Steam & Excursion > Radio-equipped UP steam locos?

The links below are images from Don Strack's Utah Rails photo collections, specifically union pacific equipment records. I've noticed that four 4-12-2's - #'s 9031, 9046, 9052, and 9057, are marked with "radio". I haven't looked through every single page but even after looking through records of the later steam locos, it seems that those 4 are the only ones so specified. I tried to look into it with google but couldn't find much other than this article: https://jimquest.com/wp-content/uploads/Voices_On_The_Rails.pdf which shows a photographed experiment of a switcher receiving orders via radio from the UP building in Omaha (in around 1910, no less), but not much else. Does anyone know more about the use of radio on UP steam locos?

https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Union-Pacific-Equipment-Record/Steam-Locomotives/i-vHtGjGh/A 
https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Union-Pacific-Equipment-Record/Steam-Locomotives/i-8N6BdzZ/A

Makes me wonder if those were ever used as hump engines.

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LocoPilot750 Wrote:
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> Makes me wonder if those were ever used as hump
> engines.
>

North Platte was 4-12-2 territory, and except for maybe the rigid wheelbase, they would definitely be suited to the task so it is possible. Although I would have thought that would be more well documented, or at least mentioned somewhere, if it were the case.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/29/23 15:25 by 5511_.

In 'Motive Power of the Union Pacific', Kratville says several of 4-12-2s were equiped with cab signals and cab radios.

Tom

Well with UP not retiring steam until the late 1950's it's not surprising that some steam was equipped with radios.
Radio use exploded after WWII. The radios developed for the Army during the war were easily adapted for railroad use.

hump yard service and a bunch of switches for 12 driving wheels ?

> Application included special turbot-generator
> equipment, placed ahead of the whistle on the
> boilers. Equipment placement was divided between
> the locomotive and tender. The Farnsworth
> equipment was mounted near the cab roof above the
> gangway. The Motorola equipment was placed in a
> box on the right side of the tender. 

This photo from your site https://donstrack.smugmug.com/UtahRails/Union-Pacific/UP-Steam-DDR/i-SdNZN3G/A shows 9057 with the extra dynamo, and a box on the tender that looks similar to the fire hose compartments, but in what looks to be a non-standard location. Not sure if that's the box in question but regardless, pretty cool stuff.