UP Test Catenary

[jagged ben]

Just a curious question...

Anybody know which, if any, locomotives actually ran on this test catenary?

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=573590

[C855B]

No proof nor direct knowledge, but my edu-guess would be the GM10B and GM6C. It would have been reaction to the oil embargo, exploring alternatives.

[wcfn100]

The Utah Rail site reads like no engines were tested.  It was more about how the wire would hold up in weather and if they would cause any communication interference.

Jason

[Missaberoad]

Canadian Pacific did a similar test in the late 1970's erecting a mile of catenery in BC to determine the cost/impact of electrifying their western lines.

Nothing was run under CP wire and the poles were torn down several years later. 

Likely this is a similar experiment.

[Spikre]

 
  thought that SP also did a Wire test near Donner around that time frame ?
     Spikre
     

[Missaberoad]

Here's a newspaper article from 1973 describing the UP experiment. Note it describes two test sections, one west of Cheyenne and one near Farmington, Utah.

It also states that the Wyoming section was not electrified only the Utah section.

[C855B]

Makes sense, yet doesn't. They wanted to test interference to electronic systems (2-way radio, signal lines) by energizing the lines, but ran nothing under electric? In my direct experience operating electric motive power (trolley museum), the interference comes from contact between the pan/pole and line, and the RF generated by the sparking. Simply energizing the catenary isn't going to do anything different than a conventional utility power line next to the tracks.

[Missaberoad]

Judging from the news excerpts on the Utah rails site Jason referenced the experiment (and an order for 25 locomotives?) was canceled around 1975. Perhaps they had planned experiments with equipment. I'll have to look at my collection of x2200 south magazines when I get home to see if I can find more info.

Scroll down to November 1973.
http://utahrails.net/up/up-in-ut-1900-1996.php

Here's a photo of the Utah test section.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/captain_railroad/12014431136/

Another note both sections were removed in 1984.

[C855B]

... Scroll down to November 1973.
http://utahrails.net/up/up-in-ut-1900-1996.php

Here's a photo of the Utah test section.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/captain_railroad/12014431136/

Hmm. I ought to have figured that Don (Strack) would have the skinny on it.

I love the Flickr date attribution: "Taken on January 17, 2014". Not only "No!", but "Hell, no!" An 8000-series SD40-2? On a pig train? With "CR" relettered PC unit? In 2014? ... We wish. 1981, absolute latest.