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Category: Modeled Prototypes
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Modelling Union Pacific

How I model UP, in HO scale, though the concepts can be applied to all scales.

I've came to liking the Union Pacific railroad since August 1999 when I took a trip on the Coast Starlight and my first experience of UP after like 6 years of being used to Amtrak, SP, ATSF, and BNSF since I was born in March 1993. This was my second time riding an Amtrak train on UP tracks (first time was on the Sunset Limited in 93, but that was when those tracks were controlled by SP not UP). When I saw trains from the Starlight I saw Rainbow lash ups of UP, SP, DRGW, and CNW locos on those UP trains. That trip also help me influence of how I would model UP.

I model UP from 1990s to present day. My modeling tastes are 1990s to present day as well. I model Union Pacific trains with my SD70ACEs, SD60Ms, SD70M, SP power, CNW power, and DRGW power. The first picture seen is a light power move of a CNW Dash 9 and a DRGW tunnel motor. Those lash ups were common because UP swallowed 3 big railroads during the mid 90s.

The other two photos below are my favorite UP locos and a Conrail/CSX loco. CSX loco tend to get caught in UP freights which is why modelers like to have CSX locos in UP consists.

I have some patched, CNW, DRGW, and SP power for my 2000s and 2010s consists. Now here's a video of some Union Pacific freights on the La Mesa club layout:

 If have some CNW, SP, or DRGW and you're bored just running them unpathced, then you can get a sheet of Microscale UP patch decal and place a yellow patch over the former numbers and choose your favorite number. Microscale has two kinds of UP patch decals, one for switchers, and one for the rest of the UP locos. My only patched Rio Grande I have is an SD50, I hope to get another Tunnel motor, P2K GP60 and an Atlas GP40-2 in Rio Grande to be patched to UP.

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