Union Pacific 6916 Explained

Union Pacific 6916
Builder:EMD
Buildmodel:DDA40X
Powertype:Diesel-electric
Aarwheels:D-D
Operator:Union Pacific
Nicknames:"Centennial"
Disposition:Static display at the Utah State Railroad Museum, Ogden, Utah
Fleetnumbers:6916
Safety:Leslie S3LR

Union Pacific 6916 is a DDA40X diesel locomotive built for the Union Pacific Railroad. It now resides in the Eccles Rail Center at the Utah State Railroad Museum in Ogden, Utah.

History

Union Pacific 6916 is one of 47 DDA40X locomotives built. The DDA40X was nicknamed "Centennial" after the 100th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike in 1869, which signified the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.[1] They are unique in that they are actually two power units on a single 98adj=midNaNadj=mid frame, and are noted as being the largest diesel locomotives in the world. The locomotives weighed and utilized two EMD 645E3A V-16 diesel engines, each rated at, for a combined rating of . Maximum speed was set at .

UP 6916 was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in November 1969, as one of a series of 47 locomotives of the same type. By June 22, 1980, 6916 was placed in storage due to a decrease in traffic. It was returned to service soon after, but by 1983, most of the DDA40X types were stored out of service in Yermo, California. In 1984, a motive power crunch caused Union Pacific to reinstate 25 of the locomotives, including 6916.[2] The locomotive was finally retired from service on May 16, 1985, and internally gutted as a parts source for SD40 and SD40-2 diesels.[3] The unit was donated "as is" to the Utah State Railroad Museum in 1986.[4]

As of 2024, Union Pacific 6916 remains on static display, being one of thirteen surviving Centennials.[5]

In popular culture

See also

References

  1. Web site: Wes. Union Pacific Centennials. 7 April 2011.
  2. Web site: Strack, Don. Union Pacific DDA40X Centennial Locomotives. 7 April 2011.
  3. Book: The Union Pacific Centennial Locomotive. Reisdorff, James J . Bartels, Michael M. . amp . January 2011. South Platte Press.
  4. Web site: Witten, Lee. Locomotives: UP 6916. 7 April 2011.
  5. Web site: Weeks, John A.. DDA40X-The Centennial Survivors. 7 April 2011.