Is the UP DD40AX # 6936 Retired???

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Is the UP DD40AX # 6936 Retired??? A friend of mine told me he thought it was, so we found a video of it leaving Chicago on 3-21-2007. So what’s the deal with it? Retired or not??

2

I thought that they were all retired. I know that there is one slowly rusting away at the railroad museum in Union, IL. However when I went to Google the subject it appears that particular unit is being used to pull excursions, like they do with #844. Of the two, I would much rather prefer the steam option.

3

You might get better results over on the TRAINS Mag. forum.

Railroads - Trains.com Forums

I beleive 6936 is retired from regular freight service, but still pulls the UP buisness or excursion train. I think it was used in freight service a few weeks ago, but I could be wrong.

4

UP 6936 is part of the ‘Heritage’ fleet. It was pulling a business train last week…

Jim

5

I guess I should clarify my question. I meant retired from the heratige fleet. Like retired as in gutted and donated to a museum to never run again.

Thanks for the replys. I will ask over at the Trains forum too.

6

6939 just came thru Kansas City last week…

Bob

7

Union Pacific 6936 is alive and well and is part of the heritage fleet along with 844, 3985, the E-9’s and some other equipment. 6936 is mostly used in “Special” service but once in a while is seen in freight service.

6936 is fully operational as is the one in Portola at the Feather River Railroad Museum.

8

Yes 6936 is alive and well. I’ve also heard the VP in charge of maintenance of way uses it to pick up glitches in the track, as the Centennials are very sensitive to such things.

Also, I don’t believe the one in Portola is operational. In fact, they don’t even push it around their track anymore as the long D trucks push the track on their sharp curves out of gauge.

Tilden

9

Following link to a video of 6936 really hauling, supposidly taken in Texas on 2/2/0/08

http://www.rail-videos.net:80/video/view.php?id=1955

10

Thanks for the info guys! I have been a fan of the DD’s since I first purchased a Bachmann HO unit in 1984.

I still have yet to see the 6936 in person. I hope to chase it down on the Victory this summer.

11

I also would go nuts to see 6936 running. I know it has passed by where I live as recently as two weeks ago, but, UP does not put up on their web site any info regarding 936’s schedule. Any ideas how we can find out about when 6936 will be running?

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I believe she is managed by the Steam Shop so they may know something about it. Either that or use the DRGW Loco Trace site. I know that is where she stays when not in use, If you get to go there they actually let you sit in the cab if oyu want

13

God no. The UP 6936 was thru Topeka on 21 Feb 08 east bound pulling a UP business train headed back to Council Bluffs, IA.

Charlie

14

I gotta find one in HO scale!

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I caught the 6936 out here in Arzinao back in Novemeber. It was pulling an Officer speacial, 11 car passneger car consist. My freind and I waited out the desrt along the Sunset Route to watch it go by. What a site. It got stoppe dup on themain and were able to catch it once again a mile down the road. There we got some good pics and I followed it for 30 plus miles… well I tried, darn thing was moveing 70-80 MPH the whole time.

This is approaching our spot where we were waiting.

Stopped up on the main line. Thing is huge. But it has the high pitch goofy sounding horn. It was also absolutyl beautiful. Spotless, brigth lights everywhere. Looked brand new.

Then on the ride out. I wa slucky as the only other vehicle with me was a Up police agent. So we had the road to ourselves. I kid you not, this beast has some legs as we traveing 70 and 80 MPH.

16

Keep in mind that the real thing is over 98 feet long! The HO version is well over a foot long. You’ll need some pretty big radius turns for it to look anywhere near believable on a layout.

Here is a link to UP’s historical locomotive collection.

This Wikipedia page is a good source for the location of surviving DD40AX locomotives on display.

#6936 also has its own Wikipedia page.

I’m a fan of these brutes too. I noticed you are in Southern California. Have you seen #6915 at the Fairplex in Pomona?

17

I visited the Portola museum last summer, and was surprised to see 6936 parked just inside the front gate. Turns out she was on her way back from some rail-related festivity up at Dunsmuir (I think) the weekend before, and was holding over at Portola for a few days before making her way back to Cheyenne (or wherever). Short story: I have a photo with two operable DDA-40X’s in the same location!

Guess now I’ll have to figure out how to post the photo.

Tom