Nostalgia & History > UP Centennial's w/power combo variety

These aren't what we usually called  'Big Boys' on the UP ... bur they were big! Here's 3 of my photos:
1. Cheyenne on 2/6/77
2. Cheyenne on 1/29/77
3. Near Speer on 10/20/74  



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/24 06:14 by valmont.

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Very nice set!  The second is my favorite.

texchief1

Three beauties.
JB

Yes they were big especially walking by them.  And yes valmont thanks again for my HOME at the Hitching post.

This reminds me of something.  Almost 30 years ago in the early days of the internet, I seem to recall an on-line fued between some people who said Centennials were nicknamed "Big Jacks" and others who absolutely denied that was true.  Hard feeling resulted.  (This was on a bullitin board (?) moderated by a gentleman named Geert.)

Does anyone recall this grave controversy?  Were Centennials nick-named Big Jacks or not?  And whatever happenned to Geert?

J.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/24 07:56 by Korigaoka1811.

I remember that battle. Seems like CTC Board may have had something to do with it?   In the Midwest, we never heard or used that term.  Of course, we never saw them unless you made the trip west.  On a trip to Wyoming in 1984, I saw six or seven of the 13 (IIRC?) that had been reactivated for a short period of time.  

Dave

Very enjoyable look back!

Larry

RSD5 Wrote:
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> I remember that battle. Seems like CTC Board may
> have had something to do with it?   In the
> Midwest, we never heard or used that term.  Of
> course, we never saw them unless you made the trip
> west.  On a trip to Wyoming in 1984, I saw six or
> seven of the 13 (IIRC?) that had been reactivated
> for a short period of time.  
>
> Dave

I also seem to remember that CTC Board magazine had something to do with the "Big Jacks" term. In addition, that term seemed to come out of the Western Pacific area, when the 6900s began running through to California.

Korigaoka1811 Wrote: > ... "Big Jacks" ... Hard feeling resulted ...

FWIW: A few years ago I posted a thread, quoting what some Santa Fe engineers had said about their road power. In a generic way, those few senior Santa Fe engineers were fond of calling a consist of 3600+ HP units "Big Jacks". Some guy replied and threw an unhinged hissy-fit that the term Big Jack absolutely by gawd DID NOT apply to diesel locomotives!!!!! I told him I was only citing what these men were saying when I first hired on (1978). I should have told him if he wanted to argue with them he would most likely have to dig most of them out of their graves...

Lance/199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/24 10:06 by santafe199.

BlaineM Wrote:
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> Yes they were big especially walking by them. 
> And yes valmont thanks again for my HOME at the
> Hitching post.

today's power stands a little taller if you can believe that, kind of beefier, imagine if they revisted the double diesel consist today, safety cabs and all

Nice ones Vince. I too remember CTC Board using the Big Jack term and it was never a term that we used on the UP or by any of the railfans that I knew out here.

big jack  from sou cal terms? cajon  pass trainmen or just ctc board term, i never heard it, till trainorders i think, guess i missed that issue or forgot?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/22/24 18:48 by dan.

My favorite diesel locomotive. Great Pics. 

Thanks for posting!  Excellent shots! UP power as it will always be remembered!

The UP was proud of these engines, and ran them hard--they quickly acquired 1 million miles of duty.  The 1st photo shows that well.  Built for speed, and UP pushed them hard, sometimes with the engines getting up to 85-90 mph on certain stretches with certain trains.  They also had "fast excitation" of the traction motors, and it was proven that on long runs, just that feature helped UP take significant time off old schedules, due to faster departures from all the crew changes, as well as accelerating out of all the curves enroute.

My understanding is that the term "Big Jack" came as a slang term to denote John C. Kenefick, UP boss at the time the Centennials were developed. 

Korigaoka1811 Wrote:

> (This was on a bullitin board (?) moderated by a gentleman named Geert.)

Thinking back 30 years, it was probably The Railroad List moderated by Geert K. Marien.  If I'm remembering correctly, it started as an e-mail listserv that was eventually mirrored on the Usenet News discussion group bit.listserv.railroad.

The name predates the Centennials. Also applied to the DD35s.

Best regards,

Rob L.