<kuid2:581273:104244:1> UP S-6 Engine Early

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The sharp barking from a squat stack, the shrill sound of 5 chime steam whistles, and the banging and clashing of couplers were once common sounds across the Union Pacific's many rail yards and stations. The S-5 and S-6 were the final development for the UP in steam switcher power. Improving on the previous Harriman Common Standard designs, these new stubby little switchers featured wide fireboxes, big boilers, and small 51 inch drivers. While the Big Boys, Challengers and other large UP motive power are typically featured in the spotlight it was the switchers, the unknown, silent backbone of the railroad that kept the tonnage rolling (although if you heard one of these engines at work, you would think it was anything but quiet!)

The S-5 and S-6 classes worked across the UP system, from Omaha to Los Angeles and everywhere in between. A number of variations and modifications were made to the class throughout the years, with a handful being converted to oil, some receiving smoke hoods, others getting hand-me-down tenders from bigger road power for branchline service. Despite being some of the first steam locomotives to begin being displaced by diesels on the UP, the little switchers carried on alongside their oily counterparts and were among the last steam locomotives to disappear from the UPs roster, thanks to their compact size, versatility, and reliability. A handful of UPs once massive switcher fleet still survive today, with examples of both the Harriman Common Standard design (UP 4420) and the improved Baldwin and Lima copies (UP 4436, 4439, 4442, 4455 and 4466) residing in museums across the west.