Veranda Gas-Turbine on Sherman Hill
UP 62 with an EB perishable train approaching Cheyenne, WY in this undated view.
From the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy to the DDA40X Centennial, the UP has been at the cutting edge of locomotive design. The UP’s primary focus was to maximize the horsepower per unit.
UP 62 is a GE GTEL (Gas Turbine-Electric Locomotive), one of 15 Units 61 to 75 were delivered to Union Pacific beginning in 1954. These units were very distinctive because of the external walkways on the sides of the locomotives, earning them the nickname “verandas”. These units produced 4500 HP, more than double the horsepower of conventional diesels of the day.
All UP Gas-Turbine locomotives were retired by 1970 due to the increasing cost of the Bunker-C grade of fuel used to power the turbines.
Southwest Rails 