Union Pacific on the Alaska Railroad
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- Опубликовано: 8 фев 2025
- Union Pacific on the Alaska Railroad?? Yes, you read it correctly. In the summer of 2024, the ARR leased three EMD SD70M locomotives for a short six months. There are several locomotives are due for major repairs and rebuilds, with the busy summer season power was needed. At the same time, a pair of ex-KCS SD70MACs were purchased outright which haven't made it to my video camera yet.
The Union Pacific units were used as trailing units only as they were not PTC equipped and were mainly used between Anchorage and Whittier on barge trains only making a few trips north to Fairbanks. This video actually documents the first time a Union Pacific locomotive making the trip to Fairbanks. As of October 2024, the Union Pacific units were returned before the end of their lease.
![BLACK BAG - Official Trailer [HD] - Only in Theaters March 14](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Du0Xp8WX_7I/mqdefault.jpg)
Pretty amazing to see diesel locomotives all the way from the mainland United States work in Alaska. Cool footage of Alaska railroad sights I've never seen before!
@@CEO100able oh yes, we get visitors that roam the rails every once in a while. Thanks for watching!
Anything from CSX?
@@csxrailfanfoamer8118 sometimes.
Nice Catch
I actually got a photo of one of those up locomotives back in August heading south on the Glenn highway. I thought that the railroad bought it since my brother who works for them told me about the kcs sd70mac's they bought.
@@AKSaber907 there was an option to buy the UP motors when the lease was up, but it was declined. The UP motors were not exactly what was expected let's say. Your brother might have mentioned they were good "six axle Geeps" lol. They sure weren't as nice as our MACs. The ex-KCS units are now in our colors and numbered 4129 and 4130, kinda odd numbering but it's to denote what they are. There was supposed to be four ex-KCS units total, not sure what happed to them or the BNSF units.
@ yeah, the up locomotive I personally saw looked rough and I was several hundred feet away on the highway and trying to focus on the road as well. I believe my brother got some photos or even a video of his own of a kcs sd70mac in portage but I’d have to ask him about it.
@@rrmike90I’m his brother, I just rolled them by this summer, I did a double take seeing them run behind one of our locomotives this summer. I was seeing the northbound freight train run by talkeetna and McKinley
@@rrmike90They need to try some Gevo’s up there
@@CSXOhioRailFanPlus752 there's absolutely no desire for GE units company wide.
How sweet was that Mike, nice that you were able to finally catch one in action, nice! (Dave).
Thanks Dave! I'm sorry I missed their time in Alaska, they were not here long at all! We do have pumpkins coming in March though! I don't know how long they'll run around before getting painted.
@rrmike90 you're very welcome and no problem. Very cool indeed.
You are incredibly lucky to see those locomotives I won’t be able to see Alaska locomotives in the US before
ARR locomotives do go outside, albeit very rare.
@ out side of Alaska?
Like Canada and maybe into the US?
@@NS8100Productions yes outside of Alaska.
@ wow
Great catch Mike!
@@macsonalaska Thank you!
Excellent video well done!
As a ex-locomotive engineer, I noticed the unit was in the rear. Crews would probably freeze to death in those things.
Still an interesting catch, I remember those ARR units being run through Proviso yard in Chicago.
A little bit of irony.😅
Wow really? That's really cool! What year did you see them come through? I assume it was the straight MACs and not the HEP equipped MACs. Most are 25 years old now.
@rrmike90 Early to mid-2000's. I don't quite remember exactly when. 🤔
@pauljensen5699 oh you probably saw the HEP equipped MACs then, that's the time frame they arrived.
I saw one of those up in Fairbanks a few months ago but never managed to get a photo of it. It's pretty cool to see something like that up here.
@@Alaska_Aviation super cool man, I'm glad you got to see it!
Also just outside of Fairbanks is Eielson Air Force Base which rosters a pair of GP40-2s(both ex B&O I believe) to switch out coal loads for their power plant as well as other freight on their 11 mile trackage. Out of the four major branches of the military, the USAF has the best motive power(I'm ex USAF and railroad as well).
@@nicktynan1355 how can one get photos of the USAF Geeps? I've inquired with a few people but nothing ever came of it. I did see one of then one time while working on the track outside of the base property. I can't remember the name of the spot...
Got to see foreign power on the Alaskan Railroad what a legendary site
It really was! Thanks for watching!
EMDs 645 and 710 my favorite locomotives they make replacement parts for them and they’re reliable and sound better at run 8
@@williamgreeter1855 we're an all EMD railroad for sure. Our original 15 GP40-2 units are still on the rosters since new, almost 50 years now! The SD70MACs are now pushing 25 years of age.
How cool! Wonder what the process was for getting the UP locomotives up to the ARR
huh? barge??
They were more than likely barged up through Whittier, the ARR has a good sized operation down there
You noticed they are EMD not Wabtec
Ferried via Seattle
They came up on the barge and were offloaded in Whitter. All rail equipment comes and goes via barge in Whittier.
the trailing unit was up 4479 formerly 4014 while the big boy is restored
@@dannyvasquez4581 you jogged a memory, I remember reading something about the diesel 4014 being renumbered, I didn't remember it was 4479. What happened to the original 4479?
@@rrmike90 wrecked as of 2009 in oakwood
@@dannyvasquez4581 thanks for the info!
I get it that the UP units weren't exactly what ARR was expecting, but if you needed the leased power, why send them back before the lease was up?
@@johndow901 by the time the UP units were all online the busy season was starting to wind down. With two ex-KCS units being put into service not long after the arrival of the UP units and two ex-BNSF units on the way this year, they became redundant.
1 question, how did a Union Pacific locomotives got to Alaska there’s no train tracks that go from Canada to Alaska?
@@miguelduenas4184 every piece of railroad equipment is transported to Alaska via a barge that comes from Seattle. The main port for all freight on the Alaska Railroad is in Whittier.
So, how did they get up there?
They came up and left on a barge. All railroad equipment comes and goes via a rail barge. The barge comes from Seattle and is offloaded in Whittier.
@ that’s cool. My wife and I are coming up there for the month of May. Will be cool to see the ARR on its rails. I still think it is stupid that the US and Canada won’t build the Alaska, Canada, lower 48 rail connection. Maybe when Trump makes them a state. 😁
@@tommyhunter1817 the US and Canada don't really have anything to do with why the ARR or any railroad in that matter hasn't crosse from Alaska to Canada. It's a really long long story to explain here, but look up A2A, Alberta to Alaska, it's the closest Alaska got to an outside connection. Unfortunately it was a huge money laundering scheme. Trump did grant a border crossing for this project in 2019, but that's it really.
@ I have read about that.
it wasnt money laundering. iirc sean (the only shareholder of the company) was stealing money from their financial backer for personal benefit
That's a bit far from home 😅
Just a little bit!
how much do the ARR get a day i wanna get a picture of them one day
@CentralVARails I'm sorry I don't quite understand your question, please rephrase.
@ how busy is the Alaska railroad
@CentralVARails depends on what time of year. In the summer there are daily freight and passenger trains, depending on what day of the week over the entire railroad there can be 9 passenger trains, 5 to 6 freights including gravel and locals around Anchorage and Fairbanks, 1 to 2 work trains, the occasional extra, and don't forget the various MOW and B&B on track equipment. In the winter it really slows down with one round-trip Anchorage Fairbanks passenger train, daily freights minus the gravel, and maybe a work train if needed. Depending on the time of winter there are a few holiday themed trains, and event trains like the Hoo Doo Choo Choo out of Fairbanks and the annual Curry Ski Train. And there's various MOW crews out and about maintaining the railroad. I hope this helps!