Union Pacific March 1997 Locomotive Fleet Changes
(as of 11 May 1997)
During March, Union Pacific received 20 new SD9043ACs from GMLG, with road numbers from 8085 to 8117 being delivered between March 5 and March 31. These are 4,300 horsepower locomotives that will be converted to 6,000 at a later date.
Also during March, UP received 20 C44ACs from GE. Road numbers 6550-6569 were delivered between March 21 and March 31. As with the SD9043ACs above, these GE units have been built with 4,390 horsepower and will be converted to 6,000 horsepower at a later date.
UP's tenth C60AC was delivered to UP on March 24. As with the other nine units, this unit was built with 6,000 horsepower and all ten units have been assigned to soda ash unit trains between Green River, Wyoming, and North Platte, Nebraska.
Seven ex-MKT SD40-2s were formally purchased from their owner/lessor on March 1, after expiration of their capital lease on February 1, 1997. UP 3836-3843 (ex-MKT 629-636) are what remains of an eight unit order delivered new to MKT in September 1981. All were renumbered to their current UP numbers in 1989 and 1990. The missing unit is UP 3840, ex-MKT 633, wrecked on October 17, 1993 at Makovic, Texas, while in service on ATSF. Santa Fe purchased the unit from the owner/lessor, scrapped the unit at the wreck site, and sold the pieces to Erman Howell in Kansas City.
Ten additional leased SD40-2s were also purchased on March 1. Ex-C&NW 6926-6935 were delivered to the North Western in November 1976. Of the ten units, C&NW 6928, 6929, and 6932 have been renumbered to their appropriate UP numbers: UP 3091, 3092 and 3095.
Four more units have been added to the Life Extension SD40-2R fleet. UP 3349, 3419, 3464, and 3491 were completed during March, bringing the total fleet to 233 units completed.
Two former C&NW GP15-1s have returned to UP under a 5-year operating lease from Helm Financial. On March 26 and 31, UP 1542 and 1543 were leased from Helm on a 5-year operating lease. These two units were built for C&NW in 1976 and returned to their owner/lessor in March 1992. They were stored until their lease to California Northern (CFNR) upon that new road's start up in October 1993. CFNR returned their numbers 100, 101, and 102 to Helm in December 1996. CFNR 100 (ex-C&NW 4411) became UP 1542 and 101 (ex-C&NW 4412) became UP 1543. (CFNR 102 was sent to Arizona & California at Parker, Ariz., in February.)
Motive Power Industries continues to deliver GP38M-3s to UP after rebuild at their Boise Locomotive Shops (see the MK Rail 1996 Recap in Diesel Era, Volume 8, Number 3, for a full description of the scope of work being completed on these ex-GP38s and GP40s). UP calls these units GP38-3s. During March, UP accepted four more ex-GP40 rebuilds, numbered from 2507-2510. All of the 2400- and 2500-class GP38-3s are on a 5-year operating lease from Helm.
The fleet of leased SW1500s continues to grow. UP 1019 and 1020 were delivered from Helm during March; on March 9 and March 12 respectively. Both are ex-Norfolk Southern units.
Renumberings for March include UP SW10 number 1233 renumbered to UP 1237 to make room for the renumbered ex-SP SW1500 2689 in the UP 1233 slot.
The first ex-SP SD40T-2 Tunnel Motors have been renumbered and repainted to UP. UP 4462 (ex-SP 8330) and 4555 (ex-SP 8291) were completed at the RESCAR facility in Hudson, Colorado. The specific date of completion is not available. Also, UP GP38-2 2083 (ex-SP 4820) has been seen in the Salt Lake City area.
Other renumberings include (in order of new UP numbers):
| New Number |
Old Number |
Model | Date | Notes |
| UP 413 | UP 2413 | C30-7 | 3/13/97 | |
| UP 461 | UP 2464 | C30-7 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 502 | UP 2507 | C30-7 | 3/6/97 | |
| UP 504 | UP 2510 | C30-7 | 3/12/97 | |
| UP 506 | UP 2512 | C30-7 | 3/14/97 | |
| UP 644 | UP 9044 | C36-7 | 3/27/97 | (ex-MP 9044) |
| UP 657 | UP 2657 | C36-7 | 3/7/97 | (ex-UP 9057, nee MP 9057) |
| UP 1091 | SP 2495 | SW1500 | 3/17/97 | |
| UP 1103 | SSW 2513 | SW1500 | 3/3/97 | |
| UP 1132 | SP 2548 | SW1500 | 2/18/97 | (reported late) |
| UP 1150 | SP 2572 | SW1500 | 3/10/97 | |
| UP 1166 | SP 2597 | SW1500 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 1172 | SP 2604 | SW1500 | 3/17/97 | |
| UP 1179 | SP 2611 | SW1500 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 1185 | SP 2661 | SW1500 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 1193 | SP 2622 | SW1500 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 1233 | SP 2689 | SW1500 | 3/21/97 | |
| UP 1237 | UP 1233 | SW10 | 3/20/97 | |
| UP 1866 | C&NW 4601 | GP38-2 | 3/18/97 | |
| UP 2979 | C&NW 6831 | SD40-2 | 3/13/97 | |
| UP 2980 | C&NW 6832 | SD40-2 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 3027 | C&NW 6846 | SD40-2 | 3/25/97 | |
| UP 3046 | C&NW 6882 | SD40-2 | 3/13/97 | |
| UP 3060 | C&NW 6895 | SD40-2 | 3/13/97 | |
| UP 3072 | C&NW 6907 | SD40-2 | 3/7/97 | |
| UP 3084 | C&NW 6921 | SD40-2 | 3/24/97 | |
| UP 3091 | C&NW 6928 | SD40-2 | 3/6/97 | |
| UP 5318 | UP 2911 | GP40-2 | 3/13/97 | (ex-UP 909, nee WP 3554) |
| UP 5533 | C&NW 5084 | GP50 | 3/5/97 | |
| UP 5543 | C&NW 5057 | GP50 | 3/17/97 | |
| UP 5544 | C&NW 5081 | GP50 | 3/6/97 | |
| UP 5558 | UP 960 | GP50 | 3/12/97 | (ex-UP 50, nee MP 3500) |
| UP 5579 | UP 981 | GP50 | 3/18/97 | (ex-UP 71, nee MP 3521) |
| UP 5956 | C&NW 8022 | SD60 | 3/14/97 | |
| UP 9044 | C&NW 8522 | C40-8 | 3/29/97 |
Of the ten SW1500s shown above, two (UP 1091 and 1103) were done by UP at North Little Rock, Arkansas. The remaining eight were done at the former SP Burnham Shop in Denver, Colorado.
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