Union Pacific Locomotive Fleet Changes
November and December 1996
(as of 11 January 1997)
During November and December, Union Pacific received its first true 6,000 horsepower AC units, a total of nine new C60ACs from General Electric, with road numbers 7000-7008. GE's own model designation for the same units is AC6000CW. The tenth C60AC, number 7009, will follow shortly. These units are a first for UP, and are equipped with GE's new 6,000 horsepower HDL engine.
Long term leased units are arriving from Helm Financial. GP38-2 1846 (ex-HATX 216) arrived in November. This unit was originally MP 2110, then UP 2110, prior to its being retired by UP upon expiration of its lease in April 1994.
Leased GP38-2 number 1978 arrived in December as part of a lease originally negotiated between SP and Helm, for 28 leased GP38-2s, SP 4845-4872. This unit was to carry SP 4852 as part of the original lease. The SP group 4845-4872 has been assigned UP numbers 1971-1998, and UP 1978 occupies the assigned number for SP 4852 in that group. Previously, 16 of the 28 units had been received by SP prior to the merger. The remainder will be received by UP and will be assigned UP numbers.
Leased GP38-3s began arriving from Helm during November, with UP 2400-2405 coming on property between 11/10 and 11/27. UP 2406-2408 arrived between 12/4 and 12/20, making a total of nine of these rebuilt CSXT GP38-2s. The rebuilding effort, completed by Motive Power International (formerly MK Rail) and others, for Helm, includes installation of Woodward's CLC control equipment. Former CSXT GP40s are also involved and will be operating as UP 2500 series units.
The arrival of GP38-3s in the 2400 and 2500 series numbers is forcing the renumber of UP's 140 unit fleet of GE C30-7s, numbered from 2400-2539. The 2400s and 2500s are being renumbered to the 400 and 500 series, from 400-531, reflecting the retirement of eight units (UP 2425, 2432, 2459, 2475, 2484, 2509, 2536, and 2539). As of the end of December, there have been 16 units renumbered: UP 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 409, 410, 418, 438, 445, 448, 480, and 518.
UP is receiving 20 SW1500s as long term lease units from Helm. These are ex-SP and ex-NS units that Helm has purchased after their lease to both SP and NS expired. The first 10 units (UP 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1007, 1009, 1010, 1012, 1013) arrived in September. Another three (UP 1005, 1006, 1011) came in October. UP 1015 came in November, and UP 1008, 1014, 1016, 1017, and 1018 were delivered during December, making for a fleet of 19 units. The last, UP 1019, is due during January 1997. A roster with full histories will be available soon.
UP's fleet of short-term leased units is again growing, with eight switchers and 49 road units now on the railroad. During November, UP received six units from Helm (HLCX): GP38ACs (3675, 3679, 3681), a single GP38 (3617), and two SD40-2Cs (6065 and 6066). During December, UP received four MP15ACs from Locomotive Lease Partners (LLPX): 155, 156, 157, 158, and four SW1500s from GATX: 151, 152, 153, and 154. Also during December, General Electric furnished 43 units, all under its GECX reporting marks. Included are 11 GECX SC30-7s (Super C30-7) 3000-3010, 17 ex-ATSF C30-7s, and 15 ex-CR C39-8s in the 6000-6019 series.
In retirements, UP has retired the last four of the seven-unit ex-C&NW F-unit fleet. On 12/30/96, C&NW F7As 400, 401, 403 and F7B 411 were officially removed from UP's roster. Previous retirements included F7B 410 in June 1996, F7A 402 and F7B in October 1996, and these last four in December. All seven units have been in storage as part of UP's historical locomotive collection in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they were moved immediately upon the UP/C&NW merger in April 1995.
UP continues to upgrade its 95-unit SD50 fleet, with the upgraded units being called SD50Ms. The upgrade includes new higher capacity radiator fans and increased cooling capacity. To help the units run even cooler, their horsepower has been reduced from 3,600 to 3,500. The effort began in mid 1994, with UP 5016 (ex MP 5016) being the first completed, and 10 other units completed during 1994. Nine ex-C&NW SD50s (UP 5060, 5063, 5068, 5071, 5073, 5074, 5083, 5086, 5092) were completed during 1995, receiving UP paint and UP numbers at the same time (UP 5086, ex-C&NW 7026, was the first, completed on 7/17/96). No ex-MP units were completed during 1995. During 1996, six ex-MP units were completed, along with 11 ex-C&NW units. As of the end of December, 20 of the 35 ex-C&NW SD50s had received UP paint and numbers.
Changes in service include GP15-1s 1700-1744 (all ex-MP) changed from freight service to switch service on December 3rd.
Ex-Milwaukee Road MP15ACs 1407-1428 were formally purchased on December 8th. These 22 units had been on lease since their arrival on the railroad during early 1993. In late 1992, UP had purchased 10 other ex-Milwaukee Road MP15ACs and given them numbers 1397-1406. All 32 units were received at the same time, and entered service throughout 1993.
History was made on December 12, 1996 when ex-SP SW1500 2662 entered service as UP 1183. The unit had been in Jenks Shops in North Little Rock, Arkansas, for repairs as part of a general effort to get ex-SP switchers back into service and into the yards, thereby releasing the pitch-hitting road units back into road service. A second SW1500, SSW 2517, became UP 1106 on December 27th.
C&NW renumbering continued with 13 units completed in November and nine completed in December. The numbers were (in order of new UP numbers):
| New Number |
Old Number |
Model | Date | Notes |
| UP 3023 | C&NW 6842 | SD40-2 | 11/25/96 | |
| UP 3056 | C&NW 6891 | SD40-2 | 11/14/96 | |
| UP 5075 | C&NW 7015 | SD50M | 11/23/96 | |
| UP 5080 | C&NW 7020 | SD50M | 11/11/96 | |
| UP 5085 | C&NW 7025 | SD50M | 11/14/96 | |
| UP 5525 | C&NW 5070 | GP50 | 11/7/96 | |
| UP 5536 | UP 927 | GP50 | 11/22/96 | (ex-C&NW 5090) |
| UP 5557 | C&NW 5099 | GP50 | 11/15/96 | |
| UP 5948 | C&NW 8006 | SD60 | 11/25/96 | |
| UP 5953 | C&NW 8016 | SD60 | 11/27/96 | |
| UP 5959 | C&NW 8029 | SD60 | 11/8/96 | |
| UP 5964 | C&NW 8043 | SD60 | 11/14/96 | |
| UP 9695 | C&NW 8630 | C44-9W | 11/8/96 |
The renumbered units for December include (in order of new UP numbers):
| New Number |
Old Number |
Model | Date | Notes |
| UP 2962 | C&NW 6813 | SD40-2 | 12/27/96 | |
| UP 2974 | C&NW 6826 | SD40-2 | 12/4/96 | |
| UP 2986 | C&NW 6854 | SD40-2 | 12/2/96 | |
| UP 3080 | C&NW 6917 | SD40-2 | 12/16/96 | |
| UP 3085 | C&NW 6922 | SD40-2 | 12/27/96 | |
| UP 5958 | C&NW 8028 | SD60 | 12/4/96 | |
| UP 5968 | C&NW 8053 | SD60 | 12/12/96 | |
| UP 5976 | C&NW 8012 | SD60 | 12/20/96 | |
| UP 5999 | C&NW 8050 | SD60 | 12/12/96 |
The 132 remaining ex-C&NW SD40-2s (C&NW 6801-6935) have been assigned numbers in two separate UP classes, UP 2950-2997 and 3015-3098, but not in sequential number order due to varying types of equipment. As of December 31, 1996, there were 22 ex-C&NW SD40-2s carrying UP numbers. Six units (UP 2954, 2962, 2974, 2983, 2984, 2986) have been renumbered into the 2950 series, and 16 units (UP 3023, 3030, 3035, 3037, 3039, 3048, 3056, 3069, 3074, 3079, 3080, 3081, 3083, 3085, 3092, 3095) renumbered into the 3015 series. In the two separate groups, the first ex-C&NW SD40-2s to be renumbered to UP were UP 2954 (ex-C&NW 6805) on 10 June 1996, and UP 3039 (ex-C&NW 6874) on 11 July 1995.
Twenty of the 35 ex-C&NW SD50s (C&NW 7000-7034) have been renumbered to UP, with their assigned number series being UP 5060-5094. The new UP numbers are: 5060, 5062, 5063, 5068, 5071, 5072, 5073, 5074, 5075, 5077, 5078, 5079, 5080, 5081, 5082, 5083, 5084, 5085, 5086, 5092. The first ex-C&NW SD50 to be renumbered to UP was UP 5086 (ex-C&NW 7026) on 17 July 1995.
Thirty-two of the 47 remaining ex-C&NW GP50s (C&NW 5050-5099) have been renumbered to UP. Originally the 47 units had been assigned UP 900-948, and 15 units were renumbered from their C&NW numbers into this series, including UP 901, 902, 904, 905, 909, 913, 916, 917, 921, 923, 927, 930, 931, 933, 937. However, in mid June 1996 these ex-C&NW units were re-assigned UP number series 5510-5557, numbered after similar ex-SP/D&RGW GP40-2s and ex-SP GP40P-2s in the 5200-5434 series. The nine ex-WP GP40-2s (currently in the UP 906-914 series) will be renumbered to UP 5303-5311 as part of that same group. The 30 ex-MP GP50s (already in the UP 960-989 series) will be renumbered to UP 5558-5587 series, following the ex-C&NW GP50s. The six similar UP GP40Xs will be renumbered from their current 954-959 series to their new 5500-5505 series. The first ex-C&NW GP50 to be renumbered to UP was UP 904 (ex-C&NW 5055) on 23 June 1995. The first ex-C&NW GP50 to be renumbered straight into the new 5510 series was UP 5510 (ex-C&NW 5050) on 25 June 1996. The first ex-C&NW GP50 already in the UP 900 series to renumbered into the new 5510 series was UP 5542 (ex-UP 933, nee C&NW 5056) on 26 June 1996.
Twenty-three of the 55 ex-C&NW SD60s (C&NW 8001-8055) have received UP numbers. The units have been assigned UP 5945-5999, but not in sequential number order due to varying types of equipment. The numbers include: UP 5945, 5948, 5949, 5952, 5953, 5954, 5955, 5958, 5959, 5961, 5964, 5968, 5969, 5972, 5973, 5976, 5985, 5989, 5991, 5992, 5993, 5996, 5999. The first ex-C&NW SD60 to be renumbered to UP was UP 5955 (ex-C&NW 8019) on 3 July 1995.
###