Joseph T. Wagner
Clip the Wings That Get You High
12,000 feet of automobile traffic and mixed freight from Alton & Southern's Gateway Yard drops down slowly off the MacArthur Bridge's elevated west approach, entering downtown St. Louis on an autumn's eve behind the watchful eyes of company re-brand SD70ACe #8504. At over two and a quarter miles long, this 13K ton, PSR-bred, Herrington, KS bound MASHN 11 stretches its westbound consist across the entire width of the mighty Mississippi River's water, occupying real estate across the state lines of both Illinois and Missouri. The pair of EMDs are seen rolling up to the busy interlocking at "Gratiot" where they'll diverge onto the Terminal "High Speeds" and around the yard at 12th St before connecting back to home Jefferson City Sub rails at Grand Ave. Back in 2022, Union Pacific recently announced a re-design of their corporate scheme that changed the look and position of their "Building America" flag from its more prominent spot alongside the locomotives' long hood, closer up front to the cab, protecting its patriotic image from damaging engine heat. With it, also came the loss of their "Wings;" Once proudly worn center stage on the noses of all new locomotives since 2002, the front now subtly displays a small, original UP company shield, forever now grounding those high-flying wings. The design concept was courtesy of employees at the railroad's Jenks Shops in North Little Rock, AR and as locomotives cycle through the program there, needing fresh paint, they'll receive this new treatment. In typical railroad fashion, the 8504's "new" paint is already covered in dirt and grime, looking almost in worse shape than its trailing protégé.
Clip the Wings That Get You High
12,000 feet of automobile traffic and mixed freight from Alton & Southern's Gateway Yard drops down slowly off the MacArthur Bridge's elevated west approach, entering downtown St. Louis on an autumn's eve behind the watchful eyes of company re-brand SD70ACe #8504. At over two and a quarter miles long, this 13K ton, PSR-bred, Herrington, KS bound MASHN 11 stretches its westbound consist across the entire width of the mighty Mississippi River's water, occupying real estate across the state lines of both Illinois and Missouri. The pair of EMDs are seen rolling up to the busy interlocking at "Gratiot" where they'll diverge onto the Terminal "High Speeds" and around the yard at 12th St before connecting back to home Jefferson City Sub rails at Grand Ave. Back in 2022, Union Pacific recently announced a re-design of their corporate scheme that changed the look and position of their "Building America" flag from its more prominent spot alongside the locomotives' long hood, closer up front to the cab, protecting its patriotic image from damaging engine heat. With it, also came the loss of their "Wings;" Once proudly worn center stage on the noses of all new locomotives since 2002, the front now subtly displays a small, original UP company shield, forever now grounding those high-flying wings. The design concept was courtesy of employees at the railroad's Jenks Shops in North Little Rock, AR and as locomotives cycle through the program there, needing fresh paint, they'll receive this new treatment. In typical railroad fashion, the 8504's "new" paint is already covered in dirt and grime, looking almost in worse shape than its trailing protégé.