A brief visit to UP's Roseville Yard

Below, an overview of UP's Roseville classification yard (taken by me from Star 6, a LE helo):

And then, on another day, I chanced to encounter a wonderful triumvirate of SD59MX locomotives on a side track whilst I bopped around the Roseville Yard:

The SD59MX -- of which there are three -- the 9900, the 9911 and the 9922 -- was originally built as an SD60M.  Three units were converted to the newest enviro-compliant strictures and then re-named as SD59MX -- SD for its three-axle trucks, 59 for its similarity to an SD60, M due to its comfort cab, and X for experimental.

That said, there is this photograph: 

As well as any number of Union Pacific 59X photos:

Oddly enough, Union Pacific features three former SD60 locomotives as UP 9900, 9911 and 9922.  In intervals of 11?

Information about the SD59MX here.

The EMD SD59M-2, more commonly referred to as the SD59MX, is one of the rarest locomotives in the Union Pacific motive power fleet. SD59M-2s are remanufactured SD60Ms.
Spotting features:

1. Wide-nose, so far only the later two-window wide nose rather than the earlier three-window "tri-clops" wide nose and none of the traditional 40 Series cab SD60s have been converted.
2. Slightly slanted air intakes.
3. High-adhesion HT-C trucks, reused from the "donor" SD60M, rather than the newer "radial" or "bolsterless" trucks. Nearly all SD40-2s and SD50s used the same truck.
4. Safety fuel tank like that found on current SD70Ms.

That said, my tour continued, as documented here on video:


This was an active day at the Roseville Yard.

Amtrak's #5 westbound pounded through the yard, and any number of other freight locomotives were featured in and around the locomotive maintenance sheds and the drop pits.

Here, new and older traction motors await installation or repair.  It is interesting to note that the listed weight on a typical traction motor set, here, is 11,000 pounds or 5.5 tons.

Here, a D90 traction motor awaits replacement for an EMD SD70M.

And that the discoveries are rated and beyond.

Here, another D90 traction motor waits for installation into an EMD SD70M locomotive, again rated at 11,000 pounds.

Below, a GE locomotive reveals its under-cab under-HVAC-and-air guts:

Below, an EMD SD70ACe reveals its clear cab isolation from the rest of the frame.

And elder GE unit just west of the J.R. Davis office building.

Here, an overview of the J.R. Davis Roseville Yard:

Features:

• Encompasses 915 acres
• 55 bowl tracks
• 50 miles of track constructed around local area for bulk and intermodal trains
• More than 86 miles of new track
• 247 switches
• 2 main lines
• 6,500 rail car capacity
• 1,800-2,300 cars per day classification ability
• 8 receiving and departure tracks
• New repair facility

The private varnish at the end of the California Zephyr #5, the westbound, was the Sierra Hotel.

Please click on each photo above and below in order to embiggen.

In the heat of the moment, the bulk of these photographs were taken during the summer in 100-degree inspiration.

MP154