Union Pacific is one of two major railroads serving my hometown. On the one hand, Union Pacific is in some ways responsible for my existence, for without the UP Albina Yard office my then-brakeman not-yet-my-grandpa would likely have never met my office clerk not-yet-my-grandma and my mother would never have existed and therefore I wouldn't have ever existed. On the other hand, I am still smarting from the "borging" of my favorite Class I, the Southern Pacific. You can see I have mixed feelings. Well, as someone who is a big fan of Alcos and first generation Geep and SD's I see precious few of these anymore, and none of them in UP service. If you have really strong feelings about your favorite GevoSD90ES44DCMAC-9-whatever please tell me what it is and what makes that locomotive distinctive to you and convince me that I should become a fan. This is all meant in fun, and I am hoping to gain new-found appreciation for these ubiquitous saftey-cab fronted beasts. Thanks, Adam
Well, I don't know if I can do all of that happy stuff. But I shouldn't think it would take all that much arm twisting to convince someone who insists on modeling the modern era, yet runs around under the handle 'steamdonkey', to model this railroad: [video=youtube;CcgUxtqM6a8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcgUxtqM6a8[/video]
http://sopacincg.com/i-feel-like-a-traitor-but-it-is-steam/ other than 844, 3985 and a few SP patches....I have nothing
Thanks for the suggestions, folks. I love the UP steam program and the excursions that I see now and then with all those UP streamlined passenger cars. Thanks for more info on these. What I am curious about most right now is what passions people might have for modern mainline Class I freight locomotives. I am trying to become more interested and excited in what I see on an average railfanning day when I am out chasing trains. Mostly what I do now is stalk steamers when they're out or chase shortlines, but there's got to be more to life than just that
I search for old SP locos....and oddball cars, like a C&NW covered hopper...or a SP caboose on a siding
I'll try not to veer too far off topic. In my case, I simply decided to model the contemporary railroading here in Oakland, CA. That means Amtrak (and Amtrak California), UP and BNSF. In the 6 months I've actually started looking, I'm amazed at how much variety there is in "modern" era railroading. In the past 30 days I got to see UP steam (844), BNSF pulling Amtrak's Coast Starlight, Amtrak's 40th Anniversary train, an Amtrak Cascade locomotive, a Surfliner loco, plus all the usual intermodal flats, grain hoppers, automotive racks (including old Conrail cars), lumber racks, oil tanks, ARMN reefers, and sugar gondolas that normally roll through. --Three months ago I got to see a nice UP passenger special, being pulled by an older SD70 on one end and a new C45ACCTE pushing from the other end. --My favorite UP loco is a little switcher, #313, which looks (to me) like the smallest of three junkyard dogs (the one with the chewed ear, missing tooth, and a scar on his nose). Not much to look at, but its got "character". --I saw the "Olympic Torch Relay" locomotive in the yard a couple of months ago. So, ALL of that is fodder for my 17' bookshelf railroad. Is that enough to make your heart flutter? I don't know. All I know is that there is plenty of diversity rolling around and through UP tracks in the West today, and you can choose to love it, or you can pine for days gone by and cherish your memories.
I have a UP (ex-MKT) mainline just 1/4 mile from the house, and I can hear 'em as they pass by. No stack trains, but plenty of coal, grainers, ethanol, and general merchandise rolling thru. The rare finds for me are the one or two unpatched SP AC4400Ws, the so-called "heritage" locomotives, and the Olympic Torch Relay engines. Plus, when I go trackside, I look for cars from MP, WP, CNW, SP, SSW and MKT. Plus, the yard has an MKT covered hopper (still in green) for sand service. When I was working in Cheyenne in 2005, I hung out with the Sherman Hill club, which met in the steam roundhouse. Their layout was in between a steam locomotive and DDA40X 6936. Plus, I got cook's tours of the steam shops, cabs of both steamers as well as the E-units and the aforementioned 6936. Plus # 2, I could sit at the Snake River Brewpub in the depot outside and watch trains of all kids change crews while sipping on a Big Boy Stout. Plus #3- railfanning Sherman Hill, shooting trains from a hilltop overlooking Dale Jct., Hermosa Tunnel, Tie Siding, Harriman, Dale, Speer............need I go on? Now maybe UP isn't everyone's cup of tea, but between it and BNSF they pretty much dominate the wetsern RR scene. All that's left outside of that would be the various shortlines and those awesome steamers in Portland. All I can tell you is grab a camera and head trackside.
Scooter, Bremner, and Bob: These are the types of suggestions I am looking for. Thank you! I do find myself looking for oddball cars. Recently, at Albina Yard in North Portland there has been a solitary bay window caboose. That kind of stuff is just cool. I am trying to get more interested in the modern locomotives, and I am seeing that there is more variety now than I had considered. At the BNSF yard I often see locos from other railroads. We get Ferromex around every now and then, which, to me, is just fascinating, and those gorgeous KCS units with the heritage-inspired scheme come through from time to time, too.
I really like the look of the UP SD70ACe's.. Not just the Heritage ones too.. The regular UP ones look really nice.
Ah, yes, the RetroBelles! Both KCS and KCSdeM (its Mexican subsidiary) have locomotives painted in the Southern Belle - inspired scheme. They even have several 710-remotored EMDs in this scheme. It's a major improvement over the gray & yellow, and even the all-white "ghost" scheme.
Speaking of UP SD70MACes: The Heritage "Fallen Flag" diesels are this model. This one was seen here in Muskogee- it may come to a mainline railfan location near you!
The choice of white always puzzles me. Perhaps because it is less expensive or something. But it will always show grime, wear, age so easily. Wish I'd had a camera with me when I was down in ArkLaTex, forty years ago. I can vaguely recall seeing some of those "ghosts" prowling around. F units and maybe an FM or two somewhere in that vicinity.
I moved to Ft. Smith, AR in July 1979 to begin my clinical laboratory internship, and I was formally introduced to KCS. For the next 10-15 years or so, I was exposed to a lot of white diesels, all EMDs, from F-unit slugs to GP7s to SD40/40-2s to the SD50s. Nowadays, very, very few "ghost" diesels survive. ANd all of the cabooses (including their stainless-steel crummies) are gone.
I kinda answered this in the BNSF thread where I covered Modern railfanning around all of Portland, I really think UP is less compelling in Portland. Once you get past the Steel Bridge, they just don't have as many photogenic locales as BNSF. Gorge and Valley not withstanding. UP has more locomotive variety, but less paint scheme variety. Honestly, I'd stick to railfanning in Vancouver Wa where you will see both BNSF and UP and trips up the Gorge out one side and back in the other. And of course Amtrak. As I said in the other thread, the lack of mechanical variety is made up for in the incredible locations you can railfan.
I am a big fan of UP they are the only ralroad company that has the best Deisel @ steam Locomotives l have many books @ videos on Union Pacific they are only railroad company that has never been taken over jeffrey UP1995
on paper, the SP took them over....then the SP changed the legal name to Union Pacific....big mistake
Are you sure about that? That's what happened with the SP and the D&RGW. Rio Grande Industries bought the SP and then renamed themselves SP and Moved Corporate HQ to the SP building in San Francisco. I'm pretty sure the UP just straight up bought them.
And let us not forget KCS, who has somehow survived and remained independent all these years while sandwiched between larger rivals.
