I reciently purchased one of the new Bachmann DCC Equipted Union Pacific 2-8-0 Connies. Runs like a swiss watch. Of course we all know (or atleast UP Semi-Rivet Counters know) that the locomotive does not really match Onions Pathetic (UP) lokies,and a small vandy tender would help so I decieded to research the history of my model numbered 725.Usuing Volume 25 of the five books on UP 2-8-0 locomotives,part of the series of books offered by the Union Pacific Historical Society covering each loco in the different classes,we find some interesting things. 2-8-0 locomtives UP Subsidary line "Oregon Washington Railway & Navagation" company had 700 series numbers. The oldest #700 was built by New York in 1888 and looks completly different. All of the other 2-8-0's were buily by either Baldwin or Alco- Cook in the early n1900's like for example 737 Baldwin 1906. Looking at the rear of the model's tender we see the O W R & N initilas below the number as per prototype. With a small magnifierthe correct class designation information is below the cab side numbers. Back to the real locomotives. It would appear they were delivered as were other UP 2-8-0's with rectangular tenders similar to the one Bachmann uses. Tenders were coal. Later lokies in Northwest District service were converted to oil. A small handfull,unlike on other divisions recieved vandy tenders,probably converted from coal to oil. Most however had the curved upper tender sides cut down and large oil bunkers set in the former coal area. A few never had the sides cut down,but got the bunkers. 618 which operated on another subsidary the OSL had the same type of tender,but either when retired or near end of service it got a Vandy Tender and that what it has today being donated first to Salt Lake City, then transferred to the State of Utah where it is now on the Heber Creeper tourist line. The bell on the Bachmann Model is ahead of the two steam domes,on most UP Connies it is between the domes,but not on all a few have different dome spacing and the bell ahead of steam & sand domes like the 768 Blt.by American 1908. Someone could have a Shapeways oil bunker part made to convert Bachperson (mann) tenders. Finally back to my model #725.Book cover is lettered OSL 600-622 O W R 7 N 700-768. however when you look at the book you notice some numbers are missing like 725. Did some locomotives get transferred to other parts of the railroad and renumbered? I don't think so because some of the locos that worked in the Northwest later worked in the midwest and were listed as retired there,others were retired (scrapped) in the Northwest. "Car 54 (725) where are you?" Nate Goodman (Nato). "Presents another wall of non paragraphed text".
