In 1946, the road's first diesel, black 44 tonner 135 was built by GE as part of a block of the little engines for several California customers. This significant batch of locomotives basically marked the beginning of major dieselization for many California shortlines and interurbans.  It included SN 142-146, Central California Traction 24-25, and one each for the Petaluma and Santa Rosa and the Quincy Railroad. The 135 cost the Tidewater $47,761.

With its interurban track structure, the road stayed with small GE's for many years. Twin 70 tonners, 141 and 142, were ordered in 1948. They featured the large single bulb headlight of GE's early small locomotives and rooftop number boards. In 1951-52, all three locomotives were renumbered and repainted in Zephyr silver and orange. In 1953, the last new locomotive was purchased by the Tidewater: silver and orange 70 tonner 743, featuring sealed beam headlights.

Even with its stable of four GE's, the Tidewater's trains still needed a fair helping of WP power from time to time, especially during harvest season. SN even pitched in, leasing the occaisional 44 or 70 tonner to the road.  Recently, a fascinating set of correspondence has come to light concerning the Tidewater's attempt to buy former Brooks-Scalon Lumber Alco S3 101 from the Oregon and Northwestern Railroad in 1955.  The deal was finally broken off, appearently right before it was closed, due to concerns about the unit's weight.  Not long after, a complete rebuilding of the railroad would begin, eventually eliminating such restrictions.  (In a twist of irony, sister BSL/ONW S3 102 ended up working alongside TS 743 for the Dakota Southern Railroad.) 

By the 1960's, freight car sizes and weights were climbing and traffic was growing. In 1964, 741 died and was retired to the Sacramento deadline as a parts source. Soon, it was decided that the TS could no longer rely on the remaining GE "mice".  The ongoing rebuilding of the railroad would now permit the company to finally acquire bigger power.

In late 1966, dealer Preston Duffy was approached about new power for both the Tidewater and the SN. He held options on a number of Missouri Pacific locomotives and four Alco S2s were soon secured for the two companies. S2s 744 and 745 arrived in the spring of 1967 and were painted in WP style solid orange, accented with reflective sill striping and black scare stripes on the ends. 744, built for the Missouri Pacific-Texas Pacific Terminal Railway of New Orleans, was equipped with multiple unit capability and sealed beam headlights. 745, an original MP engine, lacked MU and had the single bulb style headlight. By that summer, the GE's were finished. The 44 tonner was sold in April of 1967 while 70 tonners moved east in June.

The ex-MP Alcos did not last very long. 744 was traded to the WP in the summer of 1969 for its S2 554, a member of a distinctive set of engines built during the few months in 1943 when Alco favored horizontally set radiator shutters. A similar trade found WP S2 552 replacing TS 745 in February, 1970. The four locomotives swapped numbers, with WP's "new" 552 and 554 going straight to the scrap line while TS 744:2 and 745:2 went into service. (While it can be presumed that the two MP engines had proven to be unreliable, confirmation on why this swap occurred has not been found during my research. -EJV)

Early 1970 saw big changes in the Tidewater's roster. On February 2, two Alco RS-1s were purchased form Chrome Crankshaft. Built for the Spokane International, they went to the Union Pacific after the big road took over the SI. Numbered 746 and 747, they would be the only RS-1s to ever work regularly in California. The only other examples of this pioneering roadswitcher in the state were some Santa Fe engines, used briefly in the 1950's then sent to the Midwest. By mid month, the ex-MP 745:1 was swapped for WP 552. Shortly after, second 744, having chugged through Modesto for less than a year, was sold to the Oakland Terminal Railway, a switching road in the Bay Area owned by WP and the Santa Fe.

For the next five years, the roster remained stable. The only major change found the RS-1s repainted in Perlman green in mid 1972, having worn UP grey and yellow with red Tidewater lettering since delivery. However, the Tidewater Southern identity was falling away. 746 was often documented working on the SN or leased to the Central California Traction Company. The road's trains more often than not sported WP geeps.

RS-1 747, the last locomotive purchased by the TS, gave up in 1975. It was sold for scrap that August, leaving only the 746 and S2 745:2.  One year later, 746 was sold to the CCT, repainted in red and white as their 80. Second 745 held on to become the last locomotive on the road lettered for the Tidewater Southern.  It was sold to the Stockton Terminal and Eastern in late December, 1976.  Today, it still exists, stripped of a great many parts and clad in peeling orange paint.

After the Alco's departed, WP supplied all the road's motive power. GP7s and 9s were common, by the turbocharged GP20s were the most popular.  By the 1980's, WP 2009 had gained notoriety as the regular Tidewater Southern locomotive.  Had the WP not decided in the late 1970's to stop lettering locomotives for its subsidiaries, some think that the 2009 would have become the last locomotive to sport the Tidewater name.  By 1983, it was moot: Union Pacific took over the WP and thus the SN and TS.  WP GP35s and UP GP30s became regular visitors, pulling locals and the Turlock grain trains.  2009 returned, however, clad in grey and yellow and sporting new number 488, and spent much time on the Tidewater Subdivision before being retired in 1985.  For years, the line remained 4 axle territory, trod by UP's stable of EMD geeps and big switchers, but in the late 1990's, 6 axle power began showing up from time to time..

Several Tidewater diesels are documented to still exist.  RS-1 746 is owned by a private individual in Willits, CA, still painted in its CCT colors.  S2 745:2, ex-WP, sits forlorn and derelict next to the ST&E shops to this day, a hanger queen that never turned a revenue wheel for the road.

Little 44 tonner 735, the road's first diesel, is rumored to have led a wild life since its days in the Central Valley.  It now sits in a scrap yard near Kansas City, still lettered TS and painted in Zephyr orange and silver.  GE 70 tonner 743 now works for the Dakota Southern.  WP 2009, regularly assigned to cover the Tidewater in the years preceding and just after the UP merger, survived for many years in poor condition at Precision National in Mt. Vernon, IL.  She was finally scrapped in early 2003.

Tidewater 135 was the first diesel owned by the railroad.  Repainted in Zephyr hues in 1950, it wears the same colors today as it sits in a Kansas scrapyard awaiting an uncertain fate.

-photo by Guy Dunscomb, Martin Hansen collection

GE 70 tonner 743 sealed the fate of steam on the railroad.  This locomotive also survives, but in far better condition than its former rostermate.  The well-cared for engine today works for a shortline in South Dakota.

-photo by Mel Lawrence, Frank Brehm collection

The Western Pacific family shared and traded motive power with great regularity.  Second 745, an Alco S2, is a former WP locomotive, traded to the Tidewater, and shown here working in Woodland on the Sacramento Northern.

-photo by David Cox

Only the Santa Fe had used Alco's pioneering RS1 in California before the Tidewater acquired two in 1970.  Fixtures in the valley for the next 6 years, 747 would be scrapped in late 1975.  Sister 746 would work for the Central California Traction Company from 1977 until 1981.

-photo by Peter Arnold

WP GP20 2009 was a regular on the Tidewater in the late 1970's and early 1980's.  While WP GP35s and 40s typically pulled the big unit grain trains to Turlock, 2009 could be found performing the local work along the line.

-photo by Reuben Brouse, Frank Brehm collection

Diesel locomotives first appeared on the Tidewater during World War II. To handle surging traffic, the road borrowed WP switchers to help haul its trains. After the war, the road's diesel roster followed the pattern of many one-time interurbans, particularly those of its corporate big brother, the Sacramento Northern, and long-time associate, Central California Traction.  Small General Electric switchers would give way in the late 1960's to larger Alco S-series switchers, supplemented with borrowed EMD and Alco power.  EMD GP locomotives (as well as some big GE roadswitchers) would arrive in the 1970's and 80's, but they would wear the Western Pacific name as the Tidewater lost its independent identity.

Although the railroad owned a total of 10 diesels throughout its history, it rarely if ever had more than 4 in service at any one time.  Western Pacific and Sacramento Northern diesels were regularly called on the help move TS tonnage, expecially during harvest rushes.  During the 1970's, TS power often was seen off-line assisting the SN and the Central California Traction.

Tidewater Southern Railway

Diesel Locomotives