Oregon Pacific Railroad 602
Last Update:  September 17, 2008
Oregon Pacific Railroad No. 602
The locomotive in the background is # 602, also an EMD SW8, this one built in July, 1951.   #602 used to serve on the Oregon Pacific and Eastern
RR.  If you visit my OP&E page you can see past pictures of it serving there.  Mr. Samuels told me that number 602 was acquired from the auction
sale of OP&E parts and equipment when that line was dissolved in 1994.  However, today it's mainly only  used for parts.
Photo on the left is courtesy of  Matt Wolford, taken in 2000 in Liberal.   Photo on the right was taken by me in May, 2002 and shows # 602 at
Liberal, in the background.
The 602 at Liberal, Oregon   Photos: August 2007
The 602 was purchased by Mr. Samuels in approximately 1994 at auction when the Oregon Pacific & Eastern Railroad closed
down and was abandoned that same year.    It is one of two surviving OP&E locomotives, which were the last two diesels to
operate on that line.    However, because of its poor condition, it has languished at Liberal, Oregon since then and is mainly
used for parts, since it is the same type as the 801,802 and 803.   

Prior to the OP&E, it was operated by the Yreka Western RR and the Bamberger Railroad also as their 602.   Bamberger
purchased it new 1952, then sold it to the Yreka Western in 1958.   It was transfered to Yreka's sister railroad, the OP&E in
1978 and used by the OP&E through it's final days.

Build date is July, 1952, serial number 17230.

Here is a photo of the 602 while it was operating on the Yreka Western in 1977.  And another from 1963.

This photo was taken of the 602 in 1986 while operating on the OP&E.
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The 602 at Liberal, Oregon   Photos: September 2008