I haven’t seen any recent photos of the SD90 mac locomotives are they still around and were any of the 4300 mac’s ever uprated to 6000?
I am sure there are other forum members who folllow UP and can give you a much more detailed answer but I know that all of the 6000 HP “H Engine” SD90MAC’s are off the UP roster. KCS leased some of them but has returned them to the new owners (leasing company) since.
None of the “convertible” SD90/43MACs were ever reengined due to extreme reliability problems with the 265 H engine but a number of these 16-710 4300 HP units are still on UP’s active roster…
I have seen an SD90MAC around here a few times. Union Pacific takes coal trains down the “J” and then up the branch that paralells Route 53 that leads to the Will County Generator power plant. If you go down Romeo Rd, east of 53, Will County Coal Handling usually has one of their old GP38’s (I think) parked near the fence close to the road…I’ve seen it a few times. In fact, I saw the SD90MAC last about a week or so ago.
I’m guessing you probably saw a convertible, not a true 90MAC (but I can’t promise that). The difference in spotting is a rivet counter thing (I think one has a soft transition to the roof on the hood and one is sharp.
Anyway - best place to find all answers to anything UP roster is www.utrahrails.net.
You’re talking about one of these, right?
Caught this one back in March…
I saw one in Adams, WI in late June in a MU with CNW 8646.
Saw 3 hauling a loaded coal train west at about 5 AM today. They could have been 90/43s though.
Saw one, maybe two pulling the coal train up the branch to the power plant tonight about 6:30 or so The train was approaching the Route 7/Renwick Rd. Bridge. Unfortunately I couldn’t get my camera out because of traffic.
Saw a string of straight 90-MACs in storage at North Platte last spring. Half had been turned back by that time; don’t know what’s happening with the ones I saw–but they’re no longer in use.
Were GE’s 6000 h.p. units a success?
According to both “The Diesel Shop” and “Utahrails” websites, Union Pacific still retains 21 SD90MACs with Phase II H engines (8911 - 8931) on their active roster.
I saw abt. 5 at the Rochelle Railroad Days on coal trains and manifests.
Thanks for the info, just don’t hear muc about the 6000 horse units any more
Most of these units have been sitting at Denver for a while (since about May?–moved after I saw them at North Platte). Saw a record showing one at North Little Rock.
At any rate, if they carry any numbers other than 8900s, they’re not the SD90MACs. UP 8000-8302 are SD9043MACs, and from 8303 up into the 8600s are SD70ACEs (None of the MACs should have flags; all of the ACEs do–except for the Heritage and Bush units).
The SD90s that UP returned are now lettered EMLX. KCS had leased them but recently returned them. I saw some of them in storage at Mid-America Car in KC and Metro-East in St. Louis two weeks ago. The engine problems have been resolved but electrical gremlins continue to plague the units. A couple went to the W&LE for testing to try to resolve the electrical problems.
I don’t remember what the engine number was but back in Feb of this year I took a grain train in to West Wego, LA to the grain elevators there from the Avondale Yard. Train had 2 SD90’s and 3 other engines (don’t remember what they were). Haven’t seen anymore since then. Mostly just SD70M’s
Not quite! Unless you can catch the small black lettering [UP model code] beneath the cab repo #, there are no visible clues outside the reporting mark as to which prime mover is inside.
UP SD9043AC Little Macs - {EMD model SD90MAC} 4300 hp - are numbered from 8000 - 8308. (309 locos)
UP SD90AC 6000 hp BIG MACS {EMD SD90MAC-H} numbered 8911 - 8931 (21 locos)
UP 60AC 6000 hp {GE model AC6000CW} wear 7500-7579 (80 locos)
The SD90MAC-H and SD90MAC-H2 have beveled tops to the engine compartment, while the SD9043MAC engine compartment rises straight up to the roofline. Look at the grey portion of these two locomotives above the UNION PACIFIC.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=138469
The closer locomotive is 6000 hp while the trailing locomotive is 4300 hp.
That box behind on hood behind the dynamics, or where the dynamics used to be ( I’ve heard they moved them to the rear), makes it look like an SD38-2 on steroids.[;)]
[#oops] I sit corrected! [%-)]
FWIW: the 62 BIG macs were originally numbered UP8500-8561.
8526 returned to EMD (with 40 others) when 10-year leases were not renewed.
UP kept 8501-8521, which were renumbered 8911-8931.