Just For Fun: Illinois Railway Museum to Restore Union Pacific DD40X #6930 to Operation

Union Pacific DDX40 6936 pulling a Union Pacific train. This image was made before UP donated the 6936 to Railroad Heritage of Midwest America, and is shown for illustrative purposes only. UP DD40X 6930, the subject of this article, was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum in 1985. Photo courtesy Union Pacific.

UNION, Ill.––While this is not within the normal purview of RT&S coverage, we occasionally like to announce major historic restoration projects that will interest rail employees and enthusiasts of all ages. The announcement of the DD40X restoration is one such project.

Please note the caption for the photograph above. As far as we know, Union Pacific is not involved in this project, and it is solely the initiative of the Illinois Railway Museum. And the image in the photograph above is #6936, not #6930, which is the subject of this article. The image above is used for illustrative purposes only.

Here is some information about the 6930 and the DD40X series, also known as Centennials.

“Union Pacific 6930 was built in 1969, the 100th anniversary of the Golden Spike that united the continent with the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. In honor of this, the railroad named the 47 locomotives of its class Centennials. They were the most powerful diesel-electric locomotives ever built on a single frame, boasting 6,600hp generated by two 16-cylinder diesel engines and eight traction motors. They weighed 270 tons and stretched more than 98′ in length – true giants of the rails.

“The Centennials were ideal for moving high-tonnage freight trains at high speeds and over long distances. Geared for a 90mph (145kmh) top speed, the locomotives were immediately successful in hauling fast freight trains over the Union Pacific’s main line. They averaged as much as 22,000 miles of service per month and each diesel locomotive racked up some 2 million miles in service over the course of its career.

“Though successful, the Centennials saw so much use that they wore out quickly. The Union Pacific removed them from active service in 1980 after just a decade. In 1983, 25 of the locomotives – including 6930 – were rehabilitated and returned to active duty. They saw regular use for another two years until 6930 and the other Centennials entered permanent retirement in 1985.”

For more information about the Centennial locomotives, please check out the Union Pacific website.

For more information about the restoration of Centennial, please check the Illinois Railway Museum website.