UPRR E9's

Does anybody follow the E9's enough to know when they venture out on the road? If not, is there a website or UPRR mouthpiece that informs of their use? I've never seen them in person, but have followd them since the rebuild in 1991 and the great color article in Pacific Railnews that followed (I still have it, but it's pretty beat up). I'd really like to see them in person.

Hi,

To get the schedule for UP's E-9's, go to the UP website, and click on the appropriate link. A search engine will get you to their website.

As an aside, the E-9's are that only on the outside. On the inside they are GP-38's, and provide 2000 hp per unit. The # 951 is originally UP and always was UP, never left the UP. The other two were acquired by Steve Lee, manager of Steam Operations, and the E-9's as well as the DD-40AX.

Last time I had a chance to see and climb on the E-9's, they were on an excursion train, visiting Monclair, California and were led by the Challenger # 3985. Quite a sight, sound and the cars, all armour yellow, were great. Really enjoyed the Vista Domes. Again, the UP website helped me get their schedule.

I can't find any on-line pictures just now, but I saw them at the Illinois Railway Museum when they were visiting one summer a few years back. Very impressive sight, a matched ABA and trainset all lined up in the summer sun...too bad they did'nt 'sound' like E's...

TT

Here is a link, to a whole bunch of pix. Scroll to the bottom, in the "900's", and enjoy........... http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/up/up-0000.html

Hi Tony T,

The E-9's sound like GP-38's. You only hear ONE engine per locomotive, not two, as an E-9 would have. They would then have 2400 hp per unit, instead of what they actually have, 2000 hp per unit.

Tadman wrote:Does anybody follow the E9's enough to know when they venture out on the road?

They dont bring them out much, saw them running wide open about once every year back in the mid 90's when i was a switcher at FMC. With the RR ive only saw them a couple times, passed an officer special, and they took the Old Timers Club to Vegas and back a couple years ago, stood out front of the depot as they blasted off.

What was the "safety issue" that made them weld the front doors shut? Notice now there is no man-door on the nose.

When DDA40X 6936 hit a dirt laden dump truck the door opened inward killing employee. On The F45s, FP45s and DDA40Xs the door is flush with the nose and opens inward unlike a newer unit in which the door opens outward and is not flush with the nose.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=156290
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=83066
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos. ... =UP%206936
Union Pacific got rid of all the nose door windows as well for safety reasons.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=154271
This is one is rare since it still has a nose door window.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=156732

UP 6936 In Service

Fans of the Centennial units became concerned in late 2000 when they learned that last operating Centennial, UP 6936, may be retired. On November 30, 2000, the unit was involved in a tragic grade crossing accident at Vacherie, La., 20 miles north of New Orleans. The accident resulted in the death of a truck driver and of a UP employee who was in the unit's cab. UP 6936 was sent to North Little Rock for evaluation of its wreck damage, and stayed there pending a decision of whether or not it should be repaired, or simply retired and scrapped. Fortunately, the public and shipper relations value of the unit dictated its repair and on May 2, 2001 it was released from the shops. To prevent any more similar accidents, the nose door was slightly modified to improve its safety. The unit also received a smaller version of the newly adopted nose wings that were being applied to UP's wide nose units. UP 6936 was being used regularly at the head of special trains, such as an engineering special that traveled along the railroad's routes in the upper Midwest in August 2002.

http://utahrails.net/webpubs/up-dda40x.php

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/arc ... 67721.html

they did a terrible job removing the doors on these units, they ruined the look if you ask me between that and removing the "Union Pacific" lettering above the door/herald

Agreed, there must've been ways to secure the door without putting bondo all over it and changing its exterior appearance (And not a great job of doing it at that). Doesn't look good at all.

As far as the Union Pacific under the headlight, that actually was something done in the late 1950s.

Kratville, UP Streamliners, has pictures of E-8 and E-9 units sans the Union Pacific name.