UP E6 Questions

[Anonymous]

I am thinking about adding some P2K E6's to my UP roster and retire my Athearn UP F7's. I have a couple questions relating to being somewhat prototypical.

When did UP retire/scrap their E6's?

When did UP start painting the hood non-skid green on the E6's?

Anyone have any ideas? I am modeling 1959/1960, so I'd like to at least be close to correct.

[passengerfan]

UP did not begin scrapping E6 units until mid to late 1960's. None were around at the start of Amtrak. As for the green non-skid on on hood it appeared with the introduction of the E8 units and the E7 and E6 units received the paint after 1953.

[Anonymous]

Super! Thanks for the info, as I have seen models with and without the green hood. Glad they lasted to the '60s!

[timz]

As I recall the last E9 (UP 914) left La Grange in 1964; seems likely that many (all?) of those later UP E9s replaced trade-in E3/E6/E7s. So maybe all the old units were gone by 1964? I'll check X2200.

[Anonymous]

According to Motive Power Services' "Union Pacific Motive Power Review 1968-77" all of the UP E6s were traded to EMD in 1956 for E9s.

The same book shows photos of E6s and other units with green anitglare paint during 1947 and 1948. Large number indicators were applied by 1950, also according to photos.

[timz]

Yup, it seems they were gone. You remember UP got one E3A, and they got the SF-4 and the LA-4, and they got six more E6As for non-Streamliner trains. The SF-4 went to CNW (scrapped 1959) and all the rest were traded in in the first half of 1956.

Since the City trains moved from CNW to MILW in 1955 we assume no slant-nose CNW E's would appear on the UP after that-- so the only slight chance is a MILW unit. I've never seen a pic of a MILW E6 on the UP, but can't rule it out.

Turns out the UP E7s were traded in on the 1961-64 E9s.