CHICAGO — A trio of recent Union Pacific agreements with rail labor unions, combined with ongoing volume and expense challenges, likely will make the railroad’s operating ratio rise this year. Previously UP expected the operating ratio to improve this year compared to 2022’s 60.1%. Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Hamann, speaking at an investor conference today, […]
Railroad: Union Pacific
The Atlas O Multi-Max autorack
The Atlas O Master Gunderson Multi-Max Auto Carrier is out after an almost two-year wait. The company announced the newly tooled cars in its Summer 2021 catalog. For modern operator-collectors with the real estate on their layout, having an autorack train is a virtual must. Before the announcement of these the only scale option was […]
Big Boy Men: The genius behind a steam legend
The Big Boy Men William M. Jeffers, Union Pacific Railroad president, and Otto Jabelmann, vice president — research and mechanical standards, began their careers in the lowest ranking positions. Both men were known for their tempers and a belief that the only way to get a job done was to do it with their own […]
The promise of Silvis
When we drove off Illinois Route 92 onto former Rock Island property recently at Silvis, I was singularly focused on seeing steam locomotives. Three of them, to be specific, including one very special engine, former Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger No. 3985. The Challenger was among equipment that made headlines last year as Railroading Heritage […]
Union Pacific and BLET reach paid sick time agreement
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a paid sick time agreement, the railroad and union announced today. UP’s 5,600 engineers will have up to seven paid sick days. Five days will be considered paid sick time, while two additional paid leave days can be converted to […]
UP Museum holds auction for Big Boy cab ride
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — The Union Pacific Museum is auctioning the opportunity for one person to ride in the cap of Big Boy No. 4014 on Monday, July 3, from Pine Bluff, Wyo., to the UP Steam Shop in Cheyenne. The auction is being held in lieu of a passenger excursion fundraiser for the museum. […]
Union Pacific Heritage Fleet highlights Lionel SD70ACe release
Locomotives from the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet highlight the latest release of the Lionel Legacy SD70ACe. The product was announced in the 2022 Volume 2 catalog. The model train maker offered 10 versions, and I was convinced I needed at least half of them. Lionel has not produced the UP heritage units in 15 years, […]
Union Pacific to launch intermodal service linking port of Houston with five inland markets
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will launch international intermodal service between Port Houston and five cities beginning on Thursday, a move that follows a similar announcement from BNSF Railway just two weeks ago. Union Pacific’s new service at Barbours Cut Container Terminal at Port Houston will provide customers direct rail access to Denver; Salt Lake […]
Memorial weekend disruptions: Zephyrs detour or are cut short because of washouts
CHICAGO — Some Amtrak long-distance and regional trains outside the Northeast Corridor experienced rare detours and extraordinary delays prior to and during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. On most routes, though, trains were operating on time as a result of lighter freight traffic. California Zephyrs rerouted Early Saturday, May 27, a washout on BNSF Railway’s […]
UP diesel and steam in Idaho
In the early 1950s, Union Pacific F3 units in A-B-B formation lead freight train 257 west up the nearly 2 percent grade to Reverse, Idaho, on the road’s main line to Portland, Ore.; 107 cars to the rear, two 2-8-8-0s assist the diesels. Henry R. Griffiths Jr. photo […]
Laredo and Houston concerns prompted Union Pacific lawsuit over STB’s Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger decision
CHICAGO – Union Pacific is suing the Surface Transportation Board because the agency’s approval of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger didn’t fully protect cross-border competition at the Laredo, Texas, gateway or address the potential for congestion in Houston, UP CEO Lance Fritz told a shipper conference today. “In their approval they identified our concerns […]
Union Pacific and BLET reach tentative agreement on engineer scheduling
Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a tentative agreement that will provide engineers with more predictable schedules. The deal, which the union and railroad called “historic,” will provide engineers with an 11 days on, four days off schedule. UP and the BLET said the tentative agreement announced today will […]