Nostalgia & History > UP varnish behind an ugly duckling

Art Gibson did not record the precise date for his photo. But he DID nail this shot of a classic scene of Union Pacific passenger train #39 at Topeka. In those days this train was a regular fixture all along the KP running west out of Kansas City. My, oh my...

1. UP 298 points train #39 during the station stop at Topeka, KS sometime in the mid 1950s.
Copy slide by William A. Gibson (WAG) Jr, from the Cliff Corn collection.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199
Remembering the late Cliff Corn aka “Topeka” here on TO



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/25 07:32 by santafe199.

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Nice one.  Thanks!

Greg Stadter
Phoenix, AZ

Another first for me...I did not know UP had steam generators in some gp's...learning all kind of new things today.

Date would have to be sometime in the mid 1950s.  UP 298 was delivered in September 1954, and train 39 "The Kansan" was discontinued sometime in early 1957 (it appears in the January '57 timetable but is gone from the June '57 timetable).

mike woodruff
north platte ne

swaool Wrote: > ... Date would have to be sometime in the mid 1950s ...

Thanks Mike, I'll amend my captions...

:^)

OK - I'm correct in thinking the silver "stack" on the geep's short hood is actually on some structure behind the train, right?  The photo angle it sure makes it look like it's right where the stack would be for the steam generator...

- Norm

Actually, that really is the stack for the steam generator. Certainly built to last!
A quick Google search brought up images of other Geep 9s with the same arrangement.

S_W

Lance, thanks for posting slides from my late good friend, Cliff Corn. 

Some of the GP30B's had boilers as well.

I was wondering if that was a steam generator stack. Did any other roads put that wart of a thing on the short hood? And why did U.P. deem it necessary? It seems it would restrict the overhead clearance somewhere. Back east I'm sure it would have been a problem in some tunnels and bridges. 
Thanks for yet another thought provoking post Lance!
Gonut

Looks like they cut up WW2 surplus canon barrels for steam generator tail pipes.

Stevo_Weimario Wrote:
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> Actually, that really is the stack for the steam
> generator. Certainly built to last!
> A quick Google search brought up images of other
> Geep 9s with the same arrangement.
>
> S_W

Cool! Ya, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason why some UP GP9’s have that super tall steam generator stack, and some have a shorter version. In any case, it’s neat to see.

I really like the UP GP9B’s with steam generator stacks…I don’t think there were very many….but they did exist.

Texican65 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cool! Ya, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or
> reason why some UP GP9’s have that super tall
> steam generator stack, and some have a shorter
> version. In any case, it’s neat to see.
>
> I really like the UP GP9B’s with steam generator
> stacks…I don’t think there were very
> many….but they did exist.

I think the UP shop boys stopped too soon with their addition of the stack.  Maybe a barrel type nose with a Pyle-National headlight, bell, and marker lights would have added to the stack feature.  Probably "no workee" with need of the steam generator utilizing this space.