Western Railroad Discussion > UP fuel tenders???

Can anyone advise a source or posting for pictures and info on the modern fuel tenders that UP used a few years back? Who, what, where, when and why would be good. You know, like we learned in school. Thanks for all replies.

Can't help you on the pictures, but I can tell you their background. They were built as tenders for the first batch of UP 4-8-4's Class FEF-1, #'s 800-819. When the 800's were retired they served as turbines for the gas turbines. The sole surviving FEF-1, #814 at Council Bluffs has one of the later centipede tenders that were used on the last two classes of 4-8-4's the more modern Challengers, and all the Big Boys. After the turbines were retired a group of tenders were converted to auxiliary water tenders for the steam engines, and I believe that some of them were used as fuel tenders for the rotary snow plows, although I may be wrong on that. The steam engine extra tenders were painted black for a while, but have since been repainted yellow.

Try and pick up a copy of the Union Pacific Modeler Volume Three by the late Terry Metcalfe. I think that it will have some of the information that you are looking for including where the tenders came from.

Also Union Pacific Historical Society had a article about the fuel tenders, but I do not know what issue it was in.

Regards, MIKE

Union Pacific diesel fuel tenders by Michael M. McGowen appeared in Union Pacific Modeler Volume Three.

The tenders were tested beginning in May 1996. They were made from Class O-70-1 tank cars from the 70000-70199 number series. The tenders were numbered UPT 5 through UPT 8. The tank cars were originally built in the 1954-55 timeframe by American Car & Foundry. The cars were modified by Union Tank Car in Muscatine, Iowa. The cars were 51 feet long and had a capacty of 19,167 gallons.

The cars were used as part of an experiment and carried a logo that included the words Fuel Management.

Hope this is of some help.

Robert J.

Here's UPT 5 and a bit of UPT 7 last April in UP's Council Bluffs IA yard. They are in the area known as "Fox Park" which is where they stage the passenger fleet for road trips. I was thru there last Saturday and they and the remaining two others ere still stored there.
Enjoy~~~Ed

and thanks for the picture, Papio. Does anyone know the future of these units?