In the decade they were operated, Union Pacific's 8500-series Gas Turbine Electric Locomotives earned two nicknames: UP dubbed them the "Super Fleet" for obvious reasons as they were the largest, most powerful locomotives ever employed by the railroad. More often the Turbines were referred to as "Big Blows" due to the deafening roar of their engines. Thirty of these GE-built giants were delivered to the UP between 1958 and 1961. Used primarily between Ogden, Utah and Green River, Wyoming, where the tough grades of the Wasatch Mountains required UP's sturdiest power, these monsters could log up to 10,000 miles a month hauling heavy mixed freight and coal trains. The 8500 series were permanently coupled six-axle units running on C-C trucks, and their prime mover was the most powerful ever used in a locomotive. The operating weight for the A and B units combined was close to 850,000 pounds, yet they could attain speeds of up to 70 mph!
Just as the original hobos of the early 20th century were scorned the mainstream of society, so too ...
A "scenic picture from a hobo's point of view".
No matter what your age you'll love watching this impressive and comprehensive story of the developm...
The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - t...
The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - t...
See the Union Pacific fight and win as it takes on the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon - the toughe...
Flanking the western shore of the upper Mississippi River runs Canadian Pacific's River Subdivision,...
The mighty 4449 was painted black with BNSF decals to head up a BNSF Employee Appreciation Special i...
An unexpected speeding freight train ploughs into the film crew, a camera assistant is struck and ki...
When moist Pacific Ocean air collides with cold mountain temperatures, it creates an opportunity to ...
In August of 2002, former Santa Fe steam locomotive 3751 returned to the rails for a thrilling excur...
Tracing the eastern banks of the upper Mississippi River is BNSF’s St. Croix Subdivision, a mostly d...
Climbing gently from the tidewater ports near Portland, Oregon is the Columbia River Gorge'a wide, f...
With just six days remaining before Santa Fe was to be merged with the Burlington Northern, Pentrex ...
The film explores the destruction of a unique train station in Zurich and the construction of the ne...
Hip-Hop Culture and Graffiti Video Magazine
The most complete and comprehensive collection of railroading films ever compiled on any subject - t...
A short film documentary about the reconstruction of Lac-Mégantic following the 2013 railway tragedy...
Have you ever passed a track gang and wondered what all those machines actually do? Here's your answ...
Pentrex takes you back in time to the late 1950s and 1960s for a close-up look at the waning years o...