Re: Car "UPP 2066" info
Author: OPRRMS
Date: 03-30-2009 - 01:59
TM Wrote:
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> It's called Head End Power, not "Hotel Electric
> Power". "Hotel Electric Power" is a maritime
> term.
You raise an interesting point that I should've made more clear. On the diagram I have seen for this car, UP refers to the application as "Hotel Electric Power". It is apparently to differentiate this type of application from HEP-equipped cars that rely on receiving their power from an external power source; however, I am only guessing. Some of the self-contained business cars are similarly indicated.
So what this all boils down to is that cars that are not self-contained require an outside source of power. That source can be a locomotive equipped with a HEP generator or from a power car equipped with a generator. Amtrak's passenger locomotives, for example, are equipped with a 480-VAC generator with the output trainlined throughout the cars. UP uses a separate power car for power generation instead of HEP-equipped locomotives, with power from the car trainlined. Prior to the construction of the 2066, I've been told that UP's existing power cars (more on them in a moment) could not reliably provide power for more than six or seven cars, although I have no personal knowledge of it. Consequently, longer trains required the use of more than one power car. If you've seen the RBB&B circus trains, you've probably noticed each train has two power cars for this same reason.
Now a note about UP's older power cars. Frankly, I'm pretty much out of the loop nowadays when it comes to our special trains (it's been said that I run and hide when I find out a "D&PS" is comin' to town). Because of that, I made an error in my post listing the car numbers. While the 205 is indeed still around, I'm told that the 206 has been sold off. And I completely overlooked listing the 207, 208 and 209, which are the Boiler Cars that had electric-generating equipment added. Mea culpa.