Nostalgia & History > UP DDA40X 6925, Chamberlain, SD

I've been cleaning up lots and lots of old emails, and ran across a note from Alex Huff at the Dakota Southern Railway (DSRC) telling me about the former UP DDA40X that was purchased by the company in 1987. In his email, dated December 31, 2005, he wrote:

"The shell of the 6925 is still here in Chamberlain. When DSRC purchased the unit it had already been prepped by UP for trade-in. There were no traction motors or air compressors and the original prime movers had been removed. To qualify as trade in material, as I understand it, the unit had to have prime movers, so UP had dropped a pair of heavy block 645E3B's out of (I assume) SD40-2's. Both engines had thrown rods. We bought the unit as a parts source at approximately its scrap value based on weight. Our two SD7's and SD-9 had all been upgraded with 567C engines with 645 power packs by the MILW. It was also a bit of a lark, we didn't bid much for it. After we were notified we had won the bid, my brother and I decided to buy a spare truck frame from the 6906, on the slight chance that the 6925 would ever be put back into service and knowing that the trucks were as near as an irreplaceable part on the unit and that further UP had cracked a couple when someone didn't follow maintenance instructions and tried to support a unit on the first and fourth axles.

"At present, the prime movers are gone, sold to MK for cores for rebuilding for commuter locomotives at a time when heavy block 645's were very hard to find. The AR-12 alternators were sold to NRE for load testing rebuilt prime movers.

"Should the locomotive be rebuilt, I envision a couple of cheap (again?) SD40-2's donating the necessary guts, leaving two spare traction motors. I doubt that we will do it, but it won't be scrapped. Ed Bowers would probably drive a stake through my heart if I did. I get an occasional inquiry as to whether it is for sale from the locomotive collecting fraternity as it is the only one in private hands."

In another note a day later, he related some information about EMD's heavy block 645 engines:

"I am not an expert here, but it is my understanding that early 645 engines suffered from cracks in the crankcase (E design). Later engines had reinforced crankcases, the E3B, known as "heavy blocks".

"On the subject of crankcases, EMD Replacement Parts Catalog No.301, Parts List No. A300 lists locomotives with 567 engines installed with C, CR and E crankcases. Footnotes state that replacement 567 engines will have a 645 crankcase and oil pan with 567 components. No 645 replacement was available for 6-567C and 12-567A crankcases.

"Locomotives listed as built new with E crankcases are GA8, GL8, G8, GA18, G12, GR12, G22, G16, and SDP28. It should be noted that most were also shown with 567C engines."

A quick check of Google shows that the former UP 6925 was still sitting in Chamberlain in September 2013, almost 30 years after being retired by UP.

With apologies to Alex, I neglected to add the information to my online DDA40X roster back in 2006, but it is in there now:

http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/up-diesel-roster-62.php#dda40x-6900

In a vaguely related side note, I've been using Outlook since the the days of Office 1997, and my PST file was over 7GB. It was time to get rid of the cruft. In doing so, I have run across several gems like this one, where I should have taken action, but failed to do so.

Don Strack



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/15 05:35 by donstrack.

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Thanks for sharing this interesting info with us regarding the 6925. I found it very interesting to read about the spare truck they purchased that one would assume (and hope) to still be there as well yet much harder to verify. While the odds are still against the 6925 ever being restored to service, it is sure nice to know the possibility at least exists.

Perhaps the UPHS can schedule the 2017 conevention in Chamberlain to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the acquisition of the 6925.

Posted from Android

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3090462,3090500#msg-3090500

sd45x had a view

Any thoughts of trying to get it sent to a museum for preservation? Heck, would UP want another one? I remember a few years back when they cosmetically redid the 6900 and moved it with the other. How Cool was that?

Joe

That's a bear for a museum. Or a private individual. Forget about operation (for now) think paint. Lots of paint, lots of time, lots of volunteers to keep it looking half way decent. Not saying it can't or shouldn't be done, but it is a bear. It takes, not surprisingly, the same resources as any two or even three locomotives. For operation, consider weights and radii. They're beasts, and they don't really work for the less-than-ideally maintained track, and, once again, the resources needed to get one working is more that 2-3 other units (due to the sheer bulk and complexity involved).

If you appreciate older diesels, consider making donation to those organizations with some to maintain. As one example, the Illinois railway Museum has a Centennial, has SD40s, has E units, has F units, has a working FM switcher, etc. etc. etc. There are a *LOT* of units to keep maintained. If you looked at the BN exec units when they came in vs. now you'd cry.

And...I have to tell you, most museums are seeing huge short falls in terms of maintenance funds. Deferred maintenance is the order of the day. It is not conducive to showing the Thomas-addled youth what a railroad should - did - look like. I can't tell you how many times I've heard from kids that the ballast isn't as straight, clean or simply "neat" as on the Island. Or that everything isn't bright and shiny.

There *ARE* units that need attention around the country. Consider volunteering, donating, etc.

Here's a link to a posting that included a 6/11/13 shot of the 6925:

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3125766,3125775#msg-3125775


And here's a link to a 2004 posting that included some additional 6925 information from Alex Huff.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/warning.php?forum_id=11&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trainorders.com%2Fdiscussion%2Fread.php%3F1%2C756287%2C756416%23msg-756416

Perhaps it is time to update the status of this unit. Effective 10/1/2009, DSRC ownership changed. The company was sold to Mike Williams for continued operation. Mike has some other smaller operations. Ownership is spread over other family members and in at least some cases, non-related owners. It is my second-hand understanding that the UP was offered the carcass of the 6925. The UP declined. Mike has told me that anything is for sale. Until fairly recently, his primary source of income was Railroad Materials Salvage, Inc. based out of his home town of Richmond, MO.

One of the attractions of DSRC when it was sold, it was using its unused main line for storing cars, several miles worth. Another consideration was that in 2005 BNSF had reluctantly granted DSRC access to competing Class I carriers, CN and UP at Sioux City, IA, CP via DMV&W at Aberdeen plus D&I at Sioux City and at the time DM&E at Wolsey, SD. BNSF agreed to move cars under a flat rate per mile, not appearing in the route, to and from these competitors. This is known as haulage. When certain traffic levels were reached, DSRC at a time of its choosing could elect to run its own trains on overhead trackage rights to the above competitor junctions.

Since the change in ownership, using Federal taxpayer dollars and matching local funds, the 65# rail from Mitchell to Chamberlain has been replaced with a mix of #2 relay 115#, 131# and 136#. In 2012, a $40+ million shuttle loading grain elevator and fertilizer facility was completed 40 miles west of Mitchell. In late 2014, a second dip into the Federal taxpayer's pocket (TIGER grant) plus local match money exceeding 50% of the project will see the upgrade extended another 40 miles west to Presho. Included is replacement of all timber (ties, walkways) on the Missouri River bridge, opened on Dec. 7, 1953. It was the longest bridge on the MILW system at 4,980'. A second competing shuttle facility has begun to push dirt at Kennebec. Like the first, it will have a loop track.
Alex Huff

donstrack Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> After we were notified we had
> won the bid, my brother and I decided to buy a
> spare truck frame from the 6906, on the slight
> chance that the 6925 would ever be put back into
> service and knowing that the trucks were as near
> as an irreplaceable part on the unit and that
> further UP had cracked a couple when someone
> didn't follow maintenance instructions and tried
> to support a unit on the first and fourth axles.
>

Indeed those truck frames are irreplaceable as I gave the order to scrap the DD truck pattern in 1988. By then it would have needed $1,000's in repairs to make it serviceable and we knew if we ever built an 8 axle loco again, it would have to have B-B trucks such as the HTBB we tested under BN 6599 a few years earlier.

Dave