There is supposedly one in the same park with the Big Boy and Centennial. I believe all others were scrapped?
Yes one survives at the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society's museum in Pomona, California, same place where the 4014 was until UP came and got it.
THIS is why I model the Union Pacific. Who else resurrects an iconic large steam locomotive 1/5ths into the 21st Century?
I kind of doubt they will ever take that on. It is not one of the iconic steam locomotives out there, just a very unusual one. Also, I seem to recall that there is some major frame damage to it that would make restoration extremely expensive. I believe this is a photo taken by Jack Delano during WWII of one of the 9000s in helper service on Cajon Pass. (the right most locomotive) Library of Congress Collection.
Well, maybe not. I went back to the original TIFF image downloaded from the Library of Congress and zoomed in as best I could. The engine number on the cab appears to start with a "5" and not a "9" so that would make it a 2-10-2 or TTT as UP called them. Same class of tender though. Still a long honking locomotive.
Was suggested by a UP Worker here that the diesel was there for two purposes, one as a standby rescue and second as a rolling dynamometer, could inflict quite a significant load on the 4014 using the dynamic and not have a hundred cars behind it.
I have crawled all over the 9000 in Pomona, long time ago. As far as I know it is the FIRST one delivered to UP. That wheelbase is really long, and I am not sure how rigid it is, there were so many different solutions, none simple, back in steam days. Also, again a far as I know, it is the ONLY survivor of the class.
Jim, I believe one, or more central driver pairs are blind, i.e., no flanges. This was done so she would not derail or roll rails over into the dirt. Unfortunately this allowed central drivers to move off the rails on sharp curves and lose traction. This, among other things caused the UP to embrace articulation for their heavy freighters.
That's what I saw. An F3A and E8B unit tied in behind it. Those diesels got mixed and matched without consideration to aesthetic appeal. I've also noted, on some of my VCR tapes, UP's Challengers and Big Boys with a single F3A unit on the point. If you look long enough you will find the prototype for something you want to do on your model railroad.
I don't have the answer. I do know they ran the E's and the DD40X for a number of years, I saw the E's come through Southern California. Almost missed them and a good friend sent me an e-mail advising I needed to get down to Colton ASAP. I did and caught them EB on SP's old Sunset Route. Pretty units. Thinking, the crews have been so busy working on the Big Boy, they haven't had time for much else.
Big Boy is headed for Southern California. http://railgiants.org/Big-Boy-Excursion-Info.php Feel free to sign up to get your own personal advisory. Wish I could be there.
On the long excursion, the diesel was there for multiple reasons; 1, as emergency backup due to failure 2, to provide dynamic breaking to the consist suggestions that it was there to provide power to the consist I doubt as a SD70 freighter isn't set up with HEP but i'd like to see evidence otherwise. Without wishing to be the bearer of bad news; I doubt 4014's tender will be converted to oil as 3985 has been retired, the official line from UP crew is that due to scavenging so many bits off 3985 to get 4014 running it isn't viable... I suspect bean counters have had a hand it too. I suspect many of you are aware that UP are making a lot of redundancies, rumours that will extend to steam crew, and i'm sure many of those aggrieved ex employees are even more aggrieved to hear of spending millions restoring non revenue equipment. They are also storing hundreds of locos due to a downturn in carloads and changes in operational practices. As well as the above point, factor in the operational issues that brought the end to the 9000s in the first place and that kills any chance of seeing the 9000 in service again.
