Chasing UP 1943 in Pennsylvania, Ohio

Here are a few images of Union Pacific No. 1943 leading the passenger special that recently ran on Norfolk Southern to and from New Jersey/New York.

I started off in Altoona. It was cloudy but that kind of helped since it would have been a harsh “noon in June” high sun when it first came through.

The first two images are from Altoona and include a train and roster grab. The third photo is from the Route 22 bridge in Cresson.

The fourth is from Leetsdale. The last one is a “in your face” type of shot. I went with that to highlight the nose as from what I can tell this is the only non Armour Yellow unit to wear the wings.  It was made at Smith Goshen Road just east of Sebring, Ohio.

Article and Photographs by Roger Durfee

UP Special Saunters Through Northeast Ohio

The Union Pacific passenger train that ran to New Jersey and New York to help a bank celebrate its bicentennial, came back through Northeast Ohio Monday night.

By the time it reached Cleveland, it was dusk or getting to be dusk.

Operating as Norfolk Southern symbol 066, the train was led by UP 1943, the Spirit of Union Pacific.

It made good time on the Cleveland line after a crew change at Conway Yard near Pittsburgh.

The train was reported at Leetonia at 7:22 p.m., Sebring at 7:43 p.m., Alliance at 7:48 p.m., Rootstown at 8:05 p.m., Hudson at 8:18 p.m., Garfield Heights at 8:40 p.m. and Berea at 9:33 p.m. It had reached Chesterton, Indiana, at 6:19 a.m.

Photographers who ventured out to see the special got a bonus. Train 65E ran nearly a half-hour ahead of the passenger train with the Virginian heritage locomotive in the lead.

The 65E was through Hudson at 7:20 p.m., Macedonia at 7:35 p.m. and Bedford at 8:05 p.m.

On its way east, the UP special slipped through Cleveland in darkness on May 31. In both directions, the best place to catch the special was in central Pennsylvania.

UP OCS to Pass Through NE Ohio Today

After much anticipation the Union Pacific office car special on the former Erie Railroad to Harriman, New York, and back on Sunday.

Akron Railroad Club member Jack Norris said the weather was crazy with rain and clouds, sun and rain. “None of the photo locations I wanted to do were really great for this due to the time of day and weather, so I ended up in WC Tower in Waldwick, New Jersey, for an operators view. Heck, anyone can shoot from a bridge.”

There was a big car show in Waldwick as the train came through. My girlfriend caught the train up near Tuxedo, New York, about a half hour later. Our wet winter and spring has made for some lush greenery.

The train is slated to leave New Jersey today. ARRC Vice President Todd Dillon said the tentative schedule is to leave New Jersey at 5 a.m. from Croxton Yard.

There is a crew called at Conway Yard near Pittsburgh for 4 p.m. and the estimated time at Berea is 8:45 p.m.

But this is the railroad so times are subject to change. If anyone wants to catch this in daylight for certain, you probably should head east to at least Pittsburgh and possibly even further east depending on the train’s progress.

As for why the train went east in the first place, there is speculation that it had to do with the bicentennial celebration of Brown Brothers Harriman Company Bank, which was established in 1818.

Henry Harriman was a UP President and his son, E. Roland Harriman, was a UP chairman years later, thus giving the family a connection to UP history.

The celebration may have been held at the Harriman Mansion in Arden, New York.

Photographs by Jack Norris

UP OCS Came Through at 0 Dark 30

That Union Pacific business train that we talked about at the May Akron Railroad Club meeting did, indeed, pass through Northeast Ohio on Norfolk Southern rails, but under the cover of darkness.

It was reported in Berea at 3:45 a.m. and in Macedonia at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday en route to New Jersey operating as NS symbol 066-30.

The train had originated in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on Wednesday and arrived at UP’s Proviso Yard in Chicago about noon.

A report on the Trains magazine website indicated that the OCS had locomotives ES44AH No. 2752 and SD70AH’s Nos. 1943 and 9082 from Council Bluffs to Chicago. No. 2752 was removed at Chicago.

UP had equipped Nos. 1943 and 9082 in Council Bluffs with NS cab signal equipment so that No. 1943, which has a livery honoring the U.S. Armed Forces, could lead on NS rails.

No. 2752 led from Council Bluffs to Chicago because it had UP cab signals.

The OCS is expected to depart Croxton, New Jersey on June 4 to return to Council Bluffs.