News for August 1998
(updated 8 September 1998)

(Note: If any publications use this information, please do me the courtesy of a credit line, and a gratis issue of the publication.)

UP has returned the two MK12G natural gas switchers (UP 1298 and 1299) to Motive Power Industries. The lease began on 12 July 1994 and expired on 1 July 1998. They were in service in the Los Angeles area during the entire period of the lease.

There are now 12 SD90ACs, with UP 8511 delivered on 15 July 1998. Other units in the new 8500 series include UP 8506-8510. UP 8509 and 8510 were seen as the only two units on a westbound train held here in Centerville on 5 August 1998.

The following SD40-2Rs were completed during July 1998: UP 3516, 3538, 3519, 3615, 3755.

The newest SD9043AC is UP 8283, delivered on 31 July 1998.

The newest C44AC is 7122, delivered on 20 July 1998.

The following leased GP40s have been returned to Helm: UP 864, 865, 869, 878, and 887. These will be rebuilt and will return under lease to UP as 2500-class GP38-2s. (See below) These units were part of the group of 37 GP40s (UP 850-886, with UP 887 added later) leased from Helm beginning in January 1989. See "Union Pacific Locomotive Directory - 1998" for the full story.

According to UP, leased GP40s 856, 857, and 868 were "converted" to GP38-2s and renumbered to UP 2533, 2534, and 2540 on 30 July 1998.

UP SD40-2 4269 was "converted" to SD38-2 2829 on 15 July 1998.

Leased EMD BL20-2 122 was returned to EMD on 24 July 1998. The lease period began on 18 November 1995. The other two BL2-2 were also leased to UP in November 1995, and returned to EMD in April 1998.

The following units were retired on 31 July 1998 due to a wreck on 8 July 1998 at Redlands, Calif.: UP GP50 967, SP SD40M-2s 8617 and 8651, and SP SD45T-2 9206.

Well, it's finally happened. During July 1998, UP retired the last remaining 44 SW10s.

In a related SW10 news item, I just discovered that UP 1261, 1262, 1263, 1268, and 1270 were retired on 12 April 1997, and were sold to Mid America Equipment. The units were delivered to Mesa, Ariz., during November 1998, via SP at San Antonio. Texas.

The renumberings of SP, C&NW, and UP units continues. During July 1998, seven C&NW units were renumbered, four SP units were renumbered, and eight UP units were renumbered, including the four converted units mentioned above. Of note is the first C60AC to be renumbered: UP 7009 became UP 7509 on 10 July 1998. These and all renumberings will be covered in the next edition of the Union Pacific Locomotive Directory.