<P>I know that UP operated 8 E units on their business train into the early 1980s, then retired them. I am wondering if anyone knows what became of these units (who there were sold to and when), particularly the 954 and 960.<p>Thanks in advance,<p>Phil<br>ELRRco@AOL.com<br>




ELRRco@AOL.com

<P>UP #'s 954 and 960 ended their days at Naporano Iron and Metal in January, 1981.<p>UP E-9B's #'s 968B,969B,973B, and 974B went to scrap at Precision National about the same time.<p>I rode behind #960 and #974B on a trip between Cheyenne, Laramie, and Denver in February, 1975 after #8444 broke down. I got a wonderful sundown shot of what was dubbed the "City of Laramie" at Dale. I remember going to a railroad club slide show, and seeing a slide of #960 half cut up at Naporano. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach. <p>The units had just turned 25 and a new Chief Mechanical Officer decided that they were not worth keeping after they had serious mechanical problems on a Directors Special in May or June of 1980. <br>




kevingillespie@usa.net

<P>I was working for UP at that time, and I don't remember any big problems with the E's on their last trip; just the usual aches and pains that resulted from little or no real maintenance.<p>The new CMO originally came from Penn Central, and he had no sentiment at all for those units, the double diesels, UP's steam engines or anything else out of the ordinary. He was known for "creating" problems where none existed in order to get rid of things he didn't like. One way he did this whne he was Asst. CMO was to quietly stop maintaining the units except for <br>their external appearance.<p>IIRC, they kept the 951 (obviously) and gave the 928 to a museum; the other 6 went to scrap.<p>He'd have a fit to know they have 3 E9's running around today.<br>

<P>Isn't hindsight a great thing? I remember UP in 1985 getting rid of over half of its near-pristine one-owner regularly maintained excursion and business car fleet and then five years later scouring the country for various derelict cars to rebuild and re-equip the fleet. How much money could they have saved by just keeping and rebuilding what they had? Same thing with the "E" units. Granted, all three were significantly modified structurally and mechanically, but I'm guessing it cost less to overhaul #951 than #949 and #963, which were in much worse shape.<br>




dave833@ix.netcom.com

<P>Another reason I heard to justify the atrocity was that the V-12's were needed to rebuild a number of switchers. They got 14 prime movers for their switch engine fleet because #928 was completely stripped out before being donated to the Western Heritage Museum in Omaha.<br>




kevingillespie@usa.net

<P>That same CMO's fingerprints were all over the decision to dump half the business/excursion/passenger car fleet in 1986, too. He did it by presenting the Board with an outrageously inflated cost estimate for what it would take to update the fleet and convert to HEP. Somthing on the order of 10 times the actual cost. <p>At any rate, it was enough to scare them to death and get them to agree to dispose of 25-30 cars.<p><br>