UP's grey RCL loco

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Well, I just found that UP 6344 isn’t the only grey loco on UP’s roster. This Remote Control loco, UPY 162, is painted in overall grey. It was formally a B23-7. The standard GE fuel tank is missing. Don’t know where this engine carries it’s fuel, or that it still has it’s original FDL prime mover? It wouldn’t need much fuel to go through a rail yard anyway. I don’t know much about UP RCL units, but do know that BNSF uses standard locos for RCL instead of complete rebuilds with missing fuel tanks…

2

It is not a locomotive anymore. It is now a slug, its desigation is CCRCL.

http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/attachments/locorost.pdf

3

Actually, it’s not even a slug. The traction motors, control stand and fuel tanks have been removed, and much of the cab glass has been plated over. UP has a good number of yard locomotives with RC equipment, the CCRCL is coupled and MU-ed to locomotives without RC capabilities, allowing them to be remotely controlled.

4

If you click on the link in my signature & then the Texas March 2007 gallery you will see one of those at work in El Paso [:)]

5

How many does UP have of these?

6

Can we assume that one of the guys on the ground has a “joystick” or is the operator off somewhere enjoying the A/C playing video trains ?

7

Ok…so with no traction motors what is the purpose of this former engine then? Sorry if this is NIMBYish (what does NIMBY stand for anyway!) but I’m confused too! Is this just supposed act like a receiver for the remote and only be a locomotive sized interface with another powered loco?

8

That’s what it sounds like, Dan.

NIMBY= Not In My Back Yard

9

AHA! Thanks![tup]

10

There are 70 of them: UPY105-UPY174

11

In short, that’s exactly it… a locomotive sized receiver.

Best way I can describe the purpose of one of these CCRCLs is to compare it to my parents’ first VCR (some 25 years ago). We had no remote for our television, but we did have a remote for the VCR. We were able to change channels on the TV by changing channels on the VCR with the remote. When MU’d to a standard locomotive without radio control, the CCRCL receives the radio signal and follows its command, which is sent by MU to the locomotive it is attached to. (Okay, so it’s not exactly like the VCR/TV, but pretty close.)

I think you were also confusing Newbie (or NUBE) with NIMBY. A Newbie or NUBE is someone new to a game or web site. A NIMBY is someone who fights against a project because it would be built close to their home (hence, Not In My Backyard).

12

Are you sure they are not slugs? UP’s roster lists them under slugs.

13

As to the slug question, although I’m not the one you asked, I don’t believe they are slugs.

The absolute expert on UP locomotives is Don Strack. Visit his site, http://www.utahrails.net/ for any information you might ever want.

Here’s where the CCRCLs are listed.

http://www.utahrails.net/all-time/upy-index.php

And here is their page.

http://www.utahrails.net/all-time/upy-ccrcl.php

My guess would be that UP lists them as slugs for accounting purposes.

14

The UPY series covers a lot more than just slugs and it would be a sizable roster in its own right. As a rule of thumb, it includes slugs, switchers, hump pushers, transfer locomotives and light road switchers. This would include just about anything used primarily in yard and terminal service.

15

It looks to me that you are assuming that I think the UPY 105-175 series are slugs because they have UPY reporting marks. I know what is in the UPY series. If you will look at the link I provided in my first post, you will see where UP has UPY 105-175 listed as slugs.