May 1972 -- Switching at Long Beach was Union Pacific GP9 318, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1957, retired in 1982 and scrapped in 1986.
1972 -- Union Pacific NW2 1051, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1947, retired in 1982 and scrapped in 1983, at East Los Angeles yard.
March 1974 -- Union Pacific GP20 484, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1960, retired in 1980 and sold to Precision National, on its way around Sullivan's Curve.
March 1974 -- Union Pacific GP35 761, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964 and retired in 1984, drifted down Cajon Pass at Cajon.
March 1974 -- Just after sunrise, Union Pacific U50C 5021, built by General Electric in 1971, retired in February 1978 and scrapped in June 1978, descended Blu Cut in Cajon Pass.
August 1974 -- Union Pacific E9A 954, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955, retired in 1980 and subsequently scrapped the same year, sat in Spokane, Washington.
August 1974 -- Union Pacific U50C 5035, built by General Electric in 1971, retired in 1978 and scrapped the same year, arrived at East Los Angeles yard.
April 1975 -- Union Pacific U30C 2815, built by General Electric in 1972, retired in 1987 and traded to General Electric, passed through Colton with its eastbound train.
8/8/1975 -- Union Pacific DD40AX 6906, built by General Electric in 1969, retired in 1984 and scrapped in 1986, and Union Pacific DD40AX 6936, built by General Electric in 1971 and was donated to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America in December 2022, passing Colton Tower westbound.
8/8/1975 -- Union Pacific DD35A 72, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965, leading all B units though Riverside Junction. It was retired in 1981 and sold to Bargains Galore in Vancouver, Washington on May 3, 1982 and scrapped in Tacoma.
August 1975 -- Leading a freight out of Spokane was Union Pacific GP9 314, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1957. It was retired in 1981 and sold to Santa Fe, becoming yard slug 104:4 in 1982 and paired with Santa Fe GP7 1321. In 2002, it became BNSF 3953.
August 1975 -- Union Pacific GP9B 142B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1954, was between assignments in Spokane. It was retired in July 1976 and sold to Precision National Corporation in September 1976 then sold to Illinois Central Gulf and rebuilt as Illinois Central Gulf GP10 8304, sold to VMV then to the United States Army as 4608 in February 1992. In 2002, it became Joseph Transportation 8307.
1975 -- Union Pacific SD24 411, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959 and retired in 1977, making its way east through Colton. It was sold to Precision National Corporation in October 1977 then sold to Illinois Central Gulf and rebuilt as Illinois Central Gulf SD20 2010 in February 1980, then Illinois Central 2010. It was then sold to National Railway Equipment in February 1995, became Indiana Harbor Belt 2921 in 1996 and Cargill Incorporated 605 in 2016.
1975 -- Union Pacific SD45 3645, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968, going through the cut in Sullivan's Curve as work starts on the realignment of the tracks through the curve. It was re-numbered Union Pacific 45 in 1979, then retired in 1985 and scrapped in August of that year.
January 1976 -- Union Pacific SD24B 402B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959, coming onto the joint Santa Fe trackage at Riverside Junction. It was retired in 1977 and sold to Precision National Corporation.
January 1976 -- Union Pacific SD24 402, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959, retired in October 1982 and scrapped in November 1985, went by the East Los Angeles hump yard during my 50 mile bicycle ride for my Boy Scout Cycling Merit Badge.
April 1976 -- Union Pacific DD40AX 6914, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969 and retired in June 1985, led its train west through Cajon. It was traded to EMD in August 1986 and scrapped.
June 1976 -- At San Bernardino, Union Pacific SD45 3643, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968, leads the eastbound Coal Liner from Kaiser Steel in Fontana back to Utah. It became Union Pacific 43 in 1979 and retired in 1981, then wrecked and scrapped that year.
1976 -- Union Pacific GP30B 715B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963, sits between assignments at Colton. It was retired in 1983 and sold for scrap in 1986.
1977 -- Union Pacific DDA35 73, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965, retired in 1981 and scrapped in 1982, Union Pacific DD35 74B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964, retired in 1979 and scrapped in 1980, Union Pacific DD35 94B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964, retired and scrapped in 1980, crossing Cajon Creek on its way towards Sullivan's Curve.
1977 -- Union Pacific DD35A 79, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965, retired in August 1981 and scrapped in April 1982, Union Pacific DD35B 85B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964, retired in October 1979 and scrapped in January 1981, and Union Pacific DD35B 73B, nee Union Pacific DD35B 5655, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963 and retired in April 1980 and scrapped in November 1980, up the grade of Cajon Junction.
1977 -- Union Pacific DDA35 83, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965, retired in 1979 and scrapped in 1980, led the livestock express through Walnut, in the eastern part of Los Angeles County, as seen on a bicycle ride from Santa Ana.
1977 -- Leading a special train at San Bernardino on a rainy morning was Union Pacific E9A 960, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955, retired and scrapped in 1980, and Union Pacific E8A 928, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950. It was retired in 1980 and donated to Western Heritage Museum in Omaha, Nebraska in July 1981, without diesel engines or traction motors, but stored outside and damaged by weather and vandals. Ownership reverted to Union Pacific about 2000 and it was moved to Cheyenne for storage and use as parts source with possible project to remove the front section for separate display.
December 1977 -- Union Pacific SD45 3647, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1968, makes its way west through Cajon Station. In March 1979, it was re-numbered Union Pacific 47 and retired in May 1985 and scrapped in September 1975.
April 1979 -- Union Pacific SDP35 1405, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1965, retired in 1985 and scrapped, paid a rare visit to San Bernardino.
October 1979 -- Union Pacific GP40X 9005, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1978, led a solid set of that model through Cajon. It became Union Pacific 95 in 1985 then was re-numbered 959 in 1990, then retired in May 2001.
1979 -- Union Pacific SD40 3015, nee Chicago and North Western 6880, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1974 and retired in 2001, led two two Missouri Pacific SD40-2's westbound through Streeter Avenue in Riverside.
1979 -- Eastbound Union Pacific DD40AX 6940, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1971, retired in 1985 and scrapped in 1986, was climbing through Alray.
April 1980 -- Union Pacific SD24 448, nee EMD demonstrator 5579, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1958, switches the through cars off the Desert Wind at Ogden Union Station. It was rebuilt by EMD to an SD24 and sold to Union Pacific in August 1961. For warranty purposes, Union Pacific's records show the unit as being built in August 1960, the same time that EMD rebuilt the locomotive. The builder's plate showed the build date as July 1958.
August 1980 -- Union Pacific GP9 180, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1954, retired in 1982 and scrapped in 1983, led a local out of Pocatello, Idaho.
August 1980 -- Union Pacific SD7 454, nee Union Pacific 779, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1953, retired in 1982 and scrapped in 1986, rested near the hump at Pocatello, Idaho. From June 1974 to November 1982, it was mated with SD40 3031 and the pair of slugs were first assigned to North Platte and given road number S2.
August 1980 -- Union Pacific GP30B 729B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1963 and retired in 1983, then scrapped in 1986, waited for departure from Pocatello, Idaho.
August 1981 -- Union Pacific TR5A 1871, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951 and became Union Pacific SW10 1241 in September 1982, and Union Pacific TR5 1871B, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951, retired in April 1982 and scrapped in September 1982, switch the yard in Pocatello, Idaho during a heavy thunderstorm.
September 1981 -- The second smallest of all Union Pacific units was Union Pacific 44 ton switcher 903999 seen coming west through Summit. Built by General Electric as demonstrator 1399 in 1947, it was first assigned to yard switching duties in the Omaha area, then as shop switcher for Omaha Shops; transferred to the System Roadway (maintenance-of-way) department, moved to Pocatello, Idaho and renumbered UP 03999 in October 1956. In late 1972, it was moved to Omaha for a complete rebuild which was completed in February 1973 and used as Omaha shop switcher until retirement in 1974.
It was sold to Diesel Supply Company in June 1974, who sold it to General Dynamics, Electric Boat Division in Groton, Connecticut in August 1974 and shipped from Omaha on August 19, 1974. While at General Dynamics, it was named "Diane" and was donated to Danbury Railroad Museum in Danbury, Connecticut in June 2006.
June 1982 -- Union Pacifc GP38-2 2015, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1974, rested in Yakima, Washington. It was re-numbered in October 2002 as 515.
July 1982 -- In the dead line at Cheyenne, Wyoming during the national railroad strike was Union Pacific gas turbine electric locomotive 18, built by General Electric in 1960 and retired in 1970. An example of the most powerful locomotive ever built in America, it was rated at 10,000hp and consisted of the cab unit; the main power unit containing a turbine engine, similar to a jet engine, numbered 18B; and a tender to carry fuel for the turbine. The railroad designed these locomotives specifically to pull freight trains between Omaha, Nebraska and Ogden, Utah and 18 is one of only two in preservation. Their poor fuel economy and high maintenance costs of the turbine led to their retirement in the late 1960s.
18 was sold to Continental Leasing Group and shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Company in Riverside, Missouri then donated to the Smoky Hill Railway and Historical Society for its Kansas City Railroad Museum on May 6, 1977
and stored at Dodson, Missouri by October 1988, then moved to Illinois Railway Museum in 1992.
1983
1982 -- Union Pacific SD40-2 3138, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1972, led an Office Car Special east into Summit. It was re-numbered Union Pacific 1929 in 2014.
With the passing of this caboose at Walnut in May 1977, we end our trip back in time.
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