UP DDA40X #6936 Question

I don't know the answer to your question but it you are ever able to get to Cheyenne, Wyoming you can take a free tour of the steam shop and roundhouse which includes the 6936.  The only fee is that they would love for you to buy a souvenir in the concession car to help support the steam program.  Tours are normally during the week, you need to call ahead to set one up.

Somehow, I doubt the UP will allow the 6396 to run on "foreign" eastern roads without a very compelling reason.

Rusty

There are no longer ANY tours of the Cheyenne Steam Shop & Roundhouse facilities. The new manager stopped all that.

Did he also stop them during "Depot Days" and other festivals?

I personally don't think you will ever see #6936 east of Chicago. Why?

1) The Union Pacific lines doesn't extend east of Chicago/St Louis.

2) The DD truck has too long of a wheel base for much of the eastern terminal trackage. In fact, during the GP35/DD35 demonstrator tour of 1963/1964, the two DD35 units operated ONLY on the New York Central, and got to someplace in New Jersey once.  The twin GP35 units operated on the EL, and New Haven, without the DD "B" units.

3) I don't think that the UP really needs to show their steam locomotives nor the DDA40X on any other railroad properties, anyway!

The new manager was ORDERED to have the shops open for this past "Cheyenne Depot Days", by an Executive Vice-President in Omaha. However, NON of the Steam Crew were present, and tour information was provided by volunteers. NOT a good scene!!!

Just what is the "new mgrs" deal anyway? 

Thanks for the responds. I guess maybe I'll have to go out west to see it. Meanwhile, I'll just have to look at my 2 MTH DD40's and always wonder.

There are two photos of UP DD35A 84 in New Jersey on Page 15 of Morning Sun's "Pennsy Diesel Years 1." It was the trailing unit on Train P3A and is shown entering the New York to Washington Main Line at LANE Tower located at the west end of Waverly Yard.

Bob 

Now THAT is the sixty four thousand dollar question!!!!!!

Considering the vols didn't have the info the Steam Team has, of the locos or the buildings!

Not really. Many of the Cheyenne Model Railroad members are VERY knowledgable about the Cheyenne shop complex, and did a GREAT job of showing the public around, and didn't have ANY ONE fall into a pit.

The actual "steam crew" couldn't have been bothered! 

One question I will ask, maybe Hot Water can anwser this one. How come there were ditch lights added to #6936? I just ask.

Because the FRA mandated that ALL locomotives, other than steam, had to have ditch light! Even the "Executive E Units" on the UP, as well as the "Executive F Units" on other railroads, like NS & KCS, have had to have ditch lights added. The FRA rule/mandate goes back to the 1990s.

As HW said..."other than steam".

Chris

Yes Kerrigan, they both are steam locomotives! Suggest you try re-reading my post again.

If I am not mistaken, when the FRA ditch light requirement became effective, there was -- in addition to the steam locomotive exemption -- an additional exemption, "grandfathering" locomotives then equipped with an operative white oscillating headlight.  However, by the time ditch lights became required, most railroads had given up on Mars lights and Gyralights, due to the oscillating mechanism requiring periodic mechanical maintenance.  Even those locomotives still equipped with oscillating headlights (such as Chicago Metra) now have ditch lights, which may or may not be voluntary, but is definitely a case of doing the right thing for the right reason.

In any event, the triangular light pattern of the headlight and ditch lights has become familiar and most people instantly recognize it as a warning that it indicates the front end of a train.

Tom....you may not have to go too far west!!  Union Pacific DDA40X #6938 is parked on display in front of the Jenks Shops in North Little Rock...  If you do a search on Google typing in the cab number of the locomotive, you will see plenty of pictures of her especially on Youtube....

Alan

I thought there might be some kind of exemption or waiver:

Rusty

http://www.johnweeks.com/cente.../centJenksShops.html

Thanks Alan!

Dang, WTF?? Back in the early 2000's I called the U.P. Historical Society in Omaha for info about the Cheyenne turntable and they gave me the phone number for the steam shop. I called and whoever I spoke with was really nice & informative..he said come on out and you can take all the pic's and measurements you need..and you can check out all the engines & shops while your here!