I am we'll aware that most Wikipedia facts are undocumented and not true but this one caught my eye.....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flats_Industrial_Railroad


If you read in it says that Flats Industrial Railroad owned a UP turbine. All kinds of plans yada yada. Maybe I'm missing something but I'm calling BS on this one. Can anyone correct me?

Hi Mike
I found this list , on other Web site of the 30 UP Turbines , and where they finally ended up. I did not see any unit sold to the Flats Industial RR .??
v12137 4 Apr 1939 Returned to GE, 17 June 1939.


GE 8500 GTEL (Gas Turbine Electric Locomotive) — 30 units
8500 horsepower; C-C trucks; A-units: 408,000 pounds operating weight; B-units: 440,000 pounds operating weight

Road
Number Builder
Date Builder
Number Date
Retired
Notes
UP 1 Aug 1958 33215 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 28 February 1969.
UP 1B Aug 1958 33210 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 28 February 1969.
UP 2 Sep 1958 33207 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 11 March 1969.
UP 2B Sep 1958 33208 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 11 March 1969.
UP 3 Sep 1958 33209 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 24 March 1969.
UP 3B Sep 1958 33212 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 24 March 1969.
UP 4 Nov 1958 33213 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 7 April 1969.
UP 4B Nov 1958 33206 Aug 1968 Traded to GE, 7 April 1969.
UP 5 Dec 1958 33217 Jan 1969 Traded to GE, 8 May 1969.
UP 5B Dec 1958 33218 Jan 1969 Traded to GE, 8 May 1969.
UP 6 Feb 1959 33205 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 6B Feb 1959 33216 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 7 Mar 1959 33211 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 7B Mar 1959 33214 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 8 Mar 1959 33219 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 8B Mar 1959 33220 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 9 Nov 1959 33221 Mar 1969 Traded to GE, 3 June 1969.
UP 9B Nov 1959 33222 Mar 1969 Traded to GE, 3 June 1969; scrapped at GE's Apparatus Service Shop in North Salt Lake, Utah.
UP 10 Dec 1959 33223 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 10B Dec 1959 33224 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 11 Dec 1959 33225 Jun 1969 Traded to GE, 27 January 1971.
UP 11B Dec 1959 33226 Jun 1969 Traded to GE, 27 January 1971.
UP 12 Feb 1960 33227 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 12B Feb 1960 33228 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 13 Mar 1960 33229 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 28 November 1969.
UP 13B Mar 1960 33230 Oct 1969 Traded to GE, 28 November 1969.
UP 14 Mar 1960 33231 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971; sold to Continental Leasing Group; sold to G. F. Bean Co., New Orleans, La, in 1975. Stored on UP in Salt Lake City, Utah, until moved to Kansas City on 29 March 1979; donated to Illinois Railway Museum, Union, Ill.
UP 14B Mar 1960 33232 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971; sold to Continental Leasing Group; sold to Western Contracting.
UP 15 Apr 1960 33233 Jan 1969 Traded to GE, 20 June 1969.
UP 15B Apr 1960 33234 Jan 1969 Traded to GE, 20 June 1969.
UP 16 Jun 1960 34065 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971, then resold to Continental Leasing Group; sold to G. F. Bean Co., New Orleans, La, in 1975. Stored on UP in Salt Lake City, Utah until moved to Kansas City on 29 March 1979; donated to Illinois Railway Museum, Union, Ill.
UP 16B Jun 1960 34066 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971; sold to Continental Leasing Group; sold to Western Contracting.
UP 17 Jun 1960 34067 Mar 1969 Traded to GE, 26 January 1971.
UP 17B Jun 1960 34068 Mar 1969 Traded to GE, 26 January 1971.
UP 18 Aug 1960 34069 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; donated to Kansas City Railroad Museum in 1978; moved to Illinois Railroad Museum, Union, Illinois, in 1992.
UP 18B Aug 1960 34070 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; donated to Kansas City Railroad Museum in 1978; moved to Illinois Railroad Museum, Union, Illinois in 1992.
UP 19 Oct 1960 34073 Dec 1968 Traded to GE, 17 June 1969.
UP 19B Oct 1960 34074 Dec 1968 Traded to GE, 17 June 1969.
UP 20 Sep 1960 34071 Nov 1969 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 20B Sep 1960 34072 Nov 1969 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 21 Oct 1960 34075 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 21B Oct 1960 34076 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 7 January 1971.
UP 22 Nov 1960 34077 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 26 January 1971.
UP 22B Nov 1960 34078 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 26 January 1971.
UP 23 Dec 1960 34079 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 23B Dec 1960 34080 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 March 1971.
UP 24 Jan 1961 34081 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 July 1969.
UP 24B Jan 1961 34082 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 July 1969; scrapped at GE's Apparatus Service Shop at North Salt Lake, Utah.
UP 25 Jan 1961 34083 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 July 1969.
UP 25B Jan 1961 34084 Feb 1970 Traded to GE, 9 July 1969.
UP 26 Feb 1961 34085 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; donated to Ogden Union Station Museum, Ogden, Utah on 20 March 1986; moved from Kansas City via BN in March 1987; arrived at Ogden in July 1987; painted during April 1989.
UP 26B Feb 1961 34086 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; donated to Ogden Union Station Museum, Ogden, Utah on 20 March 1986; moved from Kansas City via BN in March 1987; arrived at Ogden in July 1987; painted during April 1989.
UP 27 Mar 1961 34087 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971, then resold to Continental Leasing Group; scrapped by Houston Armature Works, Houston, Texas, in July 1976.
UP 27B Mar 1961 34088 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971, then resold to Continental Leasing Group; scrapped by Houston Armature Works, Houston, Texas
UP 28 Apr 1961 34089 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 28B Apr 1961 34090 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 29 May 1961 34091 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; photos show that no. 29 was still stored at Kansas City as late as Jul 1990.
UP 29B May 1961 34092 Feb 1970 Sold to Continental Leasing Group, 15 September 1971, shipped to Intercontinental Engineering Co., Riverside, Missouri; scrapped in early 1976.
UP 30 Jun 1961 34093 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971, then resold to Continental Leasing Group; scrapped by Lerner-Pepper Co., Salt Lake City, Utah.
UP 30B Jun 1961 34094 Feb 1970 Sold to Nielsen Enterprises, Ogden, Utah in August 1971, then resold to Continental Leasing Group; scrapped by Houston Armature Works, Houston, Texas

General Note:

a. All units were later increased from 8500 horsepower to 10,000 horsepower.

The story sounds believable as the motors, trucks, etc. lived on in other machines. The turbine/generator(s) itself was re-useable as a power sled for dredging and oil field operations.
Of the original 4500 HP units numbered 50 to 75 TR Lees book Turbines Westward shows all scrapped either by GE or UP.
Of the big 8500 HP units, with the exception of 18 and 26, I never knew of any of UP’s turbines surviving past 2000. Here is the roster of the units 1-30.
http://utahrails.net/all-time/all-time-01.php
Anything traded to GE was recycled into diesel locomotive parts.
14 and 16 donated to the IRM were re-sold to pay for 18’s move from KC. I assume to scrappers near KC.

This link leads to the very first edit made by the perpetrator of that hoax, and his claimed occupation explains all. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Asaclay/sandbox

Jeff

14B and 16B are shown as purchased by Western Contracting was/is? affiliated with the L. G. Everist Co of Sioux Falls, SD. Confirming the use of the turbine power plants in dredges, Western Contracting owned what at the time was described as the most powerful dredge in the world. I was given some snapshots of one of the UP turbines which was a donor
to the dredge. Two were installed with only one operating at a time as I recall. My
memory is that Western Contracting bought only the turbines out of other units for use
as replacements. LGE is also connected to the D&I RR, reporting marks DAIR.

The trucks used on UP's GE U50C's were all trade-ins from the GTEL's.

I've always wondered if any of the turbine power plants survive in the dredges or other applications. It's been my fanstasy to see one of the UP turbines restored to operation but I know they're missing a lot of parts. It's my understanding that they were stripped of small parts that could be removed without demolishing the body of the locomotive.

The prime mover and reduction gear are still in UP-18B. The fuel injectors on top of the combustion buckets are missing but the rest looks pretty much intact. The technical report I read said to make UP’s spec of 7000 draw-bar HP at 7000 ft altitude the thing was way over built. On a cold day at GE’s test stand in Schenectady the turbine could develop 13,000 HP.
However its claim as the most powerful single unit locomotive has been exceeded by a natural gas powered unit in Russia. About 11,000 HP.

http://wonderful-russia.net/russian-tec ... tive-gtel/

Also noteworthy here is that BNSF announced that it was going to test natural gas conversion of some locomotives this year to beat the high cost of diesel. (it helps haveing BNSF owner Warren Buffet willing to sell himself the natural gas) If that works maybe we will get to see a turbine comeback here.