The 9000 class steam locomotive was developed by Alco and built between 1926 and 1930. As if the twelve connected drive wheels weren’t unique enough, the 9000 class featured a third cylinder under the boiler which operated a second drive axle. This inner cylinder used Gresley gearing since the cylinder did not feature valve gear. […]
WASHINGTON — Union Pacific has asked federal regulators to toss out a complaint that Canadian Pacific Kansas City filed this month that would allow it to route grain trains to the ports of Houston and Galveston using trackage rights over UP south of Beaumont, Texas. CPKC told the Surface Transportation Board that UP is blocking […]
OMAHA, Neb. — New Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena shared his vision for the railroad in a letter to employees today, his first day back at the railroad. “My vision and focus are clear: Safety, Service and Operational Excellence will equal Growth. Together, we will achieve the best safety record in the industry, be known […]
The Lionel Brass Hybrid Challenger is the latest offering in this program for the train maker. First announced in the 2022 Vol. 2 catalog, it’s all-new tooling. This Legacy model is based on Union Pacific’s CSA-2-class 4-6-6-4s, which were the railroad’s earlier, lighter versions. When built in 1937, they were numbered into the 3900 series […]
For clues about where incoming CEO Jim Vena may take Union Pacific, look at where he wanted to take Canadian National. You may recall that in late 2021 activist investor TCI Fund Management touted Vena as a replacement for CN CEO JJ Ruest. Vena, who rose through the ranks to become chief operating officer during […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific now has paid sick-leave agreements in place with all 13 of its labor unions following SMART-TD’s ratification of its tentative agreement this week. “We are proud to be the second railroad in the industry to reach this milestone,” UP said in a LinkedIn post. Norfolk Southern on June 5 became […]
Classic Trains’ series “Diesels that didn’t” explores diesel locomotives that didn’t make it to large-scale production due to a variety of factors. However, some of those diesels made it to mass-production in the scale model world. Let’s take a look at the products offered to those modeling the diesels that didn’t. Electro-Motive Division BL2 HO […]
WASHINGTON — Canadian Pacific Kansas City has asked federal regulators to prevent Union Pacific from blocking the movement of its grain trains to the ports of Houston and Galveston via trackage rights on UP via Beaumont, Texas. The Interstate Commerce Commission granted Kansas City Southern “South End” rights over UP as part of its approval […]
Tons of Black Gold rides the rails under Big Skies. Tom Danneman is frequently there to capture these unit trains, so we’ve compiled this video of heavy haulers working the western main lines. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view […]
Tons of Black Gold rides the rails under Big Skies. Tom Danneman is frequently there to capture these unit trains, so we’ve compiled this video of heavy haulers working the western main lines. These big trains and even bigger skies are all part of what makes Tom’s brand of contemporary railfanning so compelling to view […]
Union Pacific’s General Electric U50C locomotives were the last double-diesel model to join the roster, beginning in late 1969. They were, however, the least successful of the three production models the railroad acquired. GE built 40 U50C locomotives for UP between September 1969 and January 1971. (Their production dates largely mirrored those of […]
OMAHA, Neb. — Incoming Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena will not get a honeymoon with rail labor when he begins leading the railroad on Aug. 14. Local SMART-TD leaders and the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO were critical of the company’s selection of Vena, who served as UP’s chief operating officer in 2019 and […]
