UP Engineering Dept. Passenger Specials
Every year, UP Engineering Dept. officials from Omaha headquarters will travel via passenger special throughout the UP system to inspect the railroad physical plant.
Motive power for this train over the last 10 years or so had been UP 6936, UP’s sole remaining DDA40X. This was per the wishes of Bill Wimmer, UP VP-Engineering. because the heavy 8-axle unit was a good test of track condition, especially the vertical alignment of the track structure.
UP Engineering Dept. special SAVBL-18 at Englewood Yard in Houston, Feb. 18, 2008
UP 6936 showing off one of its 4 axle trucks at Bloomington, TX Feb. 18, 2008
I posted some video of the 2008 visit to the Houston area by DDA40X 6936. You can view it here.
Since Mr. Wimmer’s retirement in 2009, the 6936 has not been used in this service. It seems his successor does not share Wimmer’s opinion about using the DDA40X for Engineering Dept. specials, so the days of seeing the last remaining Centennial operate around the system may be over for good.
