Looking good at IRM in 2007:

http://abpr2.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi? ... 092007.jpg

Can someone from IRM provide a short history of how IRM acquired UP X18 and describe its current status? I recall that it is fairly well stripped of operating equipment. Regardless, the photo is impressive!

Wesley

Since this photo we moved UP-18 to the south track in yard 5 allowing a complete view from the south. Here is a little more recent photo.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thomas-merton/2523145048/
I need to finish cleaning and clear coating the tender before I was going to try and get a nice ¾ view of all three units this fall.
The tender came to us painted black with two different turbine type numbers painted over. I assume it came to us via Kansas City as the A&B units did.
According to Thos. R. Lee’s book, TURBINES WESTWARD UP-18 was operational until sold, without tender, with six other units to Intercontinental Engineering in Kansas City in 1970. 18’s Cooper-Bessemer diesel still worked with the two only remaining traction motors on the lead truck. So it was used at Kansas City to push the others into the scraping area, one of the reasons it survived. Turbine engines, generators, and electric gear were converted to power sleds for use at oil wells etc. by Intercontinental.
As it arrived at IRM it has no main generators or switch gear. Somewhere along the line the Cooper-Bessemer died and someone stuck a four cylinder gas engine welder in the B unit and hot wired it to one of the remaining traction motors, however it has never moved under any of its own power while at the IRM.
18 was acquired by the then Kansas City Railroad Museum, I know it came to the IRM from there around 1980.
Jeff D. should be able to post more on the museums acquisition of 18 once he sees this; he was involved in the move.