Union Pacific Repainting Predecessor Engines?

[PNWR1854]

I heard that CNW 8701 and 8646 had been repainted. Then I heard from another forum that all engines not yet in armour yellow were to be repainted. Can anyone verify this?

[ET44C4]

Those CNW units have been repainted.

[ColoradoRailfan]

Correct, UP is repainting most of their ex. SP engines and ex. CNW engines into the yellow paint. Recently UP 1900 (Last DRGW paint GP60), was repainted.
One, if not the main reason why UP has been repainting alot is because of the PTC Upgrade Rule, that all engines are to have PTC at the end of this year.

[PNWR1854]

Ah. I thought 8701 and 8646 had "do not repaint notes" on them.

[AlcoFan]

Most patched SP and CNW units have also been repainted recently. Like mentioned above, CNW 8646 and 8701 were pulled from storage at IRM and repainted at NLR. From my understanding, there was a management change in the power department at UP and the new person wants all units to look the same. That’s why the many crusty looking units on the UP roster have begun to be repainted in the last couple of years. I’ve been seeing a lot of freshly painted GE variants in fresh paint the last year or so.

[BigBoyMoon]

Ah. I thought 8701 and 8646 had "do not repaint notes" on them.

The employees were doing their hardest to prevent them from getting repainted, *someone* at Omaha wanted them repainted and nothing could be done about it. They're now UP 9750 and 9805

[buzz456]

As a person who admires UP for being a well run corporation, a good citizen, as well as respecting their heritage I'm not sure I understand the employees who are resisting this.

Disclaimer: I am a stockholder of Union Pacific.

[GERUNIMO625]

I'd be curious to know where you guys get your information.

[Ericmopar]

Unfortunately U.P. seems to be losing interest now, in things like their Heritage units.
I saw a sad sight 3 weeks ago on the way to CA for a friends wake. It was a heritage unit in such bad shape, I wasn't even sure what unit from the road in Daggett CA.
It was in terrible shape, so dirty a person couldn't be sure what railroad from the highway and maybe even burned.
I'm wishing I had taken a pic, but I just wasn't in the mood at the time.
U.P. engines coming through Las Vegas used to be pretty clean, but nowadays they are so filthy a person can't even read the logos. They are literally brown they are so dirty.
Reminds me of S.P. years ago before they got sold.

[CArailroader]

As a person who admires UP for being a well run corporation, a good citizen, as well as respecting their heritage I'm not sure I understand the employees who are resisting this.

Disclaimer: I am a stockholder of Union Pacific.

I agree with you, UP does a fantastic job and I'm not a shareholder.

To Ericmopar: I'm not sure what engine you thought you might have been seeing, but UP very much does care for their heritage units, all of them have been making the rounds to get repainted. As for their armor yellow, they too are all slowly getting repainted. This is the basis for repainting over the ex-CNW and ex-SP units. Yeah, I get it, its history that has lead UP to where they are now and it would be nice to be able to still see the occasional bloody nose on the main but they are all looking pretty bad at this point. So its cheaper to send them in to get painted in the same yellow and grey paint as the rest of the fleet and just have 16 special/heritage units to take care of and spruce up.

[AlcoFan]

They had all of the heritage units repainted in the last year, so I don’t think they are “losing interest” by any means.

[PNWR1854]

Everyone knows that eventually all heritage units will give way to armour yellow.
The thing is, the I.R.M was under contract with U.P. to keep them in CNW paint and then donate them when they were retired. Once some people at U.P. that supported it (the one guy that made it happen) left, U.P. basically said "Forget it." So technically it should still be in CNW paint. UP is also guilty of telling lies to railfans who inquired about the issue. Some close online friends of mine emailed U.P. about the matter, and they said they were just going in for a fresh coat of CNW paint and PTC. now this happens.

[AlcoFan]

Everyone knows that eventually all heritage units will give way to armour yellow.
The thing is, the I.R.M was under contract with U.P. to keep them in CNW paint and then donate them when they were retired. Once some people at U.P. that supported it (the one guy that made it happen) left, U.P. basically said "Forget it." So technically it should still be in CNW paint. UP is also guilty of telling lies to railfans who inquired about the issue. Some close online friends of mine emailed U.P. about the matter, and they said they were just going in for a fresh coat of CNW paint and PTC. now this happens.

Contract? Where did you get this info from? The units were simply stored at IRM while the rest of the C44-9W roster was stored, there was never any “contract” to donate them. Seems like a bunch of crazy foamer rumors to me.

[PNWR1854]

No, those 2 were under contract with UP and the IRM to stay in CNW paint and get donated once they’re retired.

[AlcoFan]

There was never any contract. The museum made it clear that the UP was storing them, and that there were no plans to have them donated.