Volume 9 , Issue 12

Diesel Locomotive Makes Dramatic Arrival at Waynoka Station

[This digital photograph was taken from the second floor of the Harvey House. The Santa Fe Depot, locomotive, section foreman's house, log cabin, and BNSF Transcon are all in the photograph, which was taken by Carol King.]

Diesel Locomotive Makes Dramatic Arrival at Waynoka Station... "BNSF Railway and Hulcher Services teamed up to bring a big GP 10 diesel locomotive, HBRY 2511, to Waynoka Station on Tuesday morning, March 20.

The locomotive had been donated to the Waynoka Historical Society by Central Kansas Railway in May, 2001, and was soon moved to the Waynoka rail yards, courtesy of BNSF Railway. The railroad laid track for a permanent installation at the Santa Fe Depot.

Richard "Whitey" Powell, Superintendent of Operations, Kansas Division of the BNSF Railway, Woodward, was officially in charge of the move. BNSF brought the locomotive by rail to Waynoka's Broadway Crossing where Hulcher's four big heavy-duty caterpillars with sidebooms were hooked up to the locomotive for the slow 'walk' a block and a half up the railroad right-of-way to the depot.

Spectators were treated to the drama of the Hulcher equipment turning the locomotive 180 degrees, allowing it to face the depot when it was set down on the rails. The move took about 2 hours.

[Photo of the BNSF and Hulcher Services personnel taking time for a group photograph before the actual move begins.]

Waynoka Historical Society president, Sandie Olson, said, "The move was flawless. Everything was orchestrated perfectly by BNSF and Hulcher, and it required a significant contribution by both corporations who donated men and equipment, and halted traffic on one of America's busiest rail lines to accomplish the move." The Society plans to have the locomotive painted with the blue and yellow paint scheme of the historic Santa Fe Railroad.

HISTORY OF LOCOMOTIVE HBRY 2511... [Photo as The Transcon was soon opened for rail traffic. HBRR 2511 sits on its permanent tracks, a static display of the Waynoka Museum. The 1910 Santa Fe Depot is on the left, and the old water tower is seen behind the BNSF train on the Transcon later in the day, Tuesday, March 20, 2007.]

50-Year Old Locomotive Has Been Around... Retired railroader Charles King, Wellington, formerly from Waynoka, alerted the Waynoka Historical Society about the possible availability of HBRY 2511 for donation to the Society by the Central Kansas Railway. It was good news, and the Society quickly agreed to proceed with the donation. Earl Metcalf, now of Fairview, was president of the Society when the the Central Kansas Railway locomotive was donated.

King provided a history of the locomotive. It was built in 1957 by EMD, Electro Motive Division of General Motors Corp. as a GP-9 1750 horsepower locomotive, and was sold to Illinois Central Gulf Railway, whose name was changed to Illinois Central. The engine's number was IC 8227.

In October, 1970, IC 8227 was placed into a GP-10 rebuild program. The engine was rewired and overhauled, and the horsepower raised to 1850. The front high hood was lowered for better visibility. The work was done in Paducah, Kentucky.

Mid South Railway Company bought the locomotive, and gave it a new number, MS 1066. Kansas City Southern Railroad Company bought Mid South, and sold many of these units in 1995 and 1996. OmniTrax, headquartered in Denver, bought many of the units, and the locomotive became OMLX 1066, and placed in their lease fleet. OmniTrax operates about 16 short-line railroads, and OLMX was sent to Central Kansas Railroad in Wichita.

In 1997, the unit was rehabilitated and repainted, and numbered HBRY 2511, and sent to the Hudson Bay Railroad in Manitoba, Canada, one of Canada's largest regional railroads. OmniTrax, part of Broe Corp., purchased these lines from the Canadian National Railway in 1997.

HBRY 2511 was returned to Wichita for repairs, but was retired in 2000, and donated to the Waynoka Historical Society in June, 2001. The Society plans to have the locomotive repainted blue and yellow in a historic Santa Fe Railroad color scheme as soon as possible.

GENERAL PURPOSE LOCOMOTIVES... General Motors Electro-Motive Division introduced the GP (General Purpose) locomotive in 1949. The GEEP could be used for anything from hauling freight to transporting passengers. They were less expensive than EMD's standard freight locomotives, and were reliable and functional. They provided a better view of the railway, and allowed access to the engine from either side of the locomotive for easy maintenance. GP9s were one of the most long-lived diesel locomotives ever created, and can still be seen on railroads today. Over 70 railroads purchased more than 4,000 units of the GP9." -- Sandie Olson, Waynoka Historical Society, Waynoka, OK
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