T-2. For an older version of the route (1950s-70s) we could get SD7/SD9 units, Alco RSD15s, FM Trainmasters, GP7/GP9 units, GP20s, GP30s, GP35s, or other Alcos.
I should probably add since this route starts in West Colton, there's an opportunity for route layering with the Palmdale Cutoff