UP Locomotive shortage

[Anonymous]

I know I probably should post this on a Trains forum rather than an MR forum, but there has been a confluence of events that I have found interesting that may open up some possibilities for UP modellers. I work in downtown LA and when I drive home in the evening, I take a shortcut by Dodger Stadium that overlooks the UP (former SP) Taylor Yard. Over the past couple of weeks, I noticed that some old SP locomotives were brought in for refurbishing. They appear to be aome fairly old GE units, but I have to keep my eyes on the road, so I only get a momentary glance. The units have been refurbished and appear to have a gray primer coat of pain with a red stripe at the bottom. Looks like they will be repainted in UP colors. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal had an article on page 1 discussing the locomotive shortage that UP is currently experiencing and the drag that is placing on the national economy because goods shipped through the UP system are not getting to market.

My questions are--does anyone know what typre of GE units are being refurbished? The appear to be of the U Boat vintage (perhaps U-30's), but I am not sure. Does it make sense the UP would be refurbishing units that are that old? If so, it really opens up some interesting modelling possibilities for those who model the current era.

[Anonymous]

Probably Dash 7's. They look quite similar to U-boats.

Funny thing about the power shortage. There's a lot of UP power showing up on CN these days, over here in Southern Ontario.

Of course, CN has a power shortage of it's own, despite having over 40 of it's locomotives off on lease and the fact that CN is scrapping perfectly good GP40-2L(W)'s.

[brothaslide]

Brought back some memories. I used to ride the bus to the Los Angeles All City Marching Band practice at Dodger Stadium. The bus used to go by Taylor Yard so I had to get a few good glances at the SP equipment that was there back in the early 80's.

[Anonymous]

Perhaps you are mistaken for these loco's?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=60720
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=54667

[MAbruce]

Here's a link to a UP news release: "Union Pacific Takes Actions to Manage Unprecedented Business Volumes"

http://www.uprr.com/notes/corpcomm/2004/0708_volumes.shtml

[Anonymous]

Gulford--those are the exact locomotive in the identical paint scheme. It's great to see the locos in a picture rather than through my periferal vision.

[Anonymous]

The lack of a fuel tank and the blanked out front windows on these units leads me to wonder if they havn't been converted to yard slugs.

James

[Anonymous]

Yard or Road slugs, or DPU units with their fuel tanks removed for work.

And those are definitely dash 7's.

[Anonymous]

according to the August edition of TRAINS, UP has ordered 200 more SD70M's and 135 AC44CTE's!!! its all official to the SD70M's will be number 3800-3877 and then 5145-to 5*** cant remember lol. also it says the average hours a fright car in a UP yard cut down from 53 1/2 hours to 40 hour, and UP plans to have trained and ready to work 3,700 new employees by September, this is all in the new TRAINS mag, if you want to go confirm it yourself.

[Anonymous]

They're Dash 7's, U-boats were gone by the late 80's. UP's is doing what the other railroads have already done, retiring Dash 7's [:(]

[Anonymous]

Not here on the Blair line,it's been 100% pure UP power.
BNSFrailfan.

[Junctionfan]

UP shouldn't try to refurbi***heir old power. They should buy more fuel efficient power like the SD70Ace and more powerful locomotives like the SD90Mac and the AC4400CW. I believe that UP should do some grade reductions through their mountain areas like CP did in BC. Helper service must be a pain in the wallet for them. Does anybody know how many trains UP runs a day?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mykroft

Yard or Road slugs, or DPU units with their fuel tanks removed for work.

And those are definitely dash 7's.

They are called CCRCL (Control Car Remote Control Locomotive). It has a remote control capability and can be coupled to another unit without RCL to be remotely controlled. Converted from SP and MP B23/30-7's. Suposidly their prime movers are intact.

[Anonymous]

UP likes AC44CTE's the best as their AC power, hince why they just ordered 135 more units! lol and they just ordered 200 more SD70M's to put on to the 150 they placed back in March.

[METRO]

How's BNSF reacting to a UP power shortage?

If I were in UP's position now I'd probably be sweating a little, it's gonna take a while for the new units to arrive, you can't just pull em off a shelf.

[dehusman]

The grey locomotives with a red stripe aren't locomotives. They are Remote control cars. They MU with a regular engine so it can be used in RCL switching. If you look at them close, they don't have fuel tanks.

Dave H.

[cacole]

Here along the Sunset Route through southern Arizona, the UP is still running unwashed and unpainted SP, Cotton Belt, CSX, Santa Fe, Illinois Central, and every other road name they can get their hands on. Through the "Stormy" district between Tucson, Arizona and Lordsburg, New Mexico, in particular, they needs lots of motive power to get their trains over the long grades, and are running monster lashups on some trains.

[ericsp]

SP got rid of all of its U-Boats in the 1980s. I have an official August 1990 Southern Pacific roster, there are on U-Boats listed.

As for those slugs, I would guess that they are yard slugs since they have UPY numbers.

Are those SP units that are running on the Sunset Route mostly the SD40M-2s (8574-8706)?

Has anyone else noticed that a lot of UP locomotives are start to look like "Cinder Blocks"? Or is it just the ones running between West Colton and Roseville?

[Anonymous]

Two things, first, I don't think UP has a major motive power shortage or I would have hjeard about it by now, secondly UP (and the rest of the Big 6) can't really purchase many engines until the new EPA Tier 2 emissions law to come into effect on January 1st, 2005 (After that date only the ES40DC, ES44AC, and SD70ACe will be left, the rest don't meet Tier 3 standards), if any railroad wants to buy SD70M's, SD70MAC's, AC4400CW's, or C44-9W's they have to do it now so the engines can be finished before 2005.

[Jetrock]

Several news stories have mentioned UP's motive power shortage, including their interest in buying large amounts of new motive power. I've seen plenty of older motive power scooting around Sacramento and Roseville--Geep's and SD's, plus a couple of SW1500's (or some other SW, I can't tell them apart at a glance) for industrial switching. It seems like there is an effort to keep older motive power running.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by JimdeBree

I know I probably should post this on a Trains forum rather than an MR forum, but there has been a confluence of events that I have found interesting that may open up some possibilities for UP modellers. I work in downtown LA and when I drive home in the evening, I take a shortcut by Dodger Stadium that overlooks the UP (former SP) Taylor Yard. Over the past couple of weeks, I noticed that some old SP locomotives were brought in for refurbishing. They appear to be aome fairly old GE units, but I have to keep my eyes on the road, so I only get a momentary glance. The units have been refurbished and appear to have a gray primer coat of pain with a red stripe at the bottom. Looks like they will be repainted in UP colors. Yesterday's Wall Street Journal had an article on page 1 discussing the locomotive shortage that UP is currently experiencing and the drag that is placing on the national economy because goods shipped through the UP system are not getting to market.

My questions are--does anyone know what typre of GE units are being refurbished? The appear to be of the U Boat vintage (perhaps U-30's), but I am not sure. Does it make sense the UP would be refurbishing units that are that old? If so, it really opens up some interesting modelling possibilities for those who model the current era.

I woud say the Dash -9

[cwclark]

I do believe they are having a shortage..All the old SP yards (now UP) in the Houston, Tx. area are teeming with every locomotive road name imaginable..they are probably leasing them from other railroads to make up for the shortfall..I've seen CSX, BNSF, old SP and Cotton Belt units, even Illinois Central, and a bunch of Norfolk & Southern units in the 3 yards I travel by, (Engleside, Strang, and Coate) from time to time....Chuck[:D]

[Anonymous]

I saw a BNSF train that was pulled by four BNSF locos and one N&S loco, so all of the railroads must be pushed to the limit. makes for great railfanning.

[Anonymous]

Just because we see foriegn power doesn't mean its leased, what you see in "pool power" or a railroad repaying "horsepower hours", from instance if you live in Missori and see a frieght heading from Oak Island, New Jersey to Los Angeles and it has power from both NS and BNSF that why, the engines don't usualy get returned right away so they might linger on frieghts all over the (exaple) BNSF system for a few weeks before (example) getting returned to NS, sometimes after the engine gets return (example) NS might make BNSF send a BNSF engine over to NS to make up .

[dehusman]

A lot of run through trains to the UP through the Chicago gateway will have a UP engine on the lead because of the UP and CNW cab signal systems require an equipped locomotive on the point.

Dave H.

[Anonymous]

Locomotive shortage................what's that? I don't see any shortage.
Damn this Blair line got busy in a hurry, I have never seen so many Trains in one day.[:D]!
BNSFrailfan.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by cwclark

I do believe they are having a shortage..All the old SP yards (now UP) in the Houston, Tx. area are teeming with every locomotive road name imaginable..they are probably leasing them from other railroads to make up for the shortfall..I've seen CSX, BNSF, old SP and Cotton Belt units, even Illinois Central, and a bunch of Norfolk & Southern units in the 3 yards I travel by, (Engleside, Strang, and Coate) from time to time....Chuck[:D]

Isn't it Englewood?

[dehusman]

The enginess at Englewood are run through units. Railroads rarely lease very many units from each other. Mostly from 3rd party leasing companies (FURX, CEFX, etc). SP and SSW units aren't leased units, they're UP units now.

Dave H.

[cwclark]

yes it's the englewood yard....engleside is in Corpus christi..my mistake..and I included the SP units because there are a lot left over from the merger..they just have new red and yellow numbers on them and the "SP" or "SSW" on the nose now has the "UP shield" covering them.....now those are what i call big decals!....Chuck[:D]

[JPowell]

I have seen a few BNSF 'Pumpkins' @ CSX's yard in DeWitt NY. I wonder if the UP shortage has anything to do with CSX not having enough power for their own Yards. Also, I've seen a few BNSF units on the route eastbound from Dewitt towards Albany, along with some NS. Also had a Conrail 'Q' unit service the beer distributor at the end of the spur by my house last week.