The General Electric locomotives are the only two remaining on Union Pacific’s roster that wear their as-delivered Chicago & North Western paint and road numbers from 1994. Before being parked, the two were typically assigned to various locals and transfer assignments in the Chicago area.
While Union Pacific has selected various storage locations around its system for its sidelined power, the two CNW locomotives were dispatched last week to the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Ill., for long term storage on museum grounds. CNW Nos. 8646 and 8701 were moved to Proviso yard in Chicago to have fluids their drained and prepared for storage prior to moving to Union on Oct. 27.
The museum is currently closed for the season, so public viewing is not possible at this time.
Donation is not UP's choice to make, as they do not own either unit. Both are on lease from GE Capital. So it's GEC's decision.
this is not the first time these two units have been stored here, back in 2008 and early 2009 they were stored here at IRM temporary after IRM's C&NW Anniversary event.
Wondering if UP is paying the IRM a certain negotiated fee for storage,money that the museum badly needs? I'm guessing the UP optimistically would like to see the two units back in service one day but due to the business climate,that's not the reality. Doesn't seem realistic for the IRM to have two donated units,the horsepower being far in excess of the museum's needs should they be kept in serviceable condition.
Now I REALLY feel old…!
Maybe UP can donate some CNW Coal Cars or Grain Cars if they are to be donated to IRM…..?
This is great news for those two units. Great place for "temporary storage". 🙂
Temporary "Storage" at the IRM in Union by the UP? Or is it envisioned that these two (ex) C& NW GE locomotives will be donated to the IRM at some point in the near future?
Funny, GE C-44-9Ws don't seem like they're that "old" in terms of locomotive technology (and therefore ready to be donated to a museum), but they are now 20+ year old locomotives. It would be nice to see them end up at the museum in Union if that is the case.
Planning on volunteering at IRM in the near future. Would be awesome to take the throttle of one or both of those beauties!
This could be a hint at their new home when these units are retired.
Kudos to UP for making sure these heritage units will be cared for.
From what I've seen of the folks at Union, those engines will be well-cared for and if they're not, they soon will be back operable.
So glad Illinois Railway Museum got these. I hope it will become more than "long-term storage." C&NW is among the many roads, including IC, C&EI and others, that were emblematic of the Prairie State.
hopefully if they are there next year maybe UP will let them use the engines.