UP 900000-Series Jordan Spreaders
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This file was last updated on June 24, 2021.
(Return to UP Roadway Index Page)
(This is a work in progress; research continues.)
Overview
Although these machines were known very early as a "Jordan Spreader," Union Pacific equipment records use the name "Ballast Spreader."
Oswald F. Jordan was a roadmaster on the Canada Southern Railway, a branch of the New York Central Railway. Jordan designed the Jordan spreader as early as 1900. He formed his own company, O.F. Jordan Company, and continued construction of Jordan Spreaders at East Chicago, Indiana.
(Read the brief Wikipedia article about Jordan spreaders)
(Visit the Jordan Spreader web site, by Paul Strubeck and Jim Otto)
At times, UP used its Jordan spreaders as snow plows. Although purchased as ballast spreaders, these unique machines became surplus as UP began using smaller machines to spread ballast.
Modernized Fleet
Beginning in Fall 2009, Union Pacific contracted with Thunder Machine Works, Inc., of Sacramento, California, to rebuild the first two of its remaining fleet of Jordan Spreaders, for reliable use in snow removal. NMI Industrial of Sacramento was a subcontractor for the primary and secondary cab enclosures. Work started in October 2009 at a site near UP's tracks in Sacramento, with a planned completion of Thanksgiving 2009. As with any rebuild program of this complexity, delays pushed the completion to mid January 2010. On January 18, 2010, due to the arrival of a major winter storm, both spreaders were rushed to 98-99 percent completion and moved to Truckee, California, for their acceptance testing. They entered service immediately. ("The Spreader Snow Plow; New Mega Machines of the Sierra", video available from DonnerRails.com)
NMI Industrial in Sacramento has rebuilt a total of eight Jordan Spreaders for UP. Four UP spreaders (UP 903020, 903022, 903031 and 903134), and four former SP Jordan Spreaders (SPMW 4030, 4031, 4033 and 4034).
Following list of rebuilt UP Jordan Spreaders, as of January 2016:
- January 2010 -- SPMW 4031
- January 2010 -- UP 903031, renumbered to SPMW 4032. Converted to straight wing with articulated nose blade.
- Fall 2010 -- SPMW 4030
- Fall 2010 -- SPMW 4034
- Fall 2011 -- UP 903020. Originally a Type A 3-175 (front cab, broken wing, high plow)
- Fall 2011 -- UP 903022. Originally a Type A 3-175 (front cab, broken wing, high plow)
- Summer 2012 -- UP 903134. Originally a Type A 3-175 (front cab, broken wing, high plow)
- Summer 2012 -- SPMW 4033
- Winter 2012 -- UP 903143. Originally a Type A 3-175 (front cab, broken wing, high plow)
(Read more about the 2009 rebuilds; at the Jordan Spreader web site)
(View the very short NMI Industrial promotional video on YouTube)
Roster Listings
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.
| Road Number |
OWRR&N Roadway Number |
Previous Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| OWRR&N 0450 | Jun 1914 | Feb 1956 | 1 | |||
| OWRR&N 900453 | OWRR&N 0453 | North Coast X-3 | May 1910 | May 1973 | 2 | |
| OWRR&N 900454 | OWRR&N 0454 | Nov 1950 | 3 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-055, r3-061, r3-063, r3-0641 |
Notes:
| 1. | OWRR&N 0450 was retired in February 1956 after being wrecked on December 30, 1955 at Hilgard, Oregon |
| 2. | OWRR&N 900453 was built in May 1910 as North Coast Railroad X-3; entire railroad sold to OWRR&N on December 23, 1910, renumbered to OWRR&N 0453 in August 1914; renumbered to OWRR&N 900453 in October 1959; retired in May 1973 |
| 3. | OWRR&N 900454 was Type A, Model 3-175, with front cab; built in November 1950 as OWRR&N 0454; renumbered to OWRR&N 900454 in October 1959 |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.
| Road Number |
OSL Roadway Number |
Previous Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| OSL 902060 | OSL 02060 | OSL 795 | Mar 1910 | May 1966 | 1 | |
| OSL 902061 | OSL 02061 | May 1913 | May 1966 | |||
| OSL 902062 | OSL 02062 | Jun 1923 | Nov 1968 | |||
| OSL 902063 | OSL 02063 | Jun 1930 | Feb 1978 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0214 |
Notes:
| 1. | OSL 902060 was built in March 1910 as OSL 795; renumbered to OSL 02060 in August 1912; renumbered to OSL 902060 in March 1959; retired in May 1966 |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Front Cab
| Road Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Rebuilt |
Notes |
| UP 903020 | Dec 1966 | Fall 2011 Summer 2015 |
1 | |
| UP 903021 | Apr 1967 | 2 | ||
| UP 903022 | Apr 1967 | Fall 2011 | 3 | |
| UP 903023 | Jun 1967 | 915 | 4 | |
| UP 903024 | Oct 1968 | 5 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0460, r3-0462, r3-0677 |
Notes:
| 1. | UP 903020 was rebuilt in Fall 2011 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California; first rebuilt with two-piece spreader wings, usually known as broken wing; changed in 2015 to one-piece spreader wings, known as straight wing. |
| 2. | UP 903021 |
| 3. | UP 903022 was rebuilt in Fall 2011 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California. |
| 4. | UP 903023 (not rebuilt) was seen at Portola, California, during August and September 2011; seen at Roseville, California, during June and October 2015; later returned to Portola. (View photos at RRPictureArchives.net) |
| 5. | UP 903024 |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type J; Model 4-100
| Road Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Notes |
| UP 903031 | Apr 1976 | 1453 | 1 |
| UP 903032 | May 1977 | 1461 | 2 |
The UP numbers 903031 and 903032 were briefly used in 1971 and 1972 for the two Boiler Cars, built from retired C&O steam locomotive tenders.
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0460, r3-0462, r3-0677 |
Notes:
| 1. | UP 903031 was rebuilt and modernized in January 2010 by Thunder Machine Works, Inc., Sacramento, California; renumbered to SPMW 4032 and assigned snow service on former SP Donner Pass route (conversion completed at same time as SPMW 4031). |
| 2. | UP 903032; as of February 2009, still in service at Dunsmuir, California. (View a photo of UP 903032) |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.
| 1959 Road Number |
Previous Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| UP 903129 | UP 03129 | Mar 1926 | Nov 1963 | ||
| UP 903130 | UP 03130 | Jan 1917 | Jun 1967 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679 |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab
| 1959 Road Number |
Previous Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| UP 903132 | UP 03132 | Oct 1949 | 831 | May 1985 | |
| UP 903133 | UP 03133 | Oct 1949 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679 |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab
| 1959 Road Number |
Previous Number |
Builder Date |
Builder Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| UP 903134 | UP 03134 | Sep 1958 | 1 |
General Notes:
| a. | UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679 |
Notes:
| 1. | UP 903134 was rebuilt and modernized in Summer 2012 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California; as of January 16, 2016, assigned to Dunsmuir, California. |
Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab
| Road Number |
Builder Date |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| UP 903142 | Oct 1963 | After Nov 1986 | 1 |
| UP 903143 | Nov 1963 | 2 |
General Notes:
- UP Equipment Record: r3-0679
Notes:
- UP 903142 was retired after November 1986, the date of a photo taken in Oroville, California.
- UP 903143 was rebuilt and modernized in Winter 2012 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California.
Sorted by Build Date
| Road Number |
Builder Date |
Model | Previous Number |
Date Retired |
Notes |
| OWRR&N 900453 | May 1910 | OWRR&N 0453 | May 1973 | Built as North Coast X-3 | |
| OSL 902060 | Mar 1910 | OSL 02060 | May 1966 | Built as OSL 795 | |
| OSL 902061 | May 1913 | OSL 02061 | May 1966 | ||
| Jun 1914 | OWRR&N 0450 | Feb 1956 | |||
| UP 903130 | Jan 1917 | UP 03130 | Jun 1967 | ||
| OSL 902062 | Jun 1923 | OSL 02062 | Nov 1968 | ||
| UP 903129 | Mar 1926 | UP 03129 | Nov 1963 | ||
| OSL 902063 | Jun 1930 | OSL 02063 | Feb 1978 | ||
| UP 903132 | Oct 1949 | Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab | UP 03132 | May 1985 | |
| UP 903133 | Oct 1949 | Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab | UP 03133 | ||
| OWRR&N 900454 | Nov 1950 | OWRR&N 0454 | |||
| UP 903134 | Sep 1958 | Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab | UP 03134 | Rebuilt Summer 2012 | |
| UP 903142 | Oct 1963 | Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab | After July 1985 | ||
| UP 903143 | Nov 1963 | Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab | Rebuilt Winter 2012 | ||
| UP 903020 | Dec 1966 | Type A; Front Cab | Rebuilt Fall 2011 | ||
| UP 903021 | Apr 1967 | Type A; Front Cab | |||
| UP 903022 | Apr 1967 | Type A; Front Cab | Rebuilt Fall 2011 | ||
| UP 903023 | Jun 1967 | Type A; Front Cab | |||
| UP 903024 | Oct 1968 | Type A; Front Cab | |||
| UP 903031 | Apr 1976 | Type J; Model 4-100 | Rebuilt Jan 2010 as SPMW 4032 | ||
| UP 903032 | May 1977 | Type J; Model 4-100 |
Photos
Photos of UP Jordan Spreaders at UtahRails Photo Albums
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