Blast from the Past #1: UP 6901

UP 6901 on display in Ross Park; Pocatello, Idaho (March 2010).

In the mid Nineties, while pursuing a degree in business at Idaho State University in Pocatello, I could frequently be found in and around the UP 6901.  The 6901, a DDA40X (the largest model of diesel-electric locomotives ever built), was built by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors in 1969.  It is essentially two locomotives on one frame (99' in length).  The #1 engine powered the front truck while the #2 engine powered the rear truck for a combined total of 6,600 horsepower.

Over time, I replaced the missing air brake gauges, ammeters and radio.  I also cleaned up the numerous layers of dirt and dust that had accumulated in the cab since its donation.    Since I stopped attending to the 6901 in 1998, it has seen little attention and now looks worse than it did when I first laid eyes on it.  I hope that someone in Pocatello, or the surrounding area, can pick up where I left off and give it the attention that it deserves. 

Wikipedia: DDA40X