As some of you may already know, I’m going to model the UP in 1940-1945. It was origionaly going to be '45 but I thought I’d better do a bigger era to get more variety. Now I have some questions. I need to know what locos the UP rostered in this era and what how long the rolling stock should be. I would also like some peoples opinion on this as well, should I use E-Z track or Atlas with cork roadbed or some other track. Any answers will be apreciated![;)]
4884bigboy,
As you may know from my posts I am building a layout with Santa Fe late '40s early '50s. However, via google I found this site which will be of good use for UP history. http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/history/
I use code 83 flextrack on cork purchased from my LHS.
Can’t help you with the UP locomotive roster information, but during that time period 40’ cars would have predominated. There would have been some 50’ cars and still quite a few 36’ cars. I’d go with Atlas code 83 flextrack and cork. It works well for me.
Tom Watkins
The last UP steam power was built during this era.
You should try to look at a copy of William W. Kratville and Harold E. Ranks’ Motive Power of the Union Pacific, Omaha, Nebraska: Barnhart Press, 1960. (Seventh printing: 1982).
I would suggest using flextrack, so that you can make your curves as broad as possible. The UP was known for running the absolute largest locomotives they could get their hands on, and to do so required a mainline that was about as straight as a curve can be! I know you’ll have to make compromises based on the space you have available, but with flex you could make just a part of the curve be sharp and then hide that in a tunnel or behind some scenery, and then broaden it out again where it is visible. If you are planning on running a Big Boy or Challenger, I suggest you experiment a bit with some flex to see just how tight a curve it’ll run on, and what it looks best on.
Hey, 4884bigboy, I also model UP during WWII. I got a lot of good information from here:
http://utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-loco-chron-02.htm
Hmm…early desiels are in here too, as well as a few Electrics. not a bad era for variety.
Jay
Indeed, the 40’s is one of the most popular eras for model railroading–you can do both steam and diesel, and the steam is the big articulated monsters and slick-looking streamliners while the diesels are sleek-noised E’s and F’s. Definitely a high-water mark for locomotive styling using either power method…
indeed, UP would have been running things like the “Big Boy” articulated, about the only thing that could put SP’s articulated cab-forwards in their place…
Hmm, judging by that web page I guess the UP didn’t use F units in this era. Oh well, I personaly like the F’s, but E’s are alright. I had no idea that they had a 2-8-8-2![:D] Cool![8D]
well could always expand your timeline to 1947 and geta few F3’s, could even run them in your set time and pretend they were prototypes in testing. 
Jay.
Hmm, good idea! [:)]
It was during the WWII era that the UP used some former Norfolk & Western Y-3 2-8-8-2s.
They got rid of them after the war (too slow). The Santa Fe and the Pennsy used the same engines during the War
Dave Nelson