A visit to NCBC Port Hueneme, CA, on January 31 showed the single GE 80-ton centercab to be on site but it doesn't appear to have been used in quite some time. A door to the cab had been left open and thick dust had accumulated on surfaces. The couplers have thick rust on them, indicating they haven't touched any other rail cars in a long time. A base employee said the one person who used to operate the locomotive left the base months ago, so there it sits. There were six or eight TTX flats in a yard just inside the rail gate, but it appears they are handled by the Ventura County Railway without any involvement by the Navy's locomotive.
The unit is USN 65-00516, ex-USA 1666, built in 1952.
The unit is USN 65-00516, ex-USA 1666, built in 1952.
