UP DDA40X 6944

Don't be confused by the term "restoration". The DDA40X will be COSMETICALLY restored, i.e. fix the body work and repaint her. There is no way they could ever get those special 645 engines nor their components, especially the turbochargers. It would be less expensive to "restore" the N&W Y6a from the Saint Louis Transportation Museum.

I'd love to travel to PA just to see it......a cool loco!!! I built on in HO years ago when they were not made other than brass$$$$

When will this move to Altoona happen?

It's actually moving to Chattanooga.  UP picked the engine up yesterday and it has yet to be transferred to NS in St. Louis.  It should move over the Louisville District to the CNO&TP at Danville for her trip south to Chattanooga if the plan goes accordingly.  I believe the FTs are still in Chattanooga as well.

She's in Decatur, IL right now - going to be routed through Cincinnati and south down the CNO&TP.  I think the tight curve in Harrodsburg (KY) gave NS some concern with the four axle truck so they're avoiding putting her on the Louisville District.

Hot Water,

What are the differences between the oil engines in a DDA40X and , say an SD40?

The DDA40X units had/have the higher HP 16-645E3A engine, which is rated at 950 RPM at full load, plus the E3A engines had the newest "high capacity" turbocharger.

 

The SD40 units had the "standard" 16-645E3 model engine, with a full load speed rating of 900 RPM.

 

The "40-2" series of units had/have the improved fuel economy 16-654E3B engine, which had its version of the newest "high efficiency" turbocharger and fire-ring pistons. There are many other internal component differences between the "E3" engine and the "E3B" engines, plus many improvement in the crankcase structure. The 50 series units had the much improved again, 16-645F3, and later the 16-645F3B engines with full load rated speeds of around 920 RPM, with resulting higher HP (3500 and 3600 HP respectively).

So this means this engine is not coming to Altoona? Or is it going to be fixed up in Chattanooga?

The 6944 is not even going to be "fixed up". The NS made " deal" with the St Louis Transportation Museum to "borrow" the N&W Y6a 2-8-8-2 for 5 years, and as "pay back" the NS will be cosmetically repairing and repainting the former UP DDA40X, plus the original EMD FT demonstrator. The demonstrator will reportedly be repainted at Altoona, while the DDA40X will be repainted at Chattanooga, TN. That is the latest plan, so far.

The latest information, just posted on TrainOrders.com (Eastern Railroads), indicates that the DDA40X 6944 is currently on a train enroute to Altoona. Guess things changed.

Does this "borrowing" of the Y by NS include making it operational?

I guess you would have to ask Mr. Moorman, CEO of Norfolk Southern.

Too bad they cannot get the Pacific out of the Smithstonian in Washingtom DC!

Don't know that they would want to. NS use of the Southern 2-8-0 #630, requires diesel just about every place it runs on NS, due to the size of the passenger train. That Southern PS4 probably would pull much more, and with passenger/steam operations limited to only 40 MPH, what would be the point. Besides, Southern Mike #4501 is due to be finished and operational in September.

UP 6944 is in Conway, as we speak!   17:15 / Tues. PM.   I like this fix 2156 talk; Hey it would be cheaper than fixing a GG1 !   

I see here in this picture   http://www.railpictures.net/vi...id=491125&nseq=3   that as of yesterday UP 6944 is in Altoona PA. Does anybody know if you can see it from a location in the yard or see it in person? I read that it will be in Altoona for a long time, how long will he be there? If there going to fix up 6944, is UP going to be the roadname when they repaint it or a different roadname? Also, what is the purpose of doing this restoration, since I can't find no explaination? Is it for bringing it back to operation or fixing it back up to go back to the museum?

 

What is 2156?

 

The Y6a that "was" at the St Louis Museum of Transprtation.

 

 

 

 

2156 has been removed from that spot and is being prepared to move east!

Well, yes and no. Some NS Mechanical Dept. folks have been "looking over" the air brake system, and then someone must figure out what needs to be removed from the  running gear for a dead-in-tow move. Plus, the traffic level is WAY up on NS with resulting crew shortages. Then add when the UP, and TRRA will ever get the 2156 delivered to NS,,,,,and it could be a pretty long time before it finally arrives in Roanoke.

Any new updates on 6944, there's got to be some update?

Yeah it's in Altoona....

 

 

Restoring the FT to running condition would be far more practical...

Yea right!  First, the Altoona Works is NOT restoring the DDA40X to "running condition", only a cosmetic restoration as trade to the Saint Louis Museum for the loan of Y6a #2156.

 

Second, it would actually be more practical, and doable, to restore the 6944 to operation, that that piece of junk FT. Besides, would could one do with only one FT anyway?

Is this the same DDA40X that UP ran and ended up hitting a dump truck at a grade crossing?

Google search "up 6936 accident" and click on images.

No. This DDA40X is the non=functional one from the museum in Saint Louis, MO. As has been stated many times, this cosmetic restoration by Norfolk Southern, is part of the payment for the five year loan of N&W Y6a #2156 to the Roanoke Transportation Museum.

Why is it junk?  The PA being rebuilt as NKP 190 was in far worse condition than the FT-A in St. Louis; should Doyle McCormack have bothered restoring it because it was basically a rusted carcass consisting of a nose, windshield, and damaged frame, stripped of all mechanical and electrical parts, and most critically its trucks?  The replacement trucks aren't identical to the original trucks - perhaps the restoration should stop because it's not authentic?  There's only going to be one running PA in the U.S. for the foreseeable future - surely it will have other power running with it as back-up, as well as providing muscle to pull a train of more than a half dozen cars or so.  That shouldn't cause folks to dismiss it because it's most likely not going to run solo on anyone's mainline.  

 

The S-BC FT A unit in Mexico was rebuilt with parts from a later F unit - I posted a link to a clip of it awhile back where it was running on the point of a train (can't tell when it was shot, but it's pulling its B-unit).  Here's a different video at the museum in Puebla where they're running it on a short stretch of track:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRleaRXh6uI

 

The shop folks in Mexico understood they had a rare engine in their hands, and did what was needed to make it capable of running.  Perhaps the St. Louis FT could be brought back to operational status and paired with that S-BC unit someday, or mated up to the remaining B units in the U.S. acting as dummies.  It's historically significant - part of the demonstrator set that showed railroads freight diesels were practical and more cost effective than steam.  That alone ought to qualify it for restoration to running status.  It's pretty much a carcass right now (more complete than the PA), but if the PA that's being rebuilt can be made to run, that FT could receive the same treatment.

 

Restoring diesels or steam that's sat for decades makes no practical sense whatsoever, but it's great to see something brought back to life.  I love PAs and FTs and would enjoy a chance to see either of them run in the future - I'm not old enough to have seen a live FT, and PAs were in the wrong part of the country for me to have seen any in action. 

 

 

Doyle specifically chose the PA that was already stripped, instead of the other "more complete looking one", because he had a MLW "B" unit which was going to be the complete "organ donner", plus he already found those trucks, all up in Canada.

I seen from the Heritage Units website today that the UP 6944 is out of the Altoona shops freshly repainted. By chance, does anybody know when they have it come back Westbound through Ohio?

Here's a link to the finished 6944   

 

http://www.railpictures.net/vi...id=531772&nseq=1

 

Does anybody know when 6944 will depart back Westbound along the Cleveland Line from Altoona?

Yes, somebody knows.

It looks great. ..number boards look odd but what a great job they did.

That looks like an Athearn add.

Did Athearn ever make a DDA40X?

Yes, they did.  Several years ago, currently not available.

 

Rusty

Yes they did. That was the first engine that I bought my son for christmas when he was a young kid. And we still have them. They were in HO. Just thought you should know.

          Tom Sr.   not Jr.

Thanks. All I remember was that DD "thing" that Athearn produced back in the mid-1960s, which EMD never actually produced.