just wandering did up ever have narrow gauge locos if so is UP# 5018 a U50C a narrow guage
i seen it in Jeff Van Cleve’s mainline stuff @ rrpicturesarchives.net
I think what you are seeing is a old Cxx-7 that has been re trucked for narrow guage track with 8 axles with 4 trucks bolstered in pairs of 2 like the U50s. These probably went through Houston and Ed’s railroad. If I remember they were headded for Brazil. If it was a U50 it would have a unique cab.
Can you give us a link?
Are there even any U50’s around anymore? Somehow, I thought that they were all scrapped.
I believe they were. Did Brian make it for lunch?
Yup…I never made it into the diner today to tell of his progress…sorry. He showed up, but Alas! the Georgetown Loop didn’t! I think they’ve been having some motive power issues, and they weren’t running anything today. Kind of a bummer.
BTW, I took a gander at some of his Cajon shots. Egads, I need to make a trip out that way! He had some excellent shots, just like yours always are from that corner of the world. Hmmmm…will have to see what my vacation schedule holds for next year methinks.
Oh man, That sucks. I was worried for a minuet that there wouldn’t be much traffic on the pass when he got here as it was rather dead for a while. Alas things picked up when he arrived. Between that and my bro Joe getting a bit drunk (and acting a fool) I think it was an entertaining visit. I just wish he would have had more time.
That would be cool if you could make it out here. I would be more then happy to play tour guide. Try and avoid summer though as it gets too hot out in the desert. That’s why this has been my first railfanning weekend in 2 months. It wasn’t that bad in the shade though whitch is why I didn’t go anywhere but hill 582 cause of the shade factor.
Sorry about jacking your thread breeze
U50s were GEs answer to the EMD DDX series…not many made, and none kept.
The narrow gauge locomotives you see are most likely C30-8, sent to Brazil over the last few years.
They cast and install their own trucks, four two axle sets, and reclass them a BB30s…and a lot of Dash 9s too.
They have a lot of EMDs there also, same thing, four B trucks.
Most of the C30s are former BN locomotives, a few CSX.
We send them on average twenty a year, they come rebuilt from NREX and places like that.
Most of the Brazilian tracks are dual gauge, standard and narrow.
Funny as all get out to see a big ole Dash 9 on those four narrow trucks, the thing looks like it should tip over on the first curve.
According to a buddy of mine down there, the additionial 2 traction motors increase the HP output up to 10%.
E mail me at
for photos of them, I have several hundred sent to me over the last few years.
Ever see a narrow gauge SD40-T2?
Ed, Could you send me some too? I will post them for all to see.(though not today as I am just about outa here)
The locomotive pictured in the photograph is a regular UP U50C with standard gauge trucks. The locomotives had a unique cab that made the profile of the unit appear to sit high and tall above the rail- which also made them look quite goofy. UP never had any narrow gauge steam or diesel.
In regards to UP’s C30-7s- they were numbered in the 2400-2500 series orginally before getting renumbered to 400-500 series to clear room for rebuilt GP38s. The number 5018 has also been occupied by a former MP SD50 and now it’s used by a ubiquitous SD70M. .
Link for those who want to see it:
Goofy?
I always thought that with those cabs the U50C and U50BB had a neat, boxy “tough American get it done look”.
Too bad that the UP and SP U50s were all scrapped during the 1970s.