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UP 6900s - From Centennials To AC60CWs?

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UP 6900s - From Centennials To AC60CWs?
Posted by kgbw49 on Saturday, December 30, 2017 8:29 PM

Noticed this photo of a UP AC60CW that has been through Jenks Shops.

Is UP again assigning units with 6000 horsepower to the 6900 number serIes?

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/642779/

 

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Posted by K. P. Harrier on Sunday, December 31, 2017 2:06 AM

DDA40X’s, numbers 6900-6946, were 6600 H.P.

http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/up-diesel-roster-62.php#dda40x-6900

According to utahrails.net the GE unit in question is close to 20 years old, and renumbered close to 10 years ago.  It was delivered as UP 7543.  Originally 6000 H.P., the units of the class were repowered with 4400 H.P. prime movers.

http://utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/up-diesel-roster-64.php

The EMD counterpart units, the SD90’s, are all off the roster.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K.P.’s absolute “theorem” from early, early childhood that he has seen over and over and over again: Those that CAUSE a problem in the first place will act the most violently if questioned or exposed.

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Posted by kgbw49 on Sunday, December 31, 2017 2:25 AM

Thanks K.P.!

They seem to have a long frame. They sure look good with some TLC from the folks in Arkansas!

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, December 31, 2017 8:59 PM

Saw 7311, labeled AC60CW, second unit in an eastbound manifest yesterday afternoon.

My understanding was that all these locomotives had 'placeholder' 7FDLs (like a GE version of "SD9044MACs", and were never given the larger prime mover.  Pity; the larger radiator arrangement and, seemingly, stack surround made for a serious locomotive...

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Posted by SD70Dude on Sunday, December 31, 2017 9:05 PM

Did UP ever consider re-engining them with GEVO-16's, like what CSX did?

The CSX units have been unofficially renamed "ES60AC's" by the railfan community, but have also since been derated to approximately 4500 HP.  Is there more information available as to why this was done?

 

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Posted by NorthWest on Sunday, December 31, 2017 11:46 PM

Overmod
My understanding was that all these locomotives had 'placeholder' 7FDLs (like a GE version of "SD9044MACs", and were never given the larger prime mover. Pity; the larger radiator arrangement and, seemingly, stack surround made for a serious locomotive...

UP's convertibles never recieved the HDL, but they did purchase some true AC6000CWs, which were given 7FDLs about 2008/2009 and were renumbered in the 68XX/69XX series at the same time. The 75XX and 76XX series are now ES44ACs. They still look good though.

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Posted by NorthWest on Monday, January 1, 2018 12:18 AM

I'm not sure why they bothered to give them GEVO-16s rather than 12s as they've mostly been in coal service since the conversion where tractive effort is far more important than horsepower. I suspect that the derating is to save fuel and lower maintenance where the horsepower isn't needed, as well as to make them equivilent to others for power assigment purposes.

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