The museum plans to have it running for the annual “Diesel Days” weekend July 19-20. As far as the staff knows, Kolanowski says, the locomotive is complete and operable.
No. 1848 represents the first electronic fuel injection unit in the museum’s collection, according to Kolanowski. It is also the first GE Dash-8 series locomotive to join the collection.
The locomotive’s significance is not lost on UP. “It’s always good that we can provide rail equipment to organizations that can preserve it for the future to show the technological advances in the industry,” UP spokesman Mark Davis tells Trains News Wire.
General Electric built the locomotive in August 1988 as Cotton Belt No. 8049. It was among the last 4-axle units built by GE. It arrived at the museum’s interchange earlier this week.
For more information, go to www.irm.org.
Thanks to Union Pacific for stepping up to preserve another significant piece of railroad history.
And I thought it was cool for OERM to be running a Santa Fe FP45 that probably wasn't even on the drawing board when I joined in 1963, and which I photographed in 1968 on the point of #17. On the traction side, we have Shade Gap in PA and Western Ry. Museum in CA with San Diego Trolley LRVs from 1981.
Nice to see UP donating the GE model to the museum. Also it would be nice to see it in Cotten Belt Hertiage.
these things should have come off the assembly line and straight to the junkyard.I'd take ANY Alco RS over one of these rolling junkpiles.
Yesterday's new trains, today's museum pieces.
The Electroliner of my childhood. At Union.
A C&NW Commuter Streamliner, still in service in that form when I started work at Northern Illinois. At Union.
Now a diesel built after I earned tenure. At Union.
Fortunately, I'm still in shape to go there and check out the collection.
PEV from Texas,
Where would UP get the PA and PB?
MOP, TNO SP and DRGW disposed of theirs and I'd be surprised to learn that any were not scrap metal on the day of Amtrak's birth.
The lead unit of UP's coal fueled gas turbine was a modified PA but I think UP got it on the 2nd hand market or from a scrapper.
UP had a fleet of FA and FB's but if any survived the 60's?…..
TY from IL,
What "twins"?…..
I think this unit can still be used by UP or some other line
the group im with could use a new paint job on three old up cars.
I'll have mine in Cotton Belt paint, please…
I'm glad UP is willing to donate it! Maybe they will donate the twins when their time is near? :p
If only Union Pacific had been this wise to donate a set of Alco PA's and PB.
Will be looking forward to seeing here in the morning, I will have to take lots of pix
That would be great to see it in its original Cotton Belt paint and number.
Fantastic! Can't wait to go back.
Pretty awesome, wondering if they will repaint her in cotton belt colors eventually?
Good grief, I am getting old… these children are now museum pieces..
Great acquisition tho.
Please repaint to SSW since UP has no Cotton Belt heritage loco
Please reprint to SSW since UP has no Cotton Belt heritage loco
Love the dash 8 series, have a bunch on my HO layout.
Great act of preservation by the UP
It is nice to see this locomotive donated to a museum. It used to be only older locomotives, but now, other types are being saved. Great job UP and Illinois Railway Museum!