Western Pacific Power Disposition

December 22, 1982 was actually the final day of WP's existence as a separate entity in the railroad world. On that date, the United States Supreme Court rejected legal action by various western railroads to delay the WP-MP-UP merger. From that day on, UP operating policies began to influence everyday operations on the WP.

One of the first noticeable changes occurred in early February 1983 when much of the WP's locomotive fleet was pulled out of service and placed into "temporary" storage, to be replaced by more UP Electro-Motive SD40-2s, a locomotive that has become almost as common WP's own power on the Feather River Route during the past few years.

WP's aging fleet of General Electric U30Bs had been in storage for almost a year and only five that had been pressed into temporary service because of the end of the Burlington Northern power pool (PACIFIC NEWS, ISSUE No. 244), remained in service into 1983. In February, these last five units were taken out of service, as were the rest of WP's General Electric power, thirteen U23Bs, and all of the unrebuilt EMD GP40s numbered in the 3517-3544 series, except for the 3532 which had just been overhauled. In addition to these "newer" EMD locomotives, the majority of WP's first generation power including the last two operating F7s, seven of the twelve GP7s, all nine GP20s and five of the EMD SW9 and NW2 switchers were all placed into "temporary" storage. All locomotives that were removed from service were "winterized": stacks were capped and all fans and grids were covered with canvas. Initially, this power was stored at Stockton, but it has since been moved to Oroville and, finally, on to Portola, where a total of 80 mothballed WP units give the west end of the unused yard a very eerie look.

Additional UP SD40-2s replaced the out of service WP units on the mainline and UP's super switcher, rebuilt SW7s now known as SW10s, took over much of the switching chores at WP's Stockton Yard. In addition to all six GP9s and three SW9s, the only WP power remaining in service into March were the recent Morrison-Knudsen rebuilt EMD GP35s (fiften units in the 3001-3022 series) and EMD GP40s (fifteen units in the 3501-3516 series), plus No. 3532, which was sent to the UP shops at North Platte, Nebraska. Interestingly though, it was repainted into UP's yellow and gray paint scheme "Western Pacific" lettering and the number 3532 were retained. And, although a UP shield adorned the cab sides, the name Union Pacific was missing. At this time it is not known whether any more of WP's power will be repainted in this manner.

Six-axle UP power became virtually the only locomotives to work the WP's mainline trains during April and May, as the remaining four-axle WP units had been assigned to branch locals or yard jobs where light rail prohibited six-axle power. This trackage included the San Jose and Reno branches and subsidiaries Sacramento Northern and Tidewater Southern lines. During June, the majority of the M-K rebuilt units were sent east to the UP where they are now working light-rail branch lines and yard jobs. To replace the WP four-axle power, UP sent the WP eight EMD GP30s to use where the SD40-2s could not work. As of this late July writing the only WP power left running on a regularly scheduled local train are GP35s Nos. 3002 and 3008, which are assigned to the Reno Local (on duty at 1:00 A.M. at Reno, daily except Sunday). Their replacement with GP30s is inevitable as the UP is moving rapidly with plans to eliminate the WP name from all locomotives, rolling stock, buildings and bridges. Numerous WP facilities now sport UP shields and even the historic WP headquarters building at 526 Mission Street in San Francisco new says "Union Pacific" above the door.

Shortly after the Interstate Commerce Commission approved the UP WP MP merger on December 22, 1982, Western Pacific's locomotives were scattered to the winds, partially due to efforts by Union Pacific to erase all remaining signs of the Western Pacific as quickly as possible after merger day. While much of the first generation power was placed in storage, most of the second-generation power continued to work over much of the new UP System, some of it in UP colors. Due to recent sales involving former WP power, we thought it might be interesting to take a look at where the WP's power is today. Surprisingly, very few of WP's units have gone to scrap, with exception of the U3OB's, leaving the bulk of the fleet in active service on both UP as well as other operations.

The backbone of Western Pacific's fleet consisted of 59 GP40's and GP40-2's, although that number had been reduced to 56 by merger day due to three WP retirements: 3505 wrecked at Floka, Nevada on March 28, 1970; and 3527 and 3540 (the latter was former bicentennial unit 1976), both wrecked at Hayward, California on April 9, 1980. The first two groups of GP40's ordered by WP, 3501-3516, were rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen for WP in 1980 and all except for 3505 are still in service on UP.

The third and fourth order for GP40's were delivered during 1970 and 1971 carrying numbers 3517 through 3544. It is this group of units that has seen the most movement in terms of different operators since merger day. Shortly after merger day, this group of GP40's was transferred to the MoPac for service in Texas, However, due to the fact that some units had over one million miles on their prime movers since overhaul and had not been rebuilt by M-K like their earlier built brothers, they were placed in storage until their leases expired with Helm Leasing (3517-3526) and GATX Leasing (3528-3540, 3542-3544). Although UP numbers were assigned to these units, only a few were actually renumbered and only one unit, 3532, was repainted into yellow. 3532 was also the only WP unit to ever be painted UP yellow and lettered Western Pacific. Prior to their recent sale by owners Helm Leasing and GATX Leasing to Chicago, Missouri & Western, various units from this group had spent time on the Kyle Railroad in Kansas, MKT subsidiary Oklahoma-Kansas-Texas in Oklahoma and Soo Line.

WP's GP40-2's, numbered 3545 through 3559, have all been renumbered and repainted into UP yellow, some with Missouri Pacific markings, some with Union Pacific markings. All 15 units are still on UP's roster holding down yard and branchline duties system wide. All but one, 902 (ex-WP 3547), are currently in service. The 902 suffered wreck damage at Hinkle, Oregon and is currently stored unserviceable at North Little Rock awaiting repairs.

WP's small fleet of GP35's numbered 3001-3022, were all rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen for WP except for the following: 3007 which was wrecked by BN at Seattle on October 8, 1977; 3011 and 3016, which were wrecked by the WP at Floka, Nevada on March 28, 1970; and 3021 which was wrecked by BN at Bend, Oregon on July 16, 1971. Of the 18 units rebuilt by M-K, 17 made it to UP. After rebuilding, WP wrecked 3018 at Deeth, Nevada on September 12, 1980 (along with U23B 2259). Although the 3018 was retired prior to the merger, due to a clerical error UP left a renumbering slot open for it (number 796) even though there was no unit to fill the slot. The 17 remaining GP35's are all in service including WP 3014 and WP 3020, wrecked by the WP in Reno, Nevada in a runaway on July 27, 1982. Both units were sent to Salt Lake City after the merger for eventual repair on a low priority basis. 3014 was the first to be released, on June 4, 1985, as UP 793. 3020 took longer to repair. After receiving a new long hood from retired UP GP35 763, a new cab from wreck-damaged MoPac GP38-2 2031 and trucks from a retired UP GP30B, 3020 was released from Salt Lake shops in January, 1987 as UP 798, nearly five years after it was wrecked.

While most of WP's EMD road power has survived, the General Electric U3OB's and U23B's have not fared so well. Of the 13 U23B's that made the merger, all are currently stored unserviceable at North Little Rock waiting for their lease to expire on September 1, 1987. After expiration, it is expected that the units will be returned to lessor (First Security Bank of Utah) who will in turn sell them for scrap. Most of the U30B fleet has already been sold for scrap having been stripped of useable parts at Omaha. As of this writing, several U3OB's still remain on the property at Omaha pending sale for scrap.

All of Western Pacific's high-hood GP7's, GP9's and GP20's have been retired and only a few GP20's remain to be disposed of. Several of the high-hood road switchers made it to the active UP roster after the merger and many were even repainted. However, mechanical failures were quick to come and the Geeps were soon stored or sold. The latest of the high hoods to leave UP are GP7's 701, 703, 704 705, 706 and 710 which were sold to Mountain Diesel Transportation in July, 1987. The six units were moved from their storage place at Ogden to the Great Western Railway in Loveland, Colorado during the first week of September. Four of the units will be retained by MDT while two will be resold to the Great Western. Only two of the WP's GP7's have been scrapped; the remaining four have found homes in various California railroad museums.

Six Western Pacific GP9's made it past merger day but only four were repainted into UP yellow; they were renumbered 300, 304, 306 and 308. In a rather unprecedented move for the UP, all four were pulled from service and sold as operational units. Normally UP would have stripped the locomotives of useable parts and sell what was left, as-is, where-is. Precision National bought the four units and resold them to Iowa Interstate where they remain today, operating in UP paint and still carrying their UP numbers. Only one GP9 (number 728) was sent to scrap by UP and one (727) was donated to the City of Elko, Nevada along with a WP steel caboose.

Although several of WP's GP20's are still on UP property, their disposition should be forthcoming rather quickly. All six remaining units, currently stored at Ogden, Utah, are scheduled to be moved to Salt Lake City for removal of traction motors and other useable parts prior to being placed on the bid list for disposition. Only one GP20 made it into UP colors and a UP number (488), that being ex-WP 2009. The 488 didn't last too long after returning to home rails from UP's paint shop and was subsequently sold for scrap to St. Louis Auto Shredding. To date, only one WP GP20 has been preserved. The first production GP20 produced by EMD, WP 2001, has found a home at the Feather River Rail Society's museum in Portola, California where it has been restored to operational condition.

WP's small switch engine fleet has made it past merger day with only one casualty so far, SW9 604, which was recently sold to Pielet Brothers in McCook, Illinois. As it turns out, however, the 604 has provided extended life to another historic locomotive as it gave up its main generator to UP E9A 951 after the venerable E-unit suffered a generator failure during the California Operation Lifesaver trip earlier this year. Of the remaining ex-WP SW9's, only one other has been sold. WP 602 was sold to Western Cooperative Fertilizer in Calgary, Alberta Canada where it has replaced an aging ALCo as a plant switcher. The other four SW9's were all sent through UP's Omaha shop and rebuilt into SW10's; the last SW10's built by UP.

Both of WP's last NW2's survived past merger day but were soon disposed of by donation; one to the Heber Creeper Scenic Railroad in Utah, the other to the Feather River Rail Society.

As for WP's three SW1500's, 1501 through 1503; all three are currently in service on the UP. While they carried their original numbers onto the UP roster, they are now being renumbered to 1315, 1316 and 1317 respectively, thus being the last WP units to be renumbered on UP.