Hello all,
I have 1 Southern Pacific Heritage set form MTH, and recently bought the UP 20-2774-1 set which has engine # 8321, 50' High Cube box car and caboose. It's a plain UP set in traditional UP colors. I was trying to research why MTH calls this UP a heritage and comes in the UP heritage boxes etc. I know about UP SD70ACe cab# 8444 that took it's pictures with the whole UP heritage fleet in real life. I just can't find why UP SD70ACe cab# 8321 is a heritage form MTH? Any ideas?
Thanks!
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Great question - maybe simply like what Lionel did / does - uses boxes they have
Cab No. 8321
Sold as part of SD70ACe Diesel Heritage Speciality Set (20-217a)
Under the hood beats a third-generation model 710 diesel with 4300 horsepower; only slight modifications were needed to make the model 710 meet new emission standards. With 5000 such motors in service worldwide and a reputation for dependability, EMD reasoned that shop crews would prefer familiar technology.
Other than the prime mover, however, virtually every element of the SD70ACe has been re-thought to create a 21st century locomotive. Ergonomics were a prime consideration. The engine's angular nose offers the crew far better visibility than most other locomotives, and the cab is comfortable for engineers of almost any size. Digital screens provide a range of information on what is happening both inside the locomotive and out on the road. The cab easily accommodates a crew of three - an important factor in a modern world without cabooses. And there is, of course, a cupholder for the engineer.
The SD70ACe also offers, in EMD's words, "outstanding improvements in maintainability." All electrical wires are on the right side of the locomotive and all piping is on the left, with most pipes and wires routed under the frame so they can be serviced by a man standing outside the engine - rather than crawling around at the bottom of the engine room. The number of electrical components has been drastically reduced while access to the remaining parts has been seriously improved. And the time between service intervals has been doubled, from every three months to every six months.
After a year of testing on the road and at the Association of American Railroads' test track in Pueblo, CO, the first SD70ACe's ('e" stands for "enhanced") were delivered to CSX Transportation in 2004. At the present time, mainline American railroads generally maintain dual fleets of locomotives. AC power is used for heavy coal hauling and hotshot intermodal traffic because AC traction motors offer higher starting tractive effort with the same horsepower. Less expensive, traditional DC power is used for more mundane duties. But with the SD70ACe, Electro-Motive hopes it may have the 21st Century successor to its 1949 Geep - a locomotive that can be nearly all things to all railroads.
Did you know?
IntelliTrain, an option on the SD70ACe, uses cellular and GPS technology to allow a railroad's maintenance department to monitor operating conditions and problems as they occur out on the road - making diagnosis and repair considerably easier.
I checked on U.P. #8321 a while ago. RailNet photos, You tube, etc., U.P. 8321 is just a plain Jane with no significant history. It is not even a class unit. According to the photos 8321 came with the protruding rear walkway light which MTH omitted.
My take is that when MTH issued their UP heritage series of locomotives...someone deemed that...the plain old UP armour yellow and harbor mist gray paint livery was, indeed, part of UP's heritage. After all, it is probably the most iconic paint scheme still in existence today. So...like the other heritage locomotives...they produced a "heritage set" cataloged as 20-2774-1. Why they chose UP 8321 as the engine number...I do not know...but, they did.
I don't think you could get a separate sale UP 8321 prior to issuance of the set.
Paul,
Great information. I could not find anything earth shattering on this one. Thanks for trying to help out on the Lionel Lash up today. Short of the bloody finger see you tomorrow at the show.
K
I've wondered that myself. 8321 just seemed like a random SD70ACe.
My take is that when MTH issued their UP heritage series of locomotives...someone deemed that...the plain old UP armour yellow and harbor mist gray paint livery was, indeed, part of UP's heritage. After all, it is probably the most iconic paint scheme still in existence today. So...like the other heritage locomotives...they produced a "heritage set" cataloged as 20-2774-1. Why they chose UP 8321 as the engine number...I do not know...but, they did.
I don't think you could get a separate sale UP 8321 prior to issuance of the set.
Yes, I think your right. After reading these posts, I think maybe MTH knew UP was doing the Heritage series and did not have an SD70ACe in UP Yellow/Harbor Mist Grey and randomly used 8321. Since 8444 was not out yet in real life. Also, to my knowledge, the 8321 UP is the only Yellow/Grey with the red stipe on the bottom. All others have the yellow safety stripes on the bottom.
U.P. 8321 was built in Feb. 2005. I believe Union Pacific changed over to the the yellow frame stripe in late 2005, early 2006. They only had a choice of yellow or white reflective stripes, red was out. The 8321 would be correct as built with the red stripe. It would be nice if MTH came out with the newer U.P. low headlight position on their SD70Ace units.
My take is that when MTH issued their UP heritage series of locomotives...someone deemed that...the plain old UP armour yellow and harbor mist gray paint livery was, indeed, part of UP's heritage. After all, it is probably the most iconic paint scheme still in existence today. So...like the other heritage locomotives...they produced a "heritage set" cataloged as 20-2774-1. Why they chose UP 8321 as the engine number...I do not know...but, they did.
I don't think you could get a separate sale UP 8321 prior to issuance of the set.
Yes, I think your right. After reading these posts, I think maybe MTH knew UP was doing the Heritage series and did not have an SD70ACe in UP Yellow/Harbor Mist Grey and randomly used 8321. Since 8444 was not out yet in real life. Also, to my knowledge, the 8321 UP is the only Yellow/Grey with the red stipe on the bottom. All others have the yellow safety stripes on the bottom.
I don't think so....
My take is that when MTH issued their UP heritage series of locomotives...someone deemed that...the plain old UP armour yellow and harbor mist gray paint livery was, indeed, part of UP's heritage. After all, it is probably the most iconic paint scheme still in existence today. So...like the other heritage locomotives...they produced a "heritage set" cataloged as 20-2774-1. Why they chose UP 8321 as the engine number...I do not know...but, they did.
I don't think you could get a separate sale UP 8321 prior to issuance of the set.
Yes, I think your right. After reading these posts, I think maybe MTH knew UP was doing the Heritage series and did not have an SD70ACe in UP Yellow/Harbor Mist Grey and randomly used 8321. Since 8444 was not out yet in real life. Also, to my knowledge, the 8321 UP is the only Yellow/Grey with the red stipe on the bottom. All others have the yellow safety stripes on the bottom.
I don't think so....
I meant in the toy world, not real life. I have the newer MTH SD70ACe cab# 8601 & 8626 from last year and have seen the cab# 8444, 8445 & 8446 runs and they are all yellow stripe on the bottom. The only red stripe on the bottom in AD70Ace, UP from MTH (Lionel maybe different) is the MTH Heritage UP cab# 8321.
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