Union Pacific 7964 leads a southbound freight through Albany on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025.
That, my friends, is no ordinary train engine you are looking at here.
Union Pacific 7964, which I happened to see Saturday at the Burkhart Street crossing in Albany, may look like any other modern locomotive. Its distinction is that it was the 5,000th engine in the “Evolution Series” built by General Electric.
The locomotive was built at GE’s plant in Erie, Pa., and delivered to Union Pacific in June 2012. The railroad describes it as “one of the newest, most reliable and most fuel-efficient high-horsepower locomotives in the Union Pacific fleet.”
I learned all this and more from a fact sheet that the railroad posted online. You can read it here.
Here’s an item on the sheet that stands out. With more fuel-efficient engines like this one, the UP says it can move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles on one gallon of diesel fuel. Think of that the next time you fill your pickup at the pump.
As you already know, it’s not the diesel engine that drives the locomotive. Instead, the engine turns a generator that supplies the electricity that powers traction motors. Those motors are in the wheels and move the huge machine.
If you want to know more, google “how does a diesel electric engine work.” You’ll find descriptions with graphics that explain the complicated systems that move trains like the one I watched Saturday (again):
In Albany, railfans like me get many chances to watch trains go by. How many, actually?
I asked state Railroad Planner Bob Melbo. Here’s what he sent back:
“For the last week of June, all of July, and the first two days of August, Union Pacific freights passing through Albany have been averaging pretty close to 10 per day, which is probably not as many as you would expect there to be. It’s essentially evenly split between north and south, five and five. In addition to that there are six Amtrak trains (three each way) and then the Portland & Western activity. P&W generally has two roundtrip movements between their two yards just about every day. These are the yard at the depot and the yard near Talking Waters, P&W also has a daily arrival and departure of their train from/to Toledo, and another train from McMinnville to Albany and back during the night. These latter trains may be only six-day services instead of seven.  On weekdays the Albany & Eastern runs to Albany from Lebanon and then returns, usually in the morning.”
Adding them up, you get an average of up to two dozen trains on Albany tracks over 24 hours.
Some people have complained about all the train horns sounding at Albany crossings. To some of us, however, the horns are reassuring. Their sound reminds us of an America that builds powerful machines that do important work. (hh)
“Some people have complained about all the train horns sounding at Albany crossings. To some of us, however, the horns are reassuring. Their sound reminds us of an America that builds powerful machines that do important work.”
I wonder what kind of racket ensues at the Albany Pet Hotel when they lean on the AIR HORN?
Hasso, as a rail fan you like you are, you may be interested in joining in on my coffee group. We are all rail fans—former railroad engineers, railroad historians, and model railroaders. We meet for coffee every Friday 10am at Dixie Creek Tavern, Tangent. I hear and learn about many railroad stories including the UP engine you have featured.
Hey Hasso, have you ever checked out daylightsales.com? Everything railroad under the sun. T-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, coffee mugs, you name it. I’ve bought many things from them over the years. Mostly clothing which is very high quality. They’re great!
Beautiful Albany has beautiful trains – except for the graffiti. Do they ever get removed when they service the equipment? If they are not evidence of a crime, they should be.
The cost to repaint a diesel locomotive can range from $20,000 to $75,000, with the final price depending on the extent of the work, the type of paint used, and any additional detailing.
Albany New York?
Obviously not. We’re in Albany, OR, a great place to live and work. (hh)
Albany, under NYC, PC and Conrail used to see three times that traffic. Thanks to the whole country selling out to China or Mexico, and the PSR crap that thrills Wall St. but causes the railroads to make land barges trains that are slow and 3 miles long, there is nothing resembling what was and what could be. This UP/NS merger will further hasten the decline of American railroads. All by design!
Thanks for your comment. The selling out is “America selling out to Wall Street,” which is roulette for rich people. Republican-lite Bill Clinton put the nail in the coffin of America with his damned NAFTA trade agreements. The whole country has been going to hell ever since FDR’s death.
Oh, boy! I’m bracing myself for all the hateful comments from the Repubs who follow Hasso’s blog.
If the locomotive had “Googly Eyes,” it would be complete!!