Saturday, August 7, 2010 at Union Station in Little Rock, Arkansas (nope...I didn't go to Brinkley today like I sometimes do). Of special interest today was a light engine move of old SD40-2 locomotives consisting of lots of former SP units and UP units. I was told they are on their way to interchange with the Canadian National Railroad in Memphis, so I guess they won't be part of UP's rebuilding program with SD40-2s. I have included a movie of part of this train, but I missed the first few locomotives in the movie (there were 18 locomotives in the light move).
   Also today, there was an 8-locomotive consist on a LONG mixed freight with one of the locomotives being a newly painted and rebuilt SD59M, UP 9905. These are rebuilds of older SD60M's done at EMD with painting at UP's Jenks Shops in North Little Rock.
   Included today:
1) UP 6477, 5820, 2089, 1974, 9675, 8342, 4092, 9752, 5023, 7346, 5046, 7625, 2420, 4559, 3949, 2753, 2779, 2762, 2754, 2768, 2744, 9626, 9645, 9688, 9905, 3842, 4757, 4618
2) UP/SP 2047, 2752, 2769, 2756, 2775, 2777, 2758, 2749, 2686, 2696
3) UP/RIO GRANDE 1900
4) NS 9387, 9946
5) CN 5666
6) KCS Belle 4067
7) SP 8674
8) Providence & Worcester Railroad boxcar YS 5066
9) WSSX 2177 with blue and purple graffiti
10) Pipe loads
11) New TILX tank cars

CLICK ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE Or, to view all images in a larger format, click on: http://thundertrain.org/trains-087010-bb.html

LEFT-Two southbound at 9:07 a.m. RIGHT-UP 6477, 9:08 a.m.


LEFT-UP 5820, dpu. RIGHT-UP/SP 2047, 9:19 a.m.


LEFT-Cropped and zoomed. RIGHT-UP/SP 2047, 921 a.m.


LEFT-Good old Rio Grande/UP 1900 in the consist, a regular on locals around here. Note that the front hood is still pure Rio Grande. RIGHT-Love the black and gold.


RIGHT-UP 1974 was the 4th unit.


LEFT-UP 9675 and 8342, 10:09 a.m. northbound. RIGHT-UP 9675 and an auto-train.


LEFT-AKAEDARK graffiti. RIGHT-UP 4092 and NS 9387, 10:53 a.m.


LEFT-NS 9946. RIGHT-UP 9752 and 9678, 11:19 a.m.


LEFT-UP 5023 and CN 5666, 11:29 a.m. RIGHT-CN 5666.


LEFT-New TILX tank cars. RIGHT-KCS 4067, 11:46 a.m.


LEFT-KCS 4067 and UP 7346, 11:48 a.m. RIGHT-Blue and purple graffiti on hopper WSSX 2177.


LEFT-Providence & Worcester Railroad YS 5066. RIGHT-UP 5046 and 7625 head another pipe train (I saw one yesterday too).


RIGHT-From my lawn chair under the shade tree.


LEFT-UP 2420, 12:05 p.m. RIGHT-Eighteen mostly SD40-2s pass Union Station at 12:22 p.m. August 7. (The first two units are SD70Ms). Here are the numbers of these units: UP 4559, UP 3949, UP 2753, SP/UP 2752, SP 8674 (not renumbered to a UP number), SP/UP 2769, SP/UP 2756, UP 2779, UP 2762, UP 2754, SP/UP 2775, UP 2768, SP/UP 2777, SP/UP 2758, SP/UP 2749, UP 2744, UP/SP 2686, UP/SP 2696.

From someone who did a lot of research on these locomotive's history, cross referencing the UtahRails website with LocoNotes and RRPictureArchives to get all the correct info, here are his results:

Broken down are the SD40, SD45 and SDP45 MK rebuilt SD40M-2 lease returns:

SP 8674/CNW 912 *** UP 2686/SP 8610/NRE 6528/CNW 6528/CR 6203/PC 6203/PRR 6203 *** UP 2696/SP 8620/MKCX 9529/BN 6496 *** UP 2744/SP 8668/NREX 6582/CNW 6582/BN *** 6463/CBQ 522 *** UP 2749/SP 8673/CNW 904 *** UP 2752/SP 8676/CSXT 8923/SCL 2023 *** UP 2753/UP 4703/SP 8677/CSX 8939/SBD 8939/CRR 3627/SCL 2039 *** UP 2754/SP 8678/DRGW 5319 *** UP 2756/SP 8680/DRGW 5327 *** UP 2758/SP 8682/DRGW 5337 *** UP 2762/SP 8686/UP 3079 *** UP 2768/SP 8692/VMV 6699/CR 6699/EL 3668 (SDP45) ***
UP 2769/SP 8693/VMV 6697/CR 6697/EL 3666 (SDP45) *** UP 2775/SP 8699/CNW 915 *** UP 2777/SP8701/CNW 941 *** UP 2779/SP 8703/CNW 977
 
From another good source, this person from UP:
"One more thing I didn't realize until watching the video - two of those units, the 2768 and 2769, are ex-EL SDP45s.  A very rare breed. You're not kidding about the history of these things.  All were rebuilt from SD45s by Morrison-Knudsen for the SP.  I found individual unit histories here: http://utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-40.php#sd40m-2-2650  .  Just in that string are engines that started life on the Seaboard Coast Line, Chicago & Northwestern, Erie Lackawanna, Rio Grande, Union Pacific, Chicago Burlington & Quincy, Pennsylvania, and Burlington Northern.  Then there are intermediate stops on the Clinchfield, Seaboard System, CSX, Conrail, Penn Central, and a bunch of leasing companies.  And the fleet as a whole had a lot of other lines represented too.  Maybe some of them will find new life somewhere, but between reduced business and their high fuel consumption and emissions, I don't think they have a very bright future."


Here's a Youtube movie of PART of this train. I missed the first few units in the movie. Click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SklcYmTqWeU


LEFT-UP 2753, SP/UP 2752, SP 8674, SP/UP 2769, SP/UP 2756. RIGHT-SP 8674, the only shot I got of this unit.


LEFT-UP 2779, 2762, 2754. RIGHT-UP 2754, SP/UP 2775, UP 2768.


LEFT-UP 2768, SP/UP 2777, SP/SP 2758. RIGHT-SP/UP 2758, SP/UP 2749, UP 2744.


LEFT-UP 2744, SP/UP 2686, SP/UP 2696. RIGHT-Here's a zoomed in shot of this line about to cross the Baring Cross bridge into North Little Rock and UP's yard system. What a history these locomotives could tell!


LEFT-Looks like SP rules this line. RIGHT-UP 9626 leads a long line of locomotives heading a LONG mixed freight at 12:24 p.m. The long line of SD40-2s had just passed on the track to the right of 9626. The locomotive numbers are: UP 9626, 9645, 9688, 9905 (newly rebuilt and painted SD59MX), 3842, 4757, 4618.

Here's a long movie I uploaded to Youtube of the entire train passing in HD. The original .MOV file is 534 MB in size! However, Youtube makes it viewable. It took me 27 minutes to upload. Click on this link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeOqQsNOG7Q


LEFT-UP 9688, 9905, the bright yellow one. RIGHT-UP 9905, former UP 2495. 9905 is a SD59MX.  (thanks to John C Jones)

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