Union Pacific has often been on the cutting edge of locomotive technology. In the 1950s, UP became the only railroad ever to place a fleet of gas turbine-electric locomotives into regular mainline service. In this video you'll learn the whole turbine story, beginning with rare footage of an early steam turbine experiment in 1938. Ten years later the first gas turbine demonstrator appeared, followed by 55 production units. The largest were rated at 8,500 horsepower each, the most powerful locomotives ever built! You'll see the demonstrators and all three production models - including the unique "Veranda" units - hauling tonnage on scenic main lines, moving through yards, and being serviced in engine terminals alongside steam engines and F-units. Along the way you'll learn how turbine locomotives operate and delve into the differences and similarities between turbine-electric and diesel-electric units. The saga ends with an experimental coal-burning turbine locomotive built by Union Pacific itself in 1962. Special Bonus: A General Electric promotional film produced in 1938, entitled The Steam-Electric Arrives! with its original music and narration, is included on the same tape as a special treat. 46 Minutes |
| Also available in DVD; see Order Code UPT-DVD Related title: Union Pacific Turbines of the Wasatch P.O. Box 94911 Pasadena, CA 91109-4911 |