Locomotive history

[flyboy2610]

I have a Union Pacific SD7, # 457. I THINK it's made by Athearn, I can't remember now. I did a search on "Union Pacific #457", and found this:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=58877

I also have Bachmann's 0-6-0 Union Pacific #4441 in Greyhound scheme. It turns out that UP did in fact have an 0-6-0 switcher #4441, but as far as I have been able to find out, it was never in Greyhound scheme. So Bachmann gets 1/2 point for that one.
According to:
http://www.ntrack.nl/union-pacific-eng.html
It was retired in 1949.

I also have Bachmann's 4-8-4 #806 in Greyhound scheme. UP did, in fact, have a 4-8-4 # 806. She joined the roster in 1937.
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/up.shtml
Here is her builders photo:
http://www.steamlocomotive.com/northern/up806-full.jpg

And 806 WAS, in fact, one of the UP locomotives to wear the Greyhound scheme for passenger service:
http://utahrails.net/up/ttg-northerns.php
Actually, all the 4-8-4's did when they were assigned to passenger service.
Bachmann even got the striping color (yellow) correct. So Bachmann gets a full point for this one.

While some model manufacturers may just pull a number out of their *** to assign to a locomotive, that's not always the case. It's fun to do research and see how accurate your locomotive model really is.

 

[UP2CSX]

The road numbers and paint schemes are a lot more accurate now than they used to be. You still get some foobie paint schemes, like the 0-6-0, but road numbers are pretty accurate. Ten years ago, companies like Bachmann, AHM, and Tyco regularly issued models with paint schemes for railroads that never owned that type of locomotive, let alone worrying about the number.

 

[gabby]

Flyboy thats a pretty big snowplow on the back of that SD9 and what is that exhaust pipe on the side at the back end.

 

[flyboy2610]

Flyboy thats a pretty big snowplow on the back of that SD9 and what is that exhaust pipe on the side at the back end.

I'm guessing the snowplow was added for the Denver winter, since that's where the photo was taken in October of '74. I don't know about the exhaust, the model doesn't have it.

 

[UP2CSX]

That pipe is a breather pipe for the diesel tank. It was added by the UP and some other railroads when they got high speed deisel fuel so the tank didn't over pressure. The plow was common on UP engines everywhere from Nevada east during the winter. You can see that the SD-7 still had the long end marked as front, so that's the end with the big plow. They used to have some monster plows ofm their F units too.

 

[gabby]

Now that I have the front from the back sorted out it makes sense with the plow.

Jim that breather pipe sure looks like an exhaust. Is it for the main fuel tank or is there another one inside the car body. I would have thought that there would have been a breather for the main fuel tank somewhere near it.

 

[UP2CSX]

No, it's a breather. If you look close, you'll see it comes right out of the rear of the fuel tank. The round thing on top is a pressure relief vave.