OMAHA Neb. — Union Pacific has reached a tentative agreement on paid sick leave with the union representing conductors over paid sick leave, the railroad announced today (Sunday, June 9). The agreement, which will cover about 5,900 employees, means UP now has tentative or ratified sick-time agreements with all 13 of its labor unions. The […]
Railroad: Union Pacific
A to Z: Trains in movies
Trains in movies Trains in movies: Looking for a brief retreat that is fun, fairly inexpensive, and easily accessible all year round? Try exploring the world of trains from the comfort of your own home. Enjoy the good, the bad, and the ugly in railroad movies from the past. Robberies, explosions, romance, comedy, suspense … […]
Illinois chooses Metra to operate Chicago-Rockford service
ROCKFORD, Ill. — With an 1880s bridge over the Rock River supporting a Metra train as a backdrop, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other officials announced Thursday that Chicago commuter operator Metra had been selected to partner with Union Pacific to provide two daily rail roundtrips between Rockford and Chicago by 2027. The estimated $275 […]
Big Boy’s story continues
Big Boy’s story We all know the old tried and sometimes true saying, “bigger is better.” Yes, a significantly enlarged bowl of ice cream on a hot summer day is better. Finding out that your car repair bill is larger than anticipated … well, not so good. In the eyes of the Union Pacific Railroad, […]
Doubleheader on Sherman Hill
Union Pacific 2-8-2 2250 assists 2-8-8-2 3572, acquired from the Chesapeake & Ohio to move wartime freight, up Sherman Hill in Wyoming sometime in 1946. R. H. Kindig photo […]
BLET members ratify engineer scheduling agreement with Union Pacific
Members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen approved a landmark agreement with Union Pacific that will provide engineers with more predictable schedules. The union’s six general chairmen reported today that 90% of the BLET divisions representing 5,600 UP engineers had voted in favor of the agreement. The agreement provides locomotive engineers in unassigned […]
UP placing two tickets on sale today for Big Boy cab rides
OMAHA — Union Pacific’s auction for a chance to ride in the cab of Big Boy No. 4014 has become a sale of two tickets at a set price, with the tickets going on sale at 5 p.m. CDT today, July 23. In a message to its “Steam Club” members, the railroad says the auction […]
Union Pacific to serve new Arizona industrial park
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — Union Pacific will provide rail service to the new Buckeye Industrial Rail Park, which recently saw its first tenant, Rehrig Pacific Co., break ground on its manufacturing plant. The 260-acre industrial park is located 40 miles west of Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport and near Interstate 10. Rehrig Pacific’s plant will manufacture reusuable […]
Weather a factor as UP train derails in North Texas
POWELL, Texas — Severe weather is believed to have played a part in the derailment of a Union Pacific train Wednesday evening in Powell, WFAA-TV reports. About 26 cars of an intermodal train derailed during a period that the Navarro County Office of Emergency Management says included storms with winds up to 80 mph. No […]
Five scenic highlights aboard Amtrak’s ‘California Zephyr’
While the California Zephyr name continues today under the Amtrak banner, much has changed since the final run of the streamlined predecessor in 1970. What hasn’t changed since the original 1949 debut is the premise from vintage advertisements to “look up, look down, and look all around” when taking the Chicago-Emeryville, Calif. trip. Especially when […]
Union Pacific No. 4014 | Big Boy trip to the ballpark
In June 2023, Union Pacific’s No. 4014 “Big Boy”, a 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive, ventured out from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Omaha, Neb., for a display date at the 2023 College [Baseball] World Series. While any big steam run is noteworthy in this day and age, it was the routing that made this especially appealing. Instead of […]
Union, West Coast ports announce new labor deal
SAN FRANCISCO — The Pacific Maritime Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union have reached a tentative labor agreement covering 29 West Coast ports, ending more than a year of negotiations in a dispute that had seen work stoppages at major ports of entry. The settlement has major implications for the rail industry given the […]