First up is some leased power; GMTX 2682 a GP38-2
I had originally ID this as an SD60M but I missed a renumbering after the merger and my friend Ken pointed out that this was really an C44CW. The lucky dog gets to ride on these beasts now and then.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Union Pacific Engine Facility Denver CO
There as been a lot of activity at the UP facility this week. After a couple of false starts with the real camera I finally managed to get some reasonable shots at some of the more interesting "foreign" power that I have seen hanging around this week.
First up is some leased power; GMTX 2682 a GP38-2
Next we have an ex-Southern Pacifc now UP1482, a GP40-2
And then last but certainly not least an ex-Southern Pacific now UP 6195, a C44CW
I had originally ID this as an SD60M but I missed a renumbering after the merger and my friend Ken pointed out that this was really an C44CW. The lucky dog gets to ride on these beasts now and then.
First up is some leased power; GMTX 2682 a GP38-2
I had originally ID this as an SD60M but I missed a renumbering after the merger and my friend Ken pointed out that this was really an C44CW. The lucky dog gets to ride on these beasts now and then.
Kris, I don't know a thing about trains so I'll ask you a question. When/how did you become interested in trains and what do you like most about them?
ReplyDeleteThat's a hard question to answer. I was interested in trains before gaming I remember that much. My dad got me an N-Scale set when I lived in Danville, KY. He built a little layout that slid underneath my bed. I'm pretty sure that it survived the next move to Murray, KY but that's about as far as I remember that one. While in Murray he then bought my brother and I and HO scale train and we set that up on a couple of tables in the basement. I think he got those train sets for us because he had an O-Scale American Flyer when he was a boy. So I was exposed to it at a very young age, and its just always been a part of the things I do. Interest waxes and wanes but its always been there. The hundred or so railroad books on the bookshelves will attest to that! My first modeling experiences were with trains and buildings and little 1/87th scale miniatures (that would be about 18mm in my wargame scales). So I think the interest in painting came from that. Living in Colorado just fueled that fire since the area is kind of a hot bed of old tourist railroads so there has always been something to keep my interest going. I also play a lot of railroad games; the Empire Builder series (crayon games) from Mayfair and the 18xx series from a variety of designers. I have helped playtest a number of these as well as helping to design a couple of the 18xx games. Current favorites though are the Ticket to Ride series by Days of Wonder (and one of my favorite game designers, Alan Moon). Its hard to pinpoint what I like the most, everything about them is very cool, although I like steam locomotives the best I suppose. There are a couple of PBS railroad documentaries made here in Colorado filmed by a friend of mine and I'm in a couple of those. They get shown often enough that I have co-workers occasionally come up and say they saw me on TV the night before, kind of embarrassing actually. Especially since they usually just get a blank stare from me till they explain what they were watching.
DeleteI can see why you like them since your dad got you interested at a young age. I didn't even know there were railroad games available or that you designed games. It must be nice to be asked to playtest a game. I think that's every gamers dream. I do love the Industrial Period of American history and really like the artwork of the period that shows the steam locomotion's. The stories of the laying of those tracks is fascinating as well, especially when they had to use dynamite and blow into the faces of mountains to get a tunnel through. What's the name of the PBS documentaries you're in? I have Netflix and they carry a lot of documentary's. I'd love to see it, but you'd have to tell me which person you are because I've never seen a picture of you.
ReplyDeleteWould you have time to write a piece on the Competition you have coming up? I really enjoyed reading about Salute and it would be nice to know something about what you guys in the States are going to be doing.
Somethings are just in the blood and become so ingrained that the fact that all people don't love trains too is a sometimes a very foreign concept to me. Playtesting games can be both fun and tedious at times and sometimes when the game comes out you never want to play it again!
DeleteI'll see if I can dig it the names of the documentaries. I have a VHS tape around here somewhere with the shows on it.
I'll sit down and get a piece written up on ReaperCon. Its a rather unique little convention.
I just found your last email in my spam folder. I just sent you a reply. Now I'm off to the Land of Nod. Happy Painting!!!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how it ended up there? Maybe because I was really rambling in that one!
DeleteThose are impressive beasts, I love the boxiness of them compared to European types!
ReplyDeleteWe are pretty much all about function over form here. Its all about power in the end and not what it looks like. Although they do have a certain air of majesty all their own.
DeleteHi Kris. Great pics! I rode in UP 6195 about 2 months ago. :)
ReplyDeleteBut I have to correct you. It's actually an AC44CW. Before the Southern/Union Pacific merger, it was an SD-60M. But after the merger a large number of units got renumbered. The big visual clue is the squared off radiator on the rear of the unit. Almost a covered porch look.
The former 6195 was renumbered to 2304 in Aug of 2003. And just so you know I didn't pull that out of ... thin air... :) I use the excellent website utahrails.net While he has stopped updating data about modern locomotives (in 2009), there's tons of great info there.
Got it! Happy to make that correction. My Diesel identification is hit or miss, show me a steam engine any day! I am jealous that you sometimes get to ride these beasts.
DeleteDon't be too jealous. Tuesday I had to sit on a train for 12 hours in a siding. There had been a derailment ahead of us. Ok, even then it's kind neat. :D
ReplyDeleteOkay, not to jealous, but still jealous!
Delete