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S E C T I O N S |
| INTRODUCTION |
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| ROLLING STOCK |
| ACTION, SCENERY |
| UPDATES |
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R E L A T E D I T E M S |
| Local Trains |
| COLORADO COAL
TRAINS- Lots of UP action |
| GRAND
COUNTY RAILS - Traffic Blitz in the Central Rockies |
| SAN LUIS VALLEY IN TRANSITION |
| December
2008 - Winter Railroading in Colorado |
| Back to the Front Door |
| E M D 4 - A X L E D I E S E L S | |
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GP40-2 No. 1373, at Roubideau, CO on 4/15/2010.
This unique unit, one of only three built, started out as a Southern
Pacific GP40P-2, equipped with a steam generator for passenger
service around San Francisco. Later these units were converted
to freight-only. Notice the boxy end to the long hood.
These units are 30 inches longer than a standard GP40-series
locomotive, and the flared radiator is certainly unique amongst
4-axle models.
Two now survive on UP's roster. |
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GP40-2 No. 1396, working the local at Delta, CO on 8/10/2007. It was originally SSW 7640, built January 1979 and repainted this way in August 2005. |
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GP60 No. 5702, in Pueblo on 9/19/1999. It was originally ordered for the D&RGW in 1990 as No. 3156, built to Cotton Belt specs-- basically a Southern Pacific Lines unit in black-and-gold. It was repainted in UP colors in May 1998, and has since been renumbered 1902 (January 2001). Many SP and SSW GP60s were similarly repainted, but this unit's two D&RGW siblings were not-- merely patched. |
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GP38-2 No. 695, seen in the yard at Denver on 7/29/2007. This non-dynamic brake unit was built as MP 2195 in 1980. Though not in the UPY series of locomotives, it is being used as a yard switcher in this image. Note that it is equipped with twin amber beacons on the cab. |
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GP38-2 No. 2395, working a local at Delta, CO on 8/10/2007. It was built in 1975, and came to UP in 1997. It's scheduled to be renumbered to 895, but it's been waiting since 1999 for that to happen... |
| E M D 6 - A X L E D I E S E L S | |
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SD40-2 No. 3215, running third at Granby, CO, 8/9/2007. This unit arrived in 1973. It was unusual, and nice, to see such an old unit on a mainline freight train after so many years. |
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SD40-2 No. 3354. This was once the most numerous class of locomotives in the United States, with thousands in service (plus their slightly-longer sisters, the SD40T-2). This unit was photographed at Cedar City, UT in June 2004. It had been renumbered from No. 3798 the previous October, to make room on the roster for new SD70M's. It was built in 1980. |
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SD40-2 No. 3311, built July 1976, seen in Cedar City in June 2004. |
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SD40-2 No. 3394, at Houston on 9/17/2007. This unit came in April 1977, part of a series of SD40-2's that came equipped with the 116" nose. |
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SD40-2 No. 4768, rebuilt from an SD40 originally built for the Pennsylvania RR. UP acquired it in October 1999. Here it's seen at Tucumcari in March 2001. It was renumbered UP 2818 in December of that year. See here for a photo of it leading the Ski Train on February 10, 2002. |
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SD40T-2 No. 2925, seen in Houston in April 2005. This unit was originally SP 8545, repainted to UP No. 4490 in 1999, and renumbered in 2001, as shown here. |
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SD40T-2TR No. 2937, in Houston on 10/17/2007. This
is the ex- SP No. 8264, first renumbered in 1997. She and the
other units in the series 2866 - 2949 were refurbished by UP, hence
the "R" suffix.
For a 1992 photo in SP paint, see here. |
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SD40T-2 No. 4370 is in the engine service area at
Denver North Yard in November 2000. It was originally Southern
Pacific No. 8304, delivered in 1974. It was repainted in UP
colors in July 1999. Four months after this photo it was
renumbered 2867. Directly behind it is UP No. 5661, a GE B40-8 that was originally SSW 8053, delivered in 1988, repainted in August 1999, and renumbered 1852 in October 2002. |
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SD40T-2 No. 4056 sits third in an eastbound consist in the yard at Tucson, AZ on 3/31/2000. This unit was originally D&RGW No. 5369. It was renumbered to UP 8626 shortly thereafter. It was originally delivered in August 1975. |
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SD40T-2 No. 8725 working in the yard at Grand
Junction on March 7, 2002. This unit was originally SP No.
8525 and was delivered in December 1978. Renumbered to UP 4455
in November 1997, it was changed to 8725 in May 2001. It was later
retired, in April 2005.
The photo was backlit on an extremely dim evening. I did my best to bring it to life with Photoshop, but there's only so much you can do with a dark scan... |
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SD60No. 5999 and SD40T-2 No. 8626 head a rail train at Coal Creek Canyon (west of Denver) in August 2001. No. 8626 is the renumbered 4056 (see above). No. 5999 is the ex-C&NW 8050, which was new in 1986, repainted UP 5999 in 1996, and returned to the lessor at the start of 2003. |
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SD60M No. 6231, at Tucumcari in March 2001. It was received in 1990 by UP. These units were some of the first units to come with the wider "safety" cab. In 2005 it was renumbered to 2386. |
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SD70M No. 3940, a Phase 2a
unit, at Granby, CO on 8/8/2007. Here's the builder's
plate for this unit.
TOP: Note the flared radiators distinctive of the later series of SD70M's. They hearken back to the SD45's of the 1960's. Compare to the flat radiators on the earlier SD70M's in this photo. Note the brakewheel location at back right of the long hood, also like the SD45. MIDDLE: Opposite side view. See the squared traction motor duct, which looks like nothing in older EMD models. Note the 4-panel radiators, indicative of EPA Tier I compliance. BOTTOM: Front view. Note: high-mounted, side-by-side headlights, the large winged herald, and the ditch lights above the walkway (rather than pilot-mounted as on some earlier UP units). |
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SD70M No. 3971, a Phase 2b unit (with flared radiators and boxy nose), is on the point of a westbound freight at Sulphur. CO. It's 8/09/2007. The "flag" applique on these units does not seem to hold up very well. |
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SD70M Nos. 4029 and 4007 lead the ZRODV-10 (eastbound intermodal train) through Glenwood Canyon on October 10, 2000. This was the typical power arrangement during the years 2000 - 2001. Part of UP's first order of SD70Ms, these units arrived in June and July 2000, respectively, which makes them brand new as of the photo. |
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 SD70M No. 4530 is on loan to
the BNSF as it passes eastbound through Gallup NM on 9/11/2010.
It's a Phase IA but one of the higher-numbered ones not to receive the
flared radiators. (Apologies about the image-- one can only do
so much when one is stuck in traffic!) |
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SD70M's: Three versions are visible in this
photo. No. 4677 is a first-order Phase 1 with flat
radiators. Behind it, No. 3870 is a Phase 2a with angled
2-panel radiators. To the right, No. 5204 has the Phase 2b
boxy nose and 4-panel radiators (trust me).
Another photo showing these units here. Better angle, but more distant. |
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SD70ACe No. 8551, on the BNSF Transcon west of Winslow, AZ (3/29/2008). It wears the "flag" scheme. Per Don Strack's site, these units are equipped with larger radiators in a flared carbody to accommodate separate radiator cores for diesel engine jacket water and for aftercoolers. In that sense, they resemble the SD9043's below. Delivered in April 2007, it's 11 months old in this photo. |
| EMD's SD9043MAC model was built
with a 4300-hp prime mover. UP's order was originally intended
to receive a replacement H-block 6000-HP engine when these were
available. Delays with EMD's development of the H-block, and a
growing realization by railroads that a 6,000-hp locomotive was
overkill for most applications, meant that the 9043's kept their
original engines. UP refers to this type as the SD9043AC.
UP did order 62 of the full-blown SD90MACs in two variants, receiving them in 1997-98. UP refers to this model as SD90AC. The full SD90MAC's numbered 8500 and 8522-8561 were returned to EMD when their leases expired in 2005- 2006. The number series was recycled, with some being used by SD70ACe's such as No 8551 above. | |
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SD9043MAC
No. 8041, seen at Coal Creek on 8/14/2001. Power on this train
was set up in 2 + 2 + 2 configuration, each pair consisting of an
SD9043MAC and an SP AC4400. Built August 1996, the month before the SP merger took place. |
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SD9043MAC No. 8044, at the Colorado 72 overpass
between Clay and Plain, west of Denver, on August 14, 2001. These
units are difficult to fit into a single frame, when standing
trackside!
Built August 1996. |
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SD9043MAC No. 8065, in Glenwood Canyon in late June
2003. It's in the swing helper of an eastbound coal
load. Built September 1996, the same month as the SP merger. |
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Top view of SD9043MAC No. 8066. It's part of the swing helper (remote) on an eastbound train at Plain (west of Denver) on September 4, 1999. Note the complete revamping of the traditional EMD fan arrangement. Of particular note is the movement of the dynamic brake radiators to the end of the hood, as opposed to being located just behind the cab. This unit was received in September 1996. |
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SD9043MAC No. 8135, in Grand Junction, CO in
November 2002.
This unit arrived in April 1997. |
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SD9043MAC No. 8155 is waiting in the yard at Glenwood Springs on 9/01/2008. Delivered in May 1997, evidently there is some confusion between its builder number and frame number... |
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SD9043MAC No. 8256 is waiting for its turn in Glenwood Springs, 9/01/2008. Delivered in April 1998, she has now received yellow FRA sill striping. |
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SD9043MAC No. 8257, rear helper on a train at Rocky, CO on 9/04/1999. This unit arrived in April 1998, so it's about a year and a half old in this photo. This photo shows the opposite side from No. 8135 above, and gives you a good idea of the size of these monsters. The SD90 series were not well-liked by some of the crews-- they loaded up very quickly (power transferring to the AC motors), causing them to buck and slip more than their counterparts from GE. |
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SD90MAC No. 8533 leads a westbound coal empty past No Name (Glenwood Canyon) in June 2003. This unit actually has the 6,000 HP prime mover. Paired with a C60AC, the two locos had plenty of power for this train. All the full SD90s were retired around 2006. |
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U P Y - - S W I T C H E R S A N D Y A R D L O C O M O T I V E S | |
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UPY 570 is a GP15-1, originally Missouri Pacific No. 1570 (actually lettered for Chicago & Eastern Illinois when delivered). Here it's in Denver on 9/1/2008. |
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A pair of GP15-1's of Missouri Pacific heritage are switching in Denver North yard on July 29, 2007. No. 590 was MP 1590, went through repainting and renumbering and ended up as a UPY unit in May 2003. UPY 607 was MP 1607 and has been in the current number since July 2001. See here for more details. |
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UP 1205 is a GP39-2 from the MKT. Here it's switching in Denver's North Yard on 91/2008. Her paint is getting a bit tattered. |
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UPY 1215 is an SW1500, originally SP 2629, built in 1972. Here it's in Denver near the Cargill elevator on 7/29/2007. |
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Two pairs of remote-control yard locomotives, seen at North Yard on 7/29/2007. The two southernmost units are Y1150 and Y1158, both SW1500's of SP heritage-- nee SP 2572 and SSW 2585, respectively. Back left is UPY 1002, originally SP 2555, retired in 1995 and recently refurbished for UP by Helm. Back right is GP38-2 No. 801, originally MP 2301. The lack of dynamic brakes is a good clue to the unit's heritage. In this shot, it appears that the two closest locos are the controlling units, and the back two are simply MU'd to them for extra horsepower. |
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Switcher Smorgasbord: four UPY units in Denver on
September 1, 2008. Left to right: MP15DC No. 1296,
originally MP 1366 and given this number in May
2008. GP15-1 No. 642, originally MP 1642. Another GP15-1 whose number is blocked by the pole, an MP alumnus. SW1500 No. 1091, formerly SP 2495. Above 1296's hood is an SD40-2, No. 3208, a veteran road unit still earning its keep. |
