Does UP(R) use helpers on Sherman Hill anymore?

[Anonymous]

Hello Rob,

Pretty much everything UP runs requiring extra power over the Blues is DPU these days. Manned helpers to the summit at Kamela were cool while it lasted, though!

Paul Schmidt

[wp8thsub]

Sherman Hill was re-engineered to eliminate the need for helpers on most trains with the Harriman cutoff that equalized the grade on both sides.

The way I've heard the story is that Big Boys were specifically designed for the Weber Canyon grade between Ogden and Wahsatch, although the locos were also used farther east. Weber Canyon has a maximum grade on the eastbound track of 1.14% (1.72% on the westbound track) as opposed to Sherman Hill's 0.85%, although the grade from Cheyenne to Sherman was steeper before the cutoff was built. Weber Canyon is also a longer climb.

The UP still uses distributed power helpers on coal trains in Weber Canyon and has/had diesel helper districts in Oregon's Blue Mountains, Cajon Pass and numerous portions of the old SP and D&RGW. Typical pushers that I see in Weber Canyon include big six-axle power like the AC4400CW or AC6000CW from GE and SD70Ms and so forth from EMD.

[Anonymous]

So there is no truth in the rumour that UP will be carying box cars full of small children sentenced to indentured servitude for failing to pay licensing fees who get out and push when they get to the steep parts.

[cacole]

Modern day UP practice is to run shorter trains that do not require helpers. After the UP bought out the SP, they did away with helper districts that SP had been using to drag long, slow freights over Sherman Hill and other areas by splitting the trains into smaller segments and putting enough horsepower on them that no stops to add or drop off helpers were necessary. Even before that, UP preferred short, fast trains.

[Big_Boy_4005]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pschmidt700

UP sometimes doubleheaded Big Boys over Sherman Hill. A great video about the Big Boys is produced by Pentrex. It shows vintage footage of all 25 Big Boys in steam, including some doubleheaded action.

In situations where manned helpers used to be used, UP and BNSF are using Distributed Power Units controlled from the lead cab. DPU is now the prevalent mode of "helper" power used today, making manned helper units unnecessary. A trio of SD90MACs on Sherman Hill likely may not need helper units because of their superior tractive effort. Or an DPU helper may be tacked onto the rear of the train.

Paul Schmidt

That's one of the big advantages of diesels. Use as many as you need for the job. Check out Trains Magazine forum, there was an interesting discussion there, and the topic had SD80MAC in the title. BTW, that Big Boy DVD is great, I have a copy.

Here's the link http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9700

[Anonymous]

UP sometimes doubleheaded Big Boys over Sherman Hill. A great video about the Big Boys is produced by Pentrex. It shows vintage footage of all 25 Big Boys in steam, including some doubleheaded action.

In situations where manned helpers used to be used, UP and BNSF are using Distributed Power Units controlled from the lead cab. DPU is now the prevalent mode of "helper" power used today, making manned helper units unnecessary. A trio of SD90MACs on Sherman Hill likely may not need helper units because of their superior tractive effort. Or an DPU helper may be tacked onto the rear of the train.

Paul Schmidt

[michaelstevens]

Didn't I read recently (in Trains I think) that Uncle Pete specified the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy for the precise purpose of eliminating the need for helpers, on Sherman Hill ? -- Something about having built the Harriman cut-off for West bound, so that the same single Big Boy could haul the same size load in either direction, between Cheyenne and Ogden, wasn't it ?
So anyway, my understanding is that UP hasn't had helpers stationed on Sherman Hill since before the Big Boys.

[Anonymous]

They may use GP38-2s or SD's.

[Anonymous]

Does UP use helpers on Sherman Hill anymore? I always here about Bigboys but never modern helpers.