A 193 car Q399 is seen heading south past the searchlight signal at John Hix, MP 87.1 on the Saginaw Subdivision.

Eastbound approaching Nevada, IA. March 10 , 1998.

A trio of Union Pacific engines sit tied down on a siding in Sidney, NE under a crystal clear sky in this 30 second exposure. UP 6960, wearing fresh paint, is the first AC6000CW to sport the company's latest scheme featuring the photorealistic American flag. Classified by UP as an AC44ACCA, the locomotive was involved in a frontal collision earlier this year and was repainted after being repaired.

A pair of AC6000CW's lead stone loads south towards Olean.

March 24, 2017: After being parked in Emerson over 24 hours due to congestion at Georgia Power's Plant Bowen, the loaded coal drag finally makes it's way to the plant Northbound on the W&A Sub, seen here at Cartersville, GA crossing over the Etowah River with my personal favorite CSX paint scheme/power on the front; an AC6000CW in YN2 paint. Sadly, these units are no longer a part of the CSX roster.

A pair of GE AC6000CW locomotives lead Union Pacific's MRONY-21 manifest freight through Price Canyon at Castle Gate, Utah on Aug. 21, 2009.

On the UP Jonesboro Sub. at MP 46, a genuine GE AC6000CW is the point of UP Train ZYCMQB 20 is blasting south between Dexter and Bernie. The 1st UP 7511, builder's number 50945 was built in 7-1998 and suffered fire damage on 6-7-1999. The cause of the fire was determined to be warranty related. Thus, the unit was retired on 6-16-1999 and shipped to GE at Erie, Pa., on 6-17-1999. The damage was repaired and the unit was repainted to GE's red and gray scheme and renumbered to GECX 6002 in 4-2000.

This is the 2nd 7511, bulider's number 52484 that was built to replace it in 12-2000 and was delivered on 1-7-2001. 7511 was renumbered on 3-4-2010 to UP 6943 when it lost its 6,000 horsepower HDL prime mover for a 4,400 HP FDL.

Locomotives: UP 7511, UP 9189

3-20-07

Bernie, MO

Western New York & Pennsylvania's newly-acquired AC6000CW 6002 leads a pair of the railroad's M636s into Driftwood. The railroad plans to eventually replace its six-axle Alco/MLW power with a small fleet of these GEs.

UP 6910 west, ZDUNP 03

It's not often that I get time to take a photo of my own train, but this hot shot strolled up to the platform in preparation for a crew change only minutes after we were notified that we would be swapped. I was previously called against a Herington-bound shit freight that was slated for multiple work events and would have made for a bad day. I've been wanting one of these rebuilt AC6000's as a leader ever since they started rolling out of Wabtec's Ft. Worth facility, and this thing did not disappoint; it rode nicer than any other C44ACM that I've ever had for a leader. Attentive modelers and rivet counters will notice that these locomotives have new cabs fitted during the rebuild process, and I can only assume that it further aids in the fitting of the new cab electronics, as an added bonus this particular refurb had a significantly smooth ride quality. To make the trip even better, T/O ran this thing like an actual Z train for once and it made for a 6.5 hour trip which included our work at Neff. Every once in a while, I get a winner.

UP 6910, a C44ACM, was built as UP AC6000CW #7523 in September 1998. These locomotives were delivered with the ability to produce 6250 traction horsepower and were among the most powerful locomotives available from manufacturers at the time. In 2008, this locomotive, along with many of its GE brethren over time, were de-rated from 6250hp to 4400hp due to problems with the GE-Deutz HDL prime movers. This also instated a renumbering process from the 7500-series to the 6898+ numbering series. This locomotive obviously given the number 6910 and continues to wear it despite years of continuous renumbering of the UP fleet. The 7500-number series would eventually be worn by the later GE Evolution series locomotives that were delivered to the UP between 2011 and 2012.

The official low temperature the night before at Pocatello was -6°F, but it was even colder at American Falls, Idaho, the morning of January 21, 2013. A westbound Union Pacific freight crosses the impressive Snake River Bridge below American Falls Dam. Leading the train is UP 6942, a former GE AC6000CW, now labeled a plain AC4400CW, with a Canadian National SD75I, a UP SD9043MAC and a former Southern Pacific AC4400CW trailing. Steamy fog rises off the icy cold river into even more frigid air around the partially frozen falls.

Recently refurbished C44ACM #6941 leads a Westbound empty Oil train at the West switch at Dotsero.

It was originally built as 6,000 horsepower AC6000CW #7553.

Southbound approaches Watseka, IL. January 2000.

Rebuilt AC6000CW UP 6893 wheels a Mead yard-bound manifest through Soto Junction on its way down to Long Beach at sunset.

Union Pacific 7510, a 6000 horsepower AC6000CW locomotive, leads an eastbound container train through Tooele Valley near Erda, Utah the morning of April 18, 1999. The concept of a 6000 HP locomotive appealed to railroad companies at the time, but in practice it didn't work well. By May 2008, UP 7510 lost its original prime mover, replaced by a standard AC4400CW engine. At the same time, it was renumbered UP 6898 to make it fit within the C44AC fleet. 6898 is still active, currently working a westbound train through Idaho, on the road to Hinkle, Oregon.

For 2022 standards, this was about as good a lashup when it comes to paint schemes as it could get. NS 178 heads north on the CNO&TP with a pair of Dash 9s in the BNSF H1 & Santa Fe Warbonnet schemes leading a UP AC6000CW rebuild. 7-13-22

Best-looking units CSX ever bought. July, 2001.

NS train 315 charges through CP MENTOR on a warm summer evening. Leading the train today are two Union Pacific Locomotives, an AC6000CW rebuild and an SD70ACe, and a Norfolk Southern AC44C6M.

Former CSX AC6000CW's are scrapped at Mid-America Car following reclamation of various components. The cab from EMLX 8544, originally a UP unit, is another another 6,000 HP model, an EMD SD90MAC-H2. The cab still languishes in their yard 9 years since the rest of the unit was scrapped.

This image appeared in the Locomotive 2020 annual issue from Trains Magazine.

Locomotives: PRLX 609, EMLX 8544

3-29-20

Kansas City, MO

Splitting the grain elevators at Jamestown in some spectacular, low evening light is KYLE train KYLLISA led by a pair of UTAH MK50-3's. Here, the train saunters westbound through town on the KYLE Concordia Sub with a 1700 crew that boarded the train at Yuma JCT. The train will eventually make its way into Salina, but this crew will only make it around Beloit before hogging out.

The majority of the KYLE Railroad from Limon, CO across Kansas is former Rock Island trackage, but the eastern most part of their system is comprised of interlaced former MP and UP branches that zig-zag towards Solomon, using the UP's former KP main into Salina. This is former Mo-Pac rails here, originally built by the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad.

The sun is setting fast while providing some awesome golden light on this fine fall evening in north central Kansas. The train is slowly riding off into the sunset, which is somewhat symbolic as their fate might be sealed with the arrival of SD40-2's from the RCPE earlier in the week. Of the 6 that have called the KYLE home, only these two were currently in service.

These were both originally MK5000C's built by Morrison-Knudsen. With the intention to compete with both EMD and GE, the MK5000C's featured CAT 3612 prime movers producing 5,000 hp, and for a brief period, both MK and Caterpillar held the title for most powerful locomotive with single prime mover, though they were quickly out shined by GE with the AC6000CW and later EMD with both the SD80MAC and SD90MAC. 6 total were built, 3 in August 1994 for demonstration on the Southern Pacific and three more in August 1995 for demonstration on the UP. Neither railroad was impressed with them, and they were returned after one year of demonstration. The high-horsepower program was terminated by MK Rail, and production was officially halted after the sale of MK Rail in 1996. MK Rail was renamed as MotivePower Industries, or "Boise Locomotive", and they later merged with Westinghouse Air Brake Company in 1999 to form Wabtec.

In 2001, the MK5000C's were tested and bought by UTAH Railway, though the CAT prime movers didn't prove successful for them. The solution was rebuilding them with EMD 3,500 hp 645-type engines, essentially being rebuilt as SD50's. Retaining their distinct cab's, noses and Dofasco trucks, these were designated as MK50-3's and returned to service for the UTAH. In 2017, all 6 were eventually moved to the KYLE.

Though it may be at the very end of their careers, I finally make a trip out here to shoot these engines. In the 8 years they've served on the KYLE, I never got around to chasing them. Not super close to come out here all the time, but also not too far to never make a trip. Thankfully, this spur of the moment trip was very successful. 10/4/25

A pair of three-month-old CSX AC6000s lead Conrail SECS south through Ridgefield Park, NJ. Three months after ths photo was taken, "Big Conrail" would disappear the River Line would become part of CSX's network. Fresh YN2 paint really stood out on a gloomy day.

Conrail SECS:

CSXT 621 AC60CW

CSXT 612 AC60CW

A loaded coal train descends the eastern slope of Tennessee Pass and is about to pass the west switch for the siding at Princeton, CO. From this angle, the right-of-way of the old Colorado Midland Railway can be seen running along the eastern shore the Arkansas River. The 14,000+ ft. Collegiate Peaks, part of the Sawatch Range of the Rocky Mountains, still have areas of snow cover as of this mid-July date. I'm thankful for having several opportunities to visit this amazingly scenic line before the end. In fact, a month after this photo was taken Union Pacific would cease through train operations over the pass. This view is near the northern border of Chaffee County Colorado. The title is in reference to a sign along US 50 as you approach Salida from the east that reads, "Welcome to Chaffee County: Now This Is Colorado".

UP 7028 AC6000CW

CSX GE ES44AC-H 818 and AC6000CW 690 (derated to 4400 Horsepower and has since been sold off to PRLX) roll an empty train of electric vehicle fuel underneath an iconic and naturally long gone B&O signal bridge at Ridgely Street in Baltimore in May of 2008.

A rebuilt Union Pacific AC6000CW leads a long train of storage hoppers south on the Craig Branch passing the D&RGW searchlights at 'Steamboat' as a wildfire rages on in the distance evidenced by the smoke in the background. I wasnt expecting this train to be moving as quickly as he was but they roared by at a brisk 50mph!

Valmont empties top the climb to the Moffat Tunnel, having climbed 4,000' in 50 miles since leaving Denver. The original Rollins Pass grade climbs away in the background.

CVLAI 20

East Portal, CO

9.22.04

Typical power for intermodal trains at the time. August 22, 2005.

Finally in some decent afternoon light, the MNYGJ 05 rolls out of Glenwood Springs as it makes its way down the 'Grande. This was a good last shot for me; after waiting for/following this train for the previous six hours, I called it quits.

Q501 accelerates east after waiting for a pair of CN trains at the Wellsboro diamonds. The train on this day was powered by an SD70ACe-ES40DC-AC6000CW trio. Only the Gevo is still rostered by CSX today.

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A pair of endangered MK50-3's lumber west on the KYLE Concordia Sub just east of Jamestown, KS leading KYLE train KYLLISA, moving no faster than 10 mph. We're not at Soldier Summit, but these two UTAH Railway locomotive's have become a familiar sight across Kansas and eastern Colorado since parent company Genessee & Wyoming moved them to the KYLE Railroad around 8 years ago. This train is bound for the UP at Salina, KS, and this 1700 crew from Concordia got on the train at Yuma JCT. They won't get very far tonight, not making it much farther than Beloit, KS before hogging out.

The majority of the KYLE Railroad from Limon, CO across Kansas is former Rock Island trackage, but the eastern most part of their system is comprised of interlaced former MP and UP branches that zig-zag towards Solomon, using the UP's former KP main into Salina. This is former Mo-Pac rails here, originally built by the Central Branch Union Pacific Railroad.

The sun is setting fast while providing some awesome golden light on this fine fall evening in north central Kansas. The train is slowly riding off into the sunset, which is somewhat symbolic as their fate might be sealed with the arrival of SD40-2's from the RCPE earlier in the week. Of the 6 that have called the KYLE home, only these two were currently in service.

These were both originally MK5000C's built by Morrison-Knudsen. With the intention to compete with both EMD and GE, the MK5000C's featured CAT 3612 prime movers producing 5,000 hp, and for a brief period, both MK and Caterpillar held the title for most powerful locomotive with single prime mover, though they were quickly out shined by GE with the AC6000CW and later EMD with both the SD80MAC and SD90MAC. 6 total were built, 3 in August 1994 for demonstration on the Southern Pacific and three more in August 1995 for demonstration on the UP. Neither railroad was impressed with them, and they were returned after one year of demonstration. The high-horsepower program was terminated by MK Rail, and production was officially halted after the sale of MK Rail in 1996. MK Rail was renamed as MotivePower Industries, or "Boise Locomotive", and they later merged with Westinghouse Air Brake Company in 1999 to form Wabtec.

In 2001, the MK5000C's were tested and bought by UTAH Railway, though the CAT prime movers didn't prove successful for them. The solution was rebuilding them with EMD 3,500 hp 645-type engines, essentially being rebuilt as SD50's. Retaining their distinct cab's, noses and Dofasco trucks, these were designated as MK50-3's and returned to service for the UTAH. In 2017, all 6 were eventually moved to the KYLE.

Though it may be at the very end of their careers, I finally make a trip out here to shoot these engines. In the 8 years they've served on the KYLE, I never got around to chasing them. Not super close to come out here all the time, but also not too far to never make a trip. Thankfully, this spur of the moment trip was very successful. 10/4/25

An AC600CW leads CSX Q165 west through Fonda, NY on the Mohawk Subdivision.

CSX Q165:

CSXT 665 AC6000W

How many shots do you see an AC6000CW and an M420TR in the same picture? This might be the only time, and you get it on MLW Monday. Here on an appropriately wintry-looking 5 February 2001, the last run of train Q-271/ML-401 over the Susquehanna rolls past the CNY Chapter NRHS equipment collection at the Otisca yard facility in Jamesville NY, with a pair of CSX's monster GE units for the occasion.

Built as AC6000CW No. 7548 by GE in Dec. 1998, UP 6935, now an AC4460CW, shoves on the rear of a West Colton - North Platte manifest freight approaching Echo, Utah at sundown on Oct. 8, 2022.

Jordan, IA. March 10, 1998.

Union Pacific SD90MAC-II units No. 8536 and 8551 lead a 120 car ILBG1 container train at Lake Point, Utah the afternoon of Aug. 20, 2000. Between 1996 and 1999, EMD built 21 SD90MAC-H and 40 SD90MAC-II locomotives for the Union Pacific Railroad. Originally numbered 8501-8521 and 8522-8561, the 6000 horsepower units were in direct competition with GE’s new AC6000CW series. The units were equipped with radial steering trucks, AC traction motors, and isolated safety cabs with shock absorbers. Operational flexibility compared to UP’s smaller units plagued them from the beginning and UP retired all of its 6000 HP EMD units by 2008.

CSX 602 "The Spirit of Maryland" at Tilford Yard in Atlanta, GA. Time has not been kind to either the yard or locomotive pictured in it. Tilford has since been taken out of service, with nearly all tracks removed. I assume it will be redeveloped. The 602, to the best of my knowledge, has been in storage for several years.

CSXT 602 AC6000CW

Two rebuilds lead a westbound manifest downgrade past the Morman Rocks on Cajon pass. I am one who never saw myself visiting Cajon due to its popularity and well bland modern day power. But after passing through the area it offered up a lot more than I ever figured. Plus watching monster trains battle the uphill grade from San Bern to the summit made it a couple nice days trackside.

With the trees starting to show signs of spring UP loaded ballast train WIMLWZ 31 (Iron Mountain, MO to Lawrence KS) heads west through Maplewood Missouri along UP's Jefferson City Subdivision. Leading the 76 car, 10050 ton, 4259 foot train is a recently rebuilt AC44ACM in a AC6000CW carbody.

WNYP 6004 returns to Olean after picking up a block of covered hoppers from storage in a siding near Cuba, NY. The train is crossing Olean Creek on what was once a double tracked former Erie right-of-way.

WNYP 6004 AC6000CW

WNYP 6001 AC6000CW

With two nights of basketball, and a concert already on top of what's largely been a cloudy month, this was my first train of February. However, with the way that it turned out, I'm not complaining!

Just as I was headed out to run some errands, I heard of a pair of westbounds headed my way, including this one, the IG4LB 07, so I set out to get them as I finished up. Sure enough, I juuuuuuuust missed this one on the east end of town, so I chased it west into the setting sun. Here, you see it near MP 96 at the end of double track on the ex-RI to Herington.

The leader, the Union Pacific 6956 was built as an AC6000CW, rebuilt once to de-rate it, and eventually rebuilt a second time into a C44ACM in April, 2023. For being nearly two years post-rebuild, it still looks quite good!

Rebuilt from an AC6000CW, UP C44ACM 7037 accelerates west out of Rosenberg on the Glidden Sub with empty rock train RMYGW-01, heading for the Garwood quarry.

Rosenberg, TX 1/3/2021

After waking us up with the sound of the horn and the engines distantly roaring upgrade, the MEUKF 2 passes Wicopee. Was happy to get this unit leading.

A CSX SD40-2, C40-8, and AC6000CW lead an oil train west through Pine Junction

Thanks to the Chiefs game, my typical Sunday rehearsal got changed to 3:00-4:30, and thanks to assists by Grumpy and Mr. Goodman, I had enough time and wherewithal to get up to the UP tracks to shoot this nice-looking Westbound before sunset. This is just east of Williamstown on the Kansas Sub, which is between Midland and Perry.

The 6904 was built in 1998 as a legit, 6,000 hp C60AC, but was later downgraded to 4,400 hp ( utahrails.net/up-diesel-roster/up-diesel-roster-64.php ). It was outshopped from Wabtec in Ft. Worth following its ACM rebuild in late April, 2023, but as you can see here, it's still looking great!

A gorgeous Colorado afternoon sees the MNYGJ 05 rolling through the one-of-a-kind Red Canyon along the Dotsero Cutoff.

Union Pacific 6907 was entrained in Saturday's Denver Z, passing through Henefer at Main Street. The big GE was built AC6000CW No. 7520 in 1998. A decade ago, the 6000 HP engine was pulled and replaced with a standard 4400 prime mover. Now it's a member of Union Pacific's growing family of Wabtec rebuilt C44ACMs.

Not something you see everyday on the former Missabe Road. Three ex-CSX AC6000CWs hustle a loaded coke train north toward Thunder Bay. Leased from PRLX.

A UP swing helper that includes two GE AC6000CW units, works a Somerset, Colorado - Intermountain Power, Utah coal train along the Price River at Kyune, Utah on Sept. 18, 2009.

Amidst unrelenting autumn rain showers, rebuilt C60 convertible 6949 leads the MHKRV 1 uphill, past the Wicopee water spout.

UP 7032 is on point of Union Pacific Train MSLAS-26 as they pull tonnage out of Union Pacific's Lesperance Street Yard in South St. Louis bound for Alton and Southern's Gateway Yard in East St. Louis. The train is navigating the trackage that makes up the Poplar Street Wye, and passes under the burnt out remains of the Crunden Martin MFG. Company bridge that once served as an employee walkway between buildings in the complex.

Early on the morning of November 28, 2025 a massive inferno broke out in the mostly abandoned complex. It took over 200 firefighters hours to gain control of the 5 alarm blaze. This complex was constructed in the early part of the 20th Century during the height of St. Louis's industrial power in United States. But now all that history is nothing but a charred skeleton of 6 story buildings, shattered bricks, broken glass, and twisted steel.

While severely burned this is the second fire the famous bridge at this complex has mostly survived. The building on the left of the frame had burned previously but the bridge didn't suffer any major cosmetic damage. This most recent fire caused much more extensive damage, both structurally and cosmetically. There's obvious burn damage to the bridge its self and the bridge has a noticeable sag in the middle, but somehow the bridge remains connected between the two buildings. The signage also survived likely due to it being made of porcelain or some other fire resistant material. Who knows how much longer this entire complex and the bridge will stay in this state of destruction before it's inevitably demolished the rest of the way.

This entire complex was the rumored center piece to a multi million dollar revitalization project that aimed to bring more life down to this part of St. Louis and the area just south of the Gateway Arch. Needless to say those plans have been put on hold for a while. And I'm pretty sure it's going to be a while before anyone leases any office or warehouse space in this area, if ever again.