A weekend side trip into the Sierra Nevada, while on a business residency in Silicon Valley, which was in the early stages of ramping consumer and business internet connectivity - memorable times. An eastbound departure from Portola, CA, on Saturday 1st October 1994. This was the former Western Pacific, which the Union Pacific had absorbed in 1983, and Portola is a crew change location on the railroad. Also the home of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum, which was my following objective that day, and which I will cover on another occasion.
The leading unit was UP 6338, an EMD SD60M de;iverd in September 1992 (builder number 926302-23) later renumbered as UP 2493. Now retired from Union Pacific, and sold to Metro East Industries, who then delivered it to the Trona Railroad in 2025.
UP 9332, a GE C40-8 (builder number 45887) delivered in February 1989. At the 20 year lease point, storage started in 2009, although apparently in traffic in 2015, later sold GE in 2017 and to Larry's Truck & Electric (LTEX) and scrapped.
UP 9250 C40-8 (builder number 45799) delivered in November 1988. In storage Nampa, ID 2011-12, later Roseville, CA in 2017 and in UP's mass retirement of the type, sold back to GE in the following year, assigned for scrap.
UP 9559 C41-8 (builder number 47643) delivered in December 1993. The last Dash 8 for UP, retired on 5th October 2018, believed sold to GECX, but no further record.
