UP 4252, an Electro-Motive Division SD70M built in October of 2000, finds itself on the point of this evening's LOF67-18 as it skirts north into the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve in the beautiful, golden hour light on what is quite arguably one of the most scenic lines on the entire Union Pacific system. Behind the 16,000 horsepower that is spread out among the first four units on today's train, an additional locomotive, Fillmore & Western Railway (FWRY) No. 3501, can also be seen hitching a ride north as it makes the journey to its new home at the Santa Maria Valley Railroad. With the FWRY operations sadly discontinued after the Ventura County Transportation Commission chose to move forward with a different operator, FWRY has been left no choice but to begin selling equipment such as No. 3501. This is the first time since the early 2000's that the ex-Pennsylvania Railroad GP35 has left the rails of the Santa Paula Branch Line, and it is unlikely that it will ever return to them. Of additional interest, today's 24-car LOF67 also includes a flat car laden with two new John Deere, 8R 370 Row Crop tractors bound for Santa Maria where they will be pushed into service somewhere in the agriculture laden community.
