Western Railroad Discussion > UP Museum Special Preview

This Sunday UP Museum Special is assembled and ready to go for the quick trip to Columbus, NE and return from Omaha, NE. UP 951, 949, 9010 will lead the train.

Cars on the train are:
UPP 207
Feather River
Willie James
Portland Rose
Katy Flyer
Sunshine Special
UPP 6769
UPP 2066
Challenger
Columbine
Colorado Eagle
Missouri River
City of Portland
City of San Fransico
Shoshone

So who will be the first one to complain about the ACe in the consist?

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Thanks - Two E's, yup there's that magical Ace again! I think I know what the rationale might be - If it was my butt on the line to keep a schedule, would I rely completely on old 1950's nonstandard-rebuilt rattletraps or something new, at least for protection. I'd go with something new for protection, as a stopped train that broke down is a P.R. nightmare. This train is different, but on most special trains, the people riding don't care WHAT is on the front, and can scarcely tell the difference between yellow locomotives, anyway they would think the big one is pretty with the American Flag represented on it! === === = === JLH

Thinking about it... if they could have just ratttle-can spray painted the ACe trucks silver to match the train, I'd be ok with it, but it's not my railroad. Still a spiffy looking lashup!

Mr. MRL

highgreengraphics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks - Two E's, yup there's that magical Ace
> again! I think I know what the rationale might be
> - If it was my butt on the line to keep a
> schedule, would I rely completely on old 1950's
> nonstandard-rebuilt rattletraps or something new,
> at least for protection. I'd go with something new
> for protection, as a stopped train that broke down
> is a P.R. nightmare. This train is different, but
> on most special trains, the people riding don't
> care WHAT is on the front, and can scarcely tell
> the difference between yellow locomotives, anyway
> they would think the big one is pretty with the
> American Flag represented on it! === === = === JLH

The E's have been rebuilt and are essentially GP38's. Where's the B unit?

> The E's have been rebuilt and are essentially
> GP38's. Where's the B unit?


From what I understand the b unit is buried in Cheyenne.

Posted from Android

Great looking train! Thanks for posting.

The prime movers are EMD 645's that are Roots blown instead of turbo charged in order to maintain the sound like the two 567's that were taken out. The are 2000 hp each.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

bankshotone Wrote:
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> > The E's have been rebuilt and are essentially
> > GP38's. Where's the B unit?
>
> From what I understand the b unit is buried in
> Cheyenne.

What I read on TO earlier, was that there was construction near the round house, and the escape track for the " B " unit was cut off .

GP30Frank Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bankshotone Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > > The E's have been rebuilt and are essentially
> > > GP38's. Where's the B unit?
> >
> > From what I understand the b unit is buried in
> > Cheyenne.
>
> What I read on TO earlier, was that there was
> construction near the round house, and the escape
> track for the " B " unit was cut off .

Had they not tried to junk the 96, there would not
be a need for an escape track.

Assuming they DO have track there.

highgreengraphics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks - Two E's, yup there's that magical Ace
> again! I think I know what the rationale might be
> - If it was my butt on the line to keep a
> schedule, would I rely completely on old 1950's
> nonstandard-rebuilt rattletraps or something new,
> at least for protection. I'd go with something new
> for protection, as a stopped train that broke down
> is a P.R. nightmare. This train is different, but
> on most special trains, the people riding don't
> care WHAT is on the front, and can scarcely tell
> the difference between yellow locomotives, anyway
> they would think the big one is pretty with the
> American Flag represented on it! === === = === JLH

And they didn't rely on old 1950's rattle traps. All
3 units were rebuilt and upgraded from the rail up in
the early 1990's at a tremendous cost.

Which begs the question: Since the rebuilds, how many
times have the UP E units broken down on the main line
and ruined a trip?

My hat is off to UP and BNSF for the marvelous work they do to maintain and operate their business trains.

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

Nice Shots!  At least the ACe is clean.  :)

SouthWest RailCams
CA, NM, CO, TX, AZ
https://SouthWestRailCams.com

Realist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> highgreengraphics Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks - Two E's, yup there's that magical Ace
> > again! I think I know what the rationale might
> be
> > - If it was my butt on the line to keep a
> > schedule, would I rely completely on old 1950's
> > nonstandard-rebuilt rattletraps or something
> new,
> > at least for protection. I'd go with something
> new
> > for protection, as a stopped train that broke
> down
> > is a P.R. nightmare. This train is different,
> but
> > on most special trains, the people riding don't
> > care WHAT is on the front, and can scarcely
> tell
> > the difference between yellow locomotives,
> anyway
> > they would think the big one is pretty with the
> > American Flag represented on it! === === = ===
> JLH
>
> And they didn't rely on old 1950's rattle traps.
> All
> 3 units were rebuilt and upgraded from the rail up
> in
> the early 1990's at a tremendous cost.
>
> Which begs the question: Since the rebuilds, how
> many
> times have the UP E units broken down on the main
> line
> and ruined a trip?

I wish Realist would answer his own question. My admittedly limited experience with EMD engines is that they're reliable. I recognize there's more to a loco than just the p mover. d

I'll say it, kinda like a turd in a punchbowl...

The E units worked fine all the time I was involved with them. We ran several excursions with them for various groups and events. Often Steve would put me in charge of the movements and I traveled onboard with them along with Lynn and Mary. The only problem ever encountered with them was an occasional issue with the cab signals in 951 but those were always resolved. I can even remember not long after we got them back from VMV there was a power crisis on UP and the power bureau asked if the heritage units could be borrowed to help out. The trio of E's became assigned to pulling the Z trains to Denver and back for a couple of weeks. And then there was the time on an excursion run to Spokane that they were used to pull the B&B circus train (52 cars)to Hinkle Oregon and returned light to perform their excursion duties out of Spokane. Yes, the B unit is captured behind the environmental trenches around the turntable but one day it will be released from its stable to perform with the two A's again.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

dpudave Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> I wish Realist would answer his own question. My
> admittedly limited experience with EMD engines is
> that they're reliable. I recognize there's more to
> a loco than just the p mover. d

Based on searching every website and message board I
could think of, including TO, the only accurate answer
I've found is ZERO road failures on high-profile trains
such as this one.

So much for "1950's rattletraps".

Of course, I suppose one could truthfully call them
"early 1990's rattletraps with no road failures in 25
years".

And counting.

I remember listening to conversations in UP headquarters that opined that the restored trio of Es fell out of favor because they were considered unreliable and smoked. The feeling was the units belied the company mantra that railroads are environmentally friendly when VIP guests riding in our dome cars could clearly see the contradictory black exhausts. Some of the big specials like the Cheyenne Frontiers Day train needed more horsepower than the three E units could provide to keep tight schedules. It is true that the latter-day combined "City of Everywhere" passenger trains often sported impressive lash-ups of several of the venerable units.

John Bromley



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/17 15:16 by Copy19.

Copy19 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I remember listening to conversations in UP
> headquarters that opined that the restored trio of
> Es fell out of favor because they were considered
> unreliable and smoked. The feeling was the units
> belied the company mantra that railroads are
> environmentally friendly when VIP guests riding in
> our dome cars could clearly see the contradictory
> black exhausts. Some of the big specials like the
> Cheyenne Frontiers Day train needed more
> horsepower than the three E units could provide to
> keep tight schedules. It is true that the
> latter-day combined "City of Everywhere" passenger
> trains often sported impressive lash-ups of
> several of the venerable units.
>
> John Bromley

Makes sense, if one puts himself in a management mentality.

I'll troll a bit here. UP 7605 in the green and silver GE paint scheme was a good publicity stunt for UP to show how they cared about the environment. It got painted Armour Yellow not too long afterwards. It seems environmentalism is second fiddle to "Union Pacific" colors. Nothing personal against you, but I chuckle at the idiocy of those saying E units are "unreliable and smoky" and spit at their attempts at trying to "Be Green." :-)

If you sitting in a dome car and looking forward, you would be looking through
the combined exhaust streams of 3 non-turbo engines. Seeing them from the side
would be a whole 'nother animal. Smoke seems to be an issue brought up by someone
either ignorant or pursuing a different agenda.

The reliability non-issue is/was just another diversion.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/17 10:16 by Realist.

Many thanks, Realist and others, for clarifying remarks. d