Big Boy Men: The genius behind a steam legend

Smoking steam locomotive entering cut on curve. The Big Boy men.

The Big Boy Men William M. Jeffers, Union Pacific Railroad president, and Otto Jabelmann, vice president — research and mechanical standards, began their careers in the lowest ranking positions. Both men were known for their tempers and a belief that the only way to get a job done was to do it with their own […]

Read More…

The promise of Silvis

Steam locomotives inside shop building

When we drove off Illinois Route 92 onto former Rock Island property recently at Silvis, I was singularly focused on seeing steam locomotives. Three of them, to be specific, including one very special engine, former Union Pacific 4-6-6-4 Challenger No. 3985.   The Challenger was among equipment that made headlines last year as Railroading Heritage […]

Read More…

Union Pacific and BLET reach paid sick time agreement

Two men standing by train watch as another train goes by

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen have reached a paid sick time agreement, the railroad and union announced today. UP’s 5,600 engineers will have up to seven paid sick days. Five days will be considered paid sick time, while two additional paid leave days can be converted to […]

Read More…

UP Museum holds auction for Big Boy cab ride

Close-up of chrome part showing notch.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa — The Union Pacific Museum is auctioning the opportunity for one person to ride in the cap of Big Boy No. 4014 on Monday, July 3, from Pine Bluff, Wyo., to the UP Steam Shop in Cheyenne. The auction is being held in lieu of a passenger excursion fundraiser for the museum. […]

Read More…

UP diesel and steam in Idaho

20180514

In the early 1950s, Union Pacific F3 units in A-B-B formation lead freight train 257 west up the nearly 2 percent grade to Reverse, Idaho, on the road’s main line to Portland, Ore.; 107 cars to the rear, two 2-8-8-0s assist the diesels. Henry R. Griffiths Jr. photo […]

Read More…

Laredo and Houston concerns prompted Union Pacific lawsuit over STB’s Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger decision

KCS3947Laredo

CHICAGO – Union Pacific is suing the Surface Transportation Board because the agency’s approval of the Canadian Pacific-Kansas City Southern merger didn’t fully protect cross-border competition at the Laredo, Texas, gateway or address the potential for congestion in Houston, UP CEO Lance Fritz told a shipper conference today. “In their approval they identified our concerns […]

Read More…

Union Pacific announces Big Boy trip to Omaha

A Big Boy locomotive leads a yellow passenger train through the Great Plains.

Big Boy trip 2023 OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 will travel to Omaha, Neb., for 11 days of display during the NCAA College World Series baseball championship tournament, the railroad announced today. The locomotive and its train of heritage passenger cars will depart Cheyenne, Wyo., on the “Home Run Express Tour,” […]

Read More…

UP promotes Jalali to executive vice president

Man in blue coat and white shirt

OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific is promoting Chief Information Officer Rahul Jalali to executive vice president, effective June 1. He joined UP in 2020 and has most recently been a senior vice president and chief information office, and is credited by the railroad with a pivotal role in the company’s modernization efforts and leading development, […]

Read More…