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Dirty and doing what they are supposed to be doing, U50C 5017 and a pair of GE U30Cs descend Sherman Hill on Track 2 just east of Granite, Wyoming, April 5, 1975.
Doug Harrop Collection
Doug was a big fan of EMD - GE - Alco "double diesel" locomotives. He spent time trackside in the 1970s and 80s catching EMD DD35 and DDA40X series locomotives.
At some point, he acquired this Kodachrome slide of a factory fresh GE U50C model photographed at the Burlington Route shops in Cicero, Illinois. The photographer's name is not listed on the original slide.
Union Pacific acquired 40 U50Cs from GE between 1969 and 1971. The model was built with specifications to mirror EMD's production DDA40X model. The series were designed and built to power high priority UP freight trains.
Sadly, the U50C model was not successful. The weight saving measures to use six axle tracks (rather than eight) lead to stress cracking. Using aluminum wiring (rather than copper) in production lead to overheating and numerous electrical fires.
When traffic levels waned in the mid-1970s, the U50Cs were placed in storage. The series would never run again, and were retired from the roster and sold for scrap between 1977 and 1978.
Closest I got to seeing one of the U50C's in action was 5021 moving around the servicing area. And, it had to turn its back to me.
4-20-75
It's Memorial Day weekend 1970 and a large group of camera-toting rail fans have converged on the Windy City to shoot trains during the three-day break. One of those shots includes brand new UP #5008 which is headed for Omaha.
Reached WAY back for this, as I'm sure I posted it sometime in the beginning of my Flickr postings. A Lightroom re-edit seemed to make it worthwhile to post it again. This was from what was essentially my first real exposure to the mighty Union Pacific, and this train is charging up that OTHER hill going east from Cheyenne to Archer. Once they top out there, the trip, almost 500 miles to Omaha (and the Missouri River), is mostly downhill! This is typical U.P. of the '70s: Big Power in Big Country. The eastbound freight is behind three U50c's (5006-5025-5011) and you can bet it's making a lot of noise. Later on, in August, I would be working for Rock Island out of Limon, Colorado, and the KC-Denver mainline was often dominated by the eight axle version of these things, the "U50"; they were called "whirlybirds" and when you heard them starting up the hill to Cedar Point, after making the statutory stop for the Rock's diamond crossing, it sounded like the Vietnam village attack scene in the movie "Apocalypse Now."
There are some sights and sounds that stick with you forever. UP U50C #5025 was that and more. Of all my years of train photography, I don't recall ever seeing or hearing a sound that actually sent me running for cover more than this westbound freight with two Rock Island U-boats chasing the leader. (Note that my traveling companions were already running for cover.)
The westbounf BDS at Walnut, CA on June 10, 1973. U50C's 5007 and 5025 lead a mix of four B-units on this Las Vegas to East Los Angeles drag freight.
A lone UP U50C sits in the old Barstow East Yard narrows, which affords us this great top down roster shot of the unique beast.
Kodacolor Negative by Bob Black- John Black Collection. 1671
U.P. eastbound freight passes "East Topeka" at 1510 behind GP40, U50c (R.I.4704-5031.) The Rock Island had trackage rights on Union Pacific, from "S.J. Junction" at the west end of the EwePee's passenger station (through which this train has just passed) all the way to Kansas City, Kansas. However, I'd guess this is really a EwePee train that is continuing on their own "KP" (Kansas Pacific) mainline, rather than coming off the Rock. As desperate as the Rock always was for power by this time, and even though the Rock's track structure was capable of handling the Big Bruiser GE, I never recall seeing or hearing of one of these 5000h.p. monsters ever making a trip on Rock Island. However, those of us who observed or worked for the Rock would always "never say never" when considering what motive power antics they were willing to pull off!
On an early May morning, twin-engined UP #5021 waits to be placed on a CB&O-UP pool train bound for Omaha, and its final setup. Less than two weeks old, the new GE is powered by 2500-hp engines and designed for handling high-speed manifests.
UP 5035 and a sister U50C bask in the Oasis sunshine of the posh California city of Yermo while a crew change is being performed. Soon the UP 5035 will be running wide open across the Mojave desert towards "The City of Lights", Las Vegas, and another crew change point.
Kodacolor Negative by Bob Black John Black Collection. 1670
Continuing with the big UP power, Union Pacific 5039 has arrived in Council Bluffs with the "Rock Island P&M" from North Platte.
Rock Island U25B 234, second out, would attain minor celebrity status after getting "The ROCK" paint years later and then being sold off to Maine Central, where New England fans put it high on their target list while patched.
Photo is credit to R. C. Leachman, another fine action photographer who captured railroading out West in the high horsepower era.
A year old when lensed on 04-02-1972, this General Electric U50C with two Rock Island helpers struggles upgrade towards the Missouri River Bridge at Council Bluffs, Iowa. These 5000 hp monsters were not successful, with the main ailment being failures in the electrical wiring, being that aluminum wires were used instead of copper. Big screw-up on GE’s part! As the diesels rolled on the miles, stress cracks developed in the cast frames; the engines frequently developed low oil pressure; and the dynamic brake grids were prone to melting down…………………….so in 1976 all were withdrawn from service and scrapped during 1977-1978. They sure had an amazing sound.
A sad ending to a sad story, U50C 5001 sits in the bone yard at Council Bluffs, IA back in 1976. Just a little over five years old, the 5001's career is over. Forty of these were built for the Union Pacifc and I believe none survived. I hope I'm wrong because they sure looked and sounded neat.
Further east on the Union Pacific's Kansas Division, a UP westbound freight is headed by an SD35, U50c (N&W1566-5002.) The Rock Island also had trackage rights on this stretch between KC and Topeka, but on the few miles I followed on my way from western Iowa (where I attended my Grandmother's funeral) to my home in Tulsa, there was only this welcome distraction from the rain-soaked all day drive. This train could be headed from KC to Denver, or more likely it would branch off west of Topeka to head for the Omaha main line at Gibbon, Nebraska. I don't know if I encountered that lead unit on the Wisconsin Central many years later when they leased some former N&W SD35's from EMD.
From the time machine...A 5,000 HP GE U50C leads an eastbound UP manifest crossing from main 1 to main 2 at Overton, NE in Nov 1972.
Union Pacific's North Platte engine facilities has seen a lot, an awful lot, of locos in its time. I can only imagine what the servicing racks have seen in their day. This scene in July of 1976 must have seemed pretty mundane back then. Power from BN, SP, and CNW mingle with the host road. There's only a couple of Centennials to be seen, and though we also saw some U50C's there, none are in this shot. Just another day on the railroad.
An empty Commonwealth Edison coal train leaves Omaha behind as it rolls west behind UP #5006 and two C&NW SD40s
Bob Jordan photo
Two very different pieces of UP motive power are stationed at the UP diesel racks in Denver ready for another assignment. GP30 700 was built in February 1963 and would be scrapped in October 1983. U50C 5026 was built in June 1971 and would be scrapped in June 1978.
Denver, CO
Circa 1972
Train of the Day
7/28/20
Three U50C's, with 5005 on the point, plus 2 GP30's, drift down Cajon Pass in San Bernardino. This view of the w/b "PLA" is from January 9, 1972.
On your marks, get ready, set, GO! Three trains lead by minority (for the time) built units look to race eastward from North Platte. U50C's and one of only 10 Century 630's. (on the UP)
U50C 5035 heads up a short eastbound drag, probably a "LVE", through City of Industry, CA in May of 1974. Trailing the big GE are 4 EMD "B-units", a GP30B/ SD24B/and two GP9B's and they may be "Omaha GP20B's".
When we made it out to Council Bluffs, we expected to see a lot of Union Pacific's unique large power. We found several old U50C's and running Centennials. But we didn't expect to find so many handsome E units still around. We had figured that Amtrak got most of them, but Uncle Pete kept a bunch for himself. We found at least ten to twenty still on the property, and in good shape to boot.
U50C 5028, SD45 3632 and DD35A 82 lead an eastbound manifest past the SFE depot and the "Casa del Desierto" Barstow Harvey House in Barstow, CA on May 27, 1974. The train is either a SLE or LVE and is headed up by a consist that only UP could assemble. Today, Amtrak train#'s 3 & 4 stop here and the historic Harvey House is home to several museums, including the Western America RR Museum and the Barstow Area CC. Only one track here survives for Amtrak as the mainline was moved to the south by about a hundred feet or so.
All UP info from UtahRails.net. Retired March 8, 1977. Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in August 1977. Photo at Council Bluffs, IA.
Power from another era. Under threatening skies on the high Wyoming grasslands west of Laramie, Union Pacific SD40 3017 leads a westbound at Bosler. Assisting are two of the UP’s unique double-engine locomotives, EMD DD35A number 81 and GE U50C number 5014.
July 1974
All UP info from UtahRails.net. Retired March 8. 1977. Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in August 1977. Photo at Council Bluffs, IA.
I posted a photo of #858 with the same U50C trailing in Manhattan, Kansas. This shot was taken in Kansas City, Kansas in July 1976.
Detouring over the SP between City of Industry and Colton due to a derailment on the SFe between Riverside Jct and Colton, UP's e/b "LAD" meets the SP "ABSM" at the west end of Walnut, CA on 1/31/1973. DD35A 81 is assisted by a U50C and 3 GP30's, while a SP U30C heads up the Advance Blue Streak.
GE U50c #47 sits with compartment doors open, revealing some of the inner workings.
196612.2KC07-05ei
Eastbound Union Pacific Railroad manifest freight train led by U50C locomotive no. 5005 heads toward Omaha, Nebraska, in late afternoon of June 1973. Photograph by J. Parker Lamb, © 2017, Center for Railroad Photography and Art. Lamb-02-104-01
A Bob Jackson photo showing a UP GE U50C leading two SD24B's and a GP9 b unit out of North Platte . Only on the UP! 3rd June 1974
All UP info from UtahRails.net. Retired March 8, 1977. Sold for scrap to Erman Corp., Turner, Kans., in May 1977. Photo at Council Bluffs, IA
I was in Viet Nam, a Marine serving our nation when this beast was constructed in 1969. Here on 04-02-1972 Union Pacific #5007 a monster U50C hauls the 5000 and an SD24 up and out of the Council Bluffs, IA yard approaching the Missouri River bridge.
The sound was awesome!!
GE's gather at North Platte, NE on Sept. 3, 1972. There are a few EMD's lurking in the background though, including a SP tunnel motor, a DDA40X and a SD40-2. Off to the right out of view is UP U50 49 in the consist with the two BN GE's. Needed a wide angle lens with me I guess.
Here is the X5037west at Colton, CA on Feb 20, 1972. The consist is three U50C;s and a lone SD45 on what looks like the "LAM".
With low clouds partially obscuring Mt. San Gorgonio, and the Winter sun almost gone, UP's w/b "LAM" drops down into Walnut. CA on Feb. 04, 1973. Trailing the U30C/U50C/U30C/GP30 loco consist are a couple of carloads of DC10 wing assemblies for McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach. It was just announced this week that the last of the C17's will be rolling off the floor in Long Beach and that will be that! A lot of changes at this location. This is now two main track territory, and all of the "flat land" on both sides is covered by huge tilt-up warehouses and the tarmac that surrounds them.
Union Pacific Railroad GTEL (Gas Turbine Electric Locomotive) 24 at Council Bluffs, Iowa on an unknown day in October 1963, Kodachrome by Dick Rumbolz, Chuck Zeiler collection. Number 24 was built in January 1961 (c/n 34081; B-unit, 24B c/n 34082), retired around 1970 and traded to GE. The trucks were re-used under the U50C's.