This is a work in progress, if you have additional material to help the author, please email it to SI@uphs.org
The Spokane International was owned by CP from around 1910
until the 1930's. After that it was independent until UP bought
it in 1958.
The SI had 12 Alco RS1 diesels. They were purchased in 1949 &
1953 and numbered 200-211. These 12 were the only SI diesel
locomotives. In 1962 they were repainted yellow & gray and
renumbered 1211-1222 although they were still lettered Spokane
International and kept that lettering until they were retired. 10
of them were traded in to EMD in 1969 and scrapped. 1216 &
1218 were sold to Chrome Crankshaft and resold to WP subsidiary
Tidewater Southern and renumbered 747 & 746. 747 was scrapped
and 746 was resold to Central California Traction and renumbered
80. CCT 80 was sold to a private party and was still intact and
in storage in Willits, CA. at last report.
The information I have is that once UP purchased the SI in 1958
the only immediate change in motive power was that UP power was
assigned to the Hinkle-Eastport through freight. This seems to
have been mostly F units. The RS1's were still used on locals and
yard jobs. After painting in 1962 the RS1's seem to have spent a
lot of time in Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. I have seen photos
of them in Spokane in the late 60's though.
After the SI power transferred out UP seems to have used mostly
EMD power on this line. In the 60's that would have been F units
and GP9's. I don't know when UP started using 6-axle power on the
SI.
I don't have any info on exactly what the UP used on the SI in
the 60's. As a guess, except for the RS1's the SI power would
have come from whatever UP had assigned to the northwest at the
time which was mostly EMD power. I have seen photos of Spokane
and the branches in the area with some of the odd stuff UP had.
RSC2's were used on the Wallace Branch and there are photos of
Fairbanks Morse roadswitchers in Spokane. These may have made it
onto the SI, I just don't know for sure.
Just a note about the SI to CP interchange. Until shortly before
UP purchased it the SI ran into Canada and interchanged at Yahk,
BC. For some reason they pulled back to Eastport, ID in 1956 or
1957 and didn't cross the border after that. I'm pretty sure the
track from Eastport (or Kingsgate, BC) to Yahk was always owned
by CP with SI having trackage rights.
This is a work in progress, if you have additional material to help the author, please email it to SI@uphs.org