Western Railroad Discussion > Keep them dogies rollin', Rawhide!

I was hoping to catch this eastbound train climbing Donner Pass on a curve east of Gold Run that cuts towards the northwest and gets great evening sunlight around the Summer Solstice, but upon reaching out to a local expert I was informed that my timing was off and the train was already making it up towards Dutch Flat. My pivot was to catch it in the shadows in Casa Loma.

Photos and Video: UP 7666 is leading a 3(+1)x3x0 eastbound manifest up Donner Pass at Gorge in Casa Loma. (Those familiar with the area will likely get the Rawhide reference.) I appreciated the friendly crew providing "bells and whistles," but it likely wasn't on my behalf. A local hermit with a camera was lurking nearby, and the crew likely recognized this individual from prior encounters. Good on them to keep the locals happy.

I've said it before but it bears repeating. This might be the best spot to watch an eastbound battling Donner Pass. The 2.2% grade and extensive curvature humble even the most powerful trains. I think the Geep in tow in the lead consist might have been running and helping pull, though I can't say for certain. The 2-stroke EMD prime movers strike a different note that the big GEs. (I've included the entire train in the video but sped up portions for brevity.)

Cheers,
Sean



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/25 12:34 by broken_link.

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UP really seems to underpower their trains--just look at what happened to that ore train on Cima Hill a while back.  So underpowered the engineer couldn't even control the train with the power he had.  That's bad, and it wasn't the 1st time UP has been called our for such problems on Cima Hill.  

SP trains over Donner usually moved faster--I've been up there many, many, many times and watched.  Thus, yes, it's a great place and the grades are there, but UP is pushing their trains and power to the edge.  Thus the "show", vs. "go."

coach Wrote:
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> SP trains over Donner usually moved faster--I've
> been up there many, many, many times and watched.
>  Thus, yes, it's a great place and the grades are
> there, but UP is pushing their trains and power to
> the edge.  Thus the "show", vs. "go."

If you think SP didn't push the horsepower per ton ratings to the limit on mountain grades then you're mistaken.

Over Donner in the '70's and very early '80's the eastbound RVNPP and RVOGP (perishable trains) and the OAOGF usually had more than enough power.

Same with the UPSFF, UPSFT and UPWSA westbound.

But other trains almost always had just enough horsepower to get over the road, sometimes barely enough. It was like that all over the system.

When SP started having more locomotives failing on the main line between terminals SP was forced to add more locomotives per train. That added significantly to fuel costs and strained locomotive availability. Stuff like that skyrockets the operating ratio.

It's not all that different now, just the statistics have changed. UP's trying to move longer and often heavier manifest trains than SP ever did with as few locomotives as possible. The difference now is UP doesn't have near the main line locomotive failure rate SP had, BUT when a locomotive does shut down under load it can turn into a big mess under the right circumstances.


Keith_Kevet

Posted from Android



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/29/25 22:55 by Keith_Kevet.

The GP40N trailing was not online and more than likely it was completely shutdown.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> UP really seems to underpower their trains--just
> look at what happened to that ore train on Cima
> Hill a while back.  So underpowered the engineer
> couldn't even control the train with the power he
> had.  That's bad, and it wasn't the 1st time UP
> has been called our for such problems on Cima
> Hill.  
>
> SP trains over Donner usually moved faster--I've
> been up there many, many, many times and watched.
>  Thus, yes, it's a great place and the grades are
> there, but UP is pushing their trains and power to
> the edge.  Thus the "show", vs. "go."

SP had to run faster because SP ran DC motors over the Hill, and DC motors have a minimum continuous speed (otherwise the DC motors will suffer damage); whereas AC have no minimum continuous. With ACs you can lug a train at 2 mph for hours if the Chief so desires.