Western Railroad Discussion > Whee, new UP numbers westbound

Today's North Platte to Portland MNPPT-24 featured UP's newest ES44AC GE's leading, and in a seemingly-strange number series. It was led by UP 2530, Class Unit UP 2520, UP 4952, and UP 2536. Time to drive east to intercept and follow until the sun goes behind the clouds or evening, whichever comes first.

Photo 1 - Rolling around the curve and under the bridge at Pine Bluffs, WY.

Photos 2 and 3 - Departing Pine Bluffs, WY

There's mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/15 23:34 by highgreengraphics.

---

---

---

Sweet new units. Always exciting to chase brand new stuff.

Who dropped that EMD in there! Anyone know what this 25xx series will go up to (or how clear the roster is above it)?

Ryan Wilkerson
Fair Oaks, CA

Photos 4 and 5 - Proceeding farther westbound away from Pine Bluffs. The heavy train was moving quite slowly, giving the new units a workout.

Photo 6 - Passing under the signal bridge at East Egbert, WY.

There's mooore...

---

---

---

Photo 7 - Rolling past the station sign at tiny Center Egbert, WY. The spur in the foreground used to serve a Pillsbury elevator that was torn down a decade ago.

Photo 8 - Fighting the strong westerly wind gusts into Burns, WY.

Photo 9 - 3/4 overhead detail view of 2530 approaching Burns, WY.

There's mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/15 22:50 by highgreengraphics.

---

---

---

Photo 10 - Passing the signals at the West Hillsdale Crossover. 

Photo 11 - Rounding the curve at Milepost 498 just west of the former site of Durham, WY.

Photo 12 - Splitting the signals another mile ahead at Milepost 499.

There's mooore...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 00:08 by highgreengraphics.

---

---

---

Excellent job ,great pics . Its sure nice when everything comes together .Greg

Photo 13 - At Archer, WY off the US30 bridge - the sun angle seemed to lend itself a lot to direct overhead shots.

Photo 14 - Going through Barnett, east of Cheyenne, at a point where the CB&Q line to Sterling, CO used to pass under.

Photo 15 - At Cheyenne, the lead 2 new units cut off to pick up a string of auto-rack cars from the yard, and then added them in front of the other two units, making them mid-train DPU's. With nasty sun too in-line with the tracks, the two new units back up their pickup from the yard under the C&S Bridge at West Cheyenne to add back onto the train led by the second two units. I did not envy the Conductor having to ride the side of the last auto-rack car in the wind all the way back to the rest of the train.

Only two mooore...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/15 23:15 by highgreengraphics.

---

---

---

Photo 16 - New UP 2530 basks in the setting sun while it and the other locomotives are being reconfigured to run 2+2 DPU, which of course is a lengthy process that lasted until after the sun went down behind the clouds encroaching on the Sherman Hill highlands.

Photo 17 - Meanwhile, while UP takes its time making the auto-rack cars pickup, back at the BNSF ranch KCS 4174 rests at the newer passenger depot as the trailing DPU on a northbound coal empty.

It was a howling windy day today as a weather front rolled in, but hard to pass up these new units making their way west for the first time.

Happy smell-the-new-paint railfanning! === === = === JLH  

---

---

Great Pics, but low numbered ES44AC's is going to take some getting used to.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 01:34 by funnelfan.

Excellent photos.......UP Gevos look great..... Thanks for sharing.

Aren't they "token" locomotives based on GE Credits?

Michael McInerney
Marion, South Australia,

GREAT stuff...!! Thanks for sharing.

funnelfan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great Pics, but low numbered ES44AC's is going to
> take some getting used to.

I will second that.

Great series, always nice to see fresh UP power. Thanks for sharing,

~Ryan

Outstanding series of photos.

Ronda Thomas

Nice bunch of shots and always nice to see new units without road grime.
Brian Stevens

Probably on BNSF as well Ted now that the 3200-3999 is almost ready to be filled.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON

Great chase and results. Quite the "art" on that first boxcar.

What locomotives did the number series replace?

Posted from Android

Great coverage as usual, Jim! Let's see now...
25-Hundred somethings! Ghosts of the C-30s?

Lance

upheritage6 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What locomotives did the number series replace?

   UP had cleaned out the old G38-2's and some old SD40's, which were in the 2500 number series, all the way to the end of 2999.  I think this is the biggest "hole" they had available.
    After a little more research, I find that 2520 thru 2569 ( 50 units) will be part of the order for 2015.  Also in 2015, 2570 thru 2669 ( 100 units) will be ES44AC -T4's.  And on we go!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/15 12:08 by GP30Frank.