If you can find photos taken there, that might answer your question as many photos list date and location. Large photo collections like that of M.D. McCarter might be of help.
http://www.mccarterrailphotos.net/catalog.html
If you click on the link on that page, that will download the PDF catalog in which you can go to the U.P. RR and perhaps find something for that time period and location.
P.S. Yes, for a small fee you can get your grandfather's records that would list assignments and locations worked with date ranges from the Railroad Retirement Board if you haven't already done so. Obviously, there won't be anything reference the locos he worked on. These records can be quite detailed with copies of marriage licenses, death and birth certificates, rates of pay, etc. Also, when I do RR research I find the local paper for the railroad division point on microfilm (at the library) as often in the old days, they had a railroad column that listed all the goings on as to promotions, vacations, sick leave, wrecks, injuries, change in loco assignments, etc. Names are listed but often with initials for first names.
Good Luck
Victor A. Baird
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Thanks for the info everyone.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Paul,
Interesting that the UP had virtually no 0-8-0s. I suspect just a quirk, the UP always did things their own way, so doubt that any dearth of 2-8-0s to convert explains it.
peahrensI dug into the file and found that my granddad, Ed Ahrens, started his service with the Union Pacific railroad in 1905 (in Sidney NE) as a call boy. Later he entered the engine service and was a locomotive engineer for about thirty years until ill health forced his retirement (in 1939).
Since he retired after 1936, the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board may be able to help with an inquiry for more info. See: http://www.rrb.gov/mep/genealogy.asp
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Thank you, Bear. I had forgotten Utah Rails, and Don's most excellent data.
"In the day", in this case, would be 1936--as I have the GN loco assignments for that year.
I went through Don's list and counted up the 2-8-0's that were extant in 1936. I got 228 for UP and 116 for the others. And 1 0-8-0--a total of 345.
And for GN in that year, it was 120 0-8-0's and 118 2-8-0's--a total of 238.
Ed
7j43kAnyone know how many 2-8-0's the UP had in "the day"?
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
It is certainly interesting that UP had only 1 0-8-0.
GN had 120. And 70 of those were converted from 2-8-0's. Doing this, the GN locos gained a 10% higher tractive effort. At relatively minimal cost. But the top forward speed was likely lessened.
I'm not seeing a radical difference between the GN and NP. Both were transcons with numerous branch lines. I wonder why the difference, then. Even after converting 70 2-8-0's to 0-8-0's, GN had quite a number of 2-8-0's left (118 in 1936). Perhaps UP didn't have as many "surplus". Anyone know how many 2-8-0's the UP had in "the day"?
As stated above, the UP had only ONE 0-8-0 and it was a 400-series 2-8-0 with the front truck removed, so no commercial models would match that loco. UP had bunches of 2-8-0s for light switching and branchline work, for heavier switching (such as the Omaha-Council Bluffs Terminal) they used 2-8-2s. UP also had quite a few 0-6-0s, but the matching models are brass imports. UP did acquire two groups of USRA 0-6-0s (such as the Proto 2000 model) and those served until late in the steam era.
Personally, instead of more UP Big Boys and Challengers I wish we could get some models of UP 2200-series 2-8-2's or 400-series 2-8-0s. That is the kind of locos we all need on our layouts!
4500 was the only 0-8-0 rostered by the UP and spent it's brief service life assigned to Grand Island, as surmised by others UP relied on 0-6-0's, 2-8-0's. UP had a few 0-4-0's of various orgins obtained through mergers that performed shop and MW duties, all were off the roster by the mid thrities. The 2-8-0 was jack of all trade power, being the choice for secondary and branch assignments until the end of steam operations.
Until arrival of the large Lima 0-6-0's in the late teens-early twenties, virtually all early 0-6-0-s were rebuilt from pre 1900 moguls and 4-6-0's, Rome Locomotive Works being a favorite in the early years dominated these conversions with a small precentage by Grant, Rogers & Baldwin.
Dave
There's a preserved UP 0-6-0 at the Clark County Historical Park in Henderson, NV. Don't know the number offhand.
As many 2-8-0s as UP rostered, it's probable that they were used in switching service after having been bumped from line haul duties.
My own prototype never had a purpose-built switcher until the B20 class (0-4-0 shop switchers about the size of an SUV) of 1944/5. The slack was pulled up by 2-6-0s and 2-8-0s.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
The UP would have long since discarded personnel and locomotive assignment records from that long ago but sometimes railroad historical societies have preserved paperwork in their archives. I'd think you'd want to join anyway if you aren't already a member. Their annual meet is just a few weeks away by the way, in Omaha, and this year it is a joint meet with the C&NW Historical Society.
Dave Nelson
Seems like UP favor 0-6-0s over 0-8-0s since I couldn't find any UP steam roster proof of 0-8-0s.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
ALEX WARSHALIf you give me a rough estimate of when he worked, I can try to give you a rough estimate of what he worked on. -Alex
Hi, Alex.
I dug into the file and found that my granddad, Ed Ahrens, started his service with the Union Pacific railroad in 1905 (in Sidney NE) as a call boy. Later he entered the engine service and was a locomotive engineer for about thirty years until ill health forced his retirement (in 1939).
Unfortunately he died from his heart issues two years later, so I missed the opportunity to know him as I came along in 1947.
I take it from comments above that granddad must have operated 0-6-0's. I wonder if there's a way to discover what road number(s) were at Sidney NE in the 1930's? Maybe write to UP?
Did a little bit a research and here's what I got. In 1924, UP 2-8-0 416 rebuilt to 0-8-0 4500.
This seems to be the ONLY 0-8-0 that the UP had. If you give me a rough estimate of when he worked, I can try to give you a rough estimate of what he worked on.
-Alex
My Layout Photos- http://s1293.photobucket.com/user/ajwarshal/library/
Not really into UP myself I was however curious so I did a little googleing. This site has a really complete indeapth list of the roster of the UP especially in the Steam Locomotive Chronology. It shows everything added and retired between 1915 and 1962. So looking at that there are not mentiones of 0-8-0s at all, or 0-4-0s for that matter. Seems all switchers were 0-6-0s on the UP. At least in the modern steam era.
http://utahrails.net/up-steam-roster/steam-roster-index.php
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/60361449@N02/
Anthracite Modeler - YouTube
I like the 0-8-0's but have been unable to find anything to confirm that my UP RR had any. If they did, I would acquire an HO version and, if needed, repaint to UP.
I see this Lionel UP so want to ask. Did UP have any? Builder, road numbers, etc?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/LIONEL-0-8-0-STEAM-LOCOMOTIVE-TENDER-UNION-PACIFIC-4500-O-O27-GAUGE-/361301733454?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item541f42f04e
My grandad was a UP yard engineer in Sidney NE, so I presume he operated a 0-6-0 or similar??
Any related info would be most welcome! Thanks.