Union Pacific's Two-Tone Gray 4-6-2 Pacifics

This page was last updated on October 12, 2008.

Of a total fleet of 209 locomotives in its P-class 4-6-2 Pacific locomotives, just 14 are known to have received two-tone gray.

The locomotive numbers were: UP 2906, 3114, 3119, 3121, 3131, 3134, 3135, 3136, 3137, 3138, 3179, 3219, 3221 and 3222. (initial research by Bob Darwin and Jim Ehernberger)

All Pacifics that received two-tone gray were known as "Heavy Pacifics" by UP.

By the time that two-tone gray began being applied to the passenger locomotive fleet in 1946, there were 125 locomotives remaining in the class, which included both Light Pacifics and Heavy Pacifics. The extreme operations during World War II had forced UP to continue using many of its obsolete and out-of-date locomotives, with the last Pacific retirements prior to 1946 taking place in May 1940. By the time retirements resumed in July 1946, there were enough modern passenger locomotives in the 4-8-4 Northern FEF class, along with new diesel locomotives, that only fourteen (maybe one or two more) Pacifics received two-tone gray.

The 4-6-2 Pacific fleet can be broken down as follows:

Light Pacifics (118 locomotives)
- UP 2800-2859, 60 locomotives
- OSL 3100-3113, 14 locomotives
- LA&SL 3150-3175, 26 locomotives
- OWR&N 3200-3217, 18 locomotives
Heavy Pacifics (91 locomotives)
- UP 2860-2909, 50 locomotives
- UP 2910, 2911, 2 locomotives, ex OSL 3124 and 3130
- OSL 3114-3138, 25 locomotives
- LA&SL 3176-3181, 6 locomotives
- OWR&N 3218-3227, 10 locomotives

Photo Research:

Road Number	Date Retired	Photo Date	Reference (see below)	Location/Train
UP 2906	Jul 1951	27 Nov 1947	(4) p. 117	Omaha
OSL 3114	Jul 1950	23 May 1947	(3) p. 43	Idaho Falls, Idaho/Train 34
OSL 3114	Jul 1950	26 Sep 1948	(7) p. 67	Pocatello, Idaho (dead line)
OSL 3119	Jul 1950	Aug 1947	(7) p. 68	Ogden, Utah/Train 31, Butte Express
OSL 3121	Jul 1950
OSL 3131	Jan 1955
OSL 3134	Sep 1954
OSL 3135	Jan 1955		(1) p. 205	Trute, Idaho/Park Special, Train 35
OSL 3136	Jan 1955
OSL 3137	Mar 1955	1951	(3) p. 47	Victor, Idaho/Train 47 (Teton Valley Branch)
OSL 3138	Jan 1955
LA&SL 3179	Nov 1947
OWR&N 3219	Mar 1955	2 Sep 1950	(3) p. 104	Wallace, Idaho/Train 67 (local)
		31 May 1951	(6) p. 32	Tekoa, Washington/Train 68
		1 Jun 1951	(5) p. 267	Palouse, Washington/Train 68
OWR&N 3221	Dec 1954	1947	(4) p. 116	Albina, Oregon.
OWR&N 3222	Dec 1954	Spring 1949	(5) p. 255	Juniper, Oregon/Train 151
		7 May 1950	(2) p. 181	Kansas City

Photo Sources:

Kratville, Wm. Golden Rails (Kratville Publications, 1965)
Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Union Pacific Steam, Eastern District (E&G Publications, 1975)
Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Union Pacific Steam, Northwestern District (E&G Publications, 1977)
Kratville, William. Motive Power of the Union Pacific (Barnhart Press, 1977)
Asay, Jeff. Union Pacific Northwest (Pacific Fast Mail, 1991)
Schumacher, David. The "Overland" Union Pacific Overland, Service Cars and Their Paint Schemes". Prototype Modeler, Volume 4, Number 1, August 1980, page 24.
Watson, James. Union Pacific Small Steam Power (Motive Power Services, 1985)

Sources without Two-Tone Gray Pacific photos:

Drury, George. Union Pacific Across Sherman Hill (Kalmbach, 2000)
Ehernberger, James L. and Francis G. Gschwind. Sherman Hill (E&G Publications, 1973)
Grenard, Ross B. "Greyhounds of the Overland Trail" Railfan & Railroad, January 1988, Volume 7, Number 1, pages 48-53
Grenard, Ross, and John Krause. The Overland Route (Carstens Publications, no date)
Olmstead, Robert. The Big Guys (Robert P. Olmstead, 1998)
Pfeifer, Jack. West From Omaha (Pacific Fast Mail, 1990)
Schmitz, Lou. UP Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment, Volume 2 (Morning Sun, 1996)
Schmitz, Lou. Union Pacific Trackside with Lou Schmitz (Morning Sun, 1998)
Stagner, Lloyd, and Robert Yanosey. UP Color Guide to Freight and Passenger Equipment (Morning Sun, 1993)