Can anyone tell me why UP doesn’t seem to use the new ES44ACs or SD70ACes on its coal trains? I live nearby a powerplant which UP serves in Oak Creek Wisconsin and all I’ve ever seen are AC4400CWs, C44ACCTEs, and SD90/43MACs. I haven’t found any pictures online of UP using the ES44s on coal trains either.
I have only seen them as trailing units in my area,Ive wandered why their never on the point…Only some of the Heritage units Ive seen on the point…
I don’t know about coal trains, but GEVOs are a common sight out here in Phoenix on manifest trains, either trailing, leading, or both.
The UP and BNSF need to run their Tier II emissions locomotives on services into California, some older power still operates into California, but the day is quickly coming when every locomotive running in California must meet Tier II or better. By using more Tier II power now both railroads can build up credits which will allow use of lower Tier power in California for a bit longer until all the credits are used up. The UP has begun using SD70ACes on some local freights replacing SD40-2s. This past week the UP gathered up many of the SD40-2s and SD60 operating in California for a lite engine move out of the state, there were over 20 locomotives involved.
Thanks for the info so far guys. I did think perhaps the tier II laws in California had a little to do with it. It probably keeps a lot of the SD70ACes and ES44ACs in the California area. I’ve been keeping up with the latest photos of the new UP ES44ACs coming out of Erie, PA on rrpicturearchives.net. The latest one on there is road number 7882. I bet the majority of these locos will find their way to the west coast. Slowly but surely all the older generation units will be replaced by these tier II units. I’ll miss the SD40-2s for sure. Back to the coal trains with California in mind, has anyone seen UP using ES44ACs or SD70ACes on coal trains there? The chances of seeing one there seems to be much better.
Remember California does not allow any coal burning powerplants in the state, so the only coal trains in California are a small number destined to Cement Manufacturers or for export (also very few).
Yeah with the emissions laws that makes sense