On May 10, 1869, the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met at Promontory Point, Utah to complete the first transcontinental railroad. Wagon trains and clipper ships were no longer the only way to the West Coast. More than a century later, the Central Pacific is gone but the Union Pacific is the largest railroad in North America, with more than 8,000 locomotives, 100,000 freight cars, and 32,000 miles of track in 23 states. Due to shared motive power agreements with other railroads, its famous Armour Yellow diesels can be spotted anywhere from Los Angeles to Boston.
Proud of its long history, the UP also operates a Heritage Fleet of locomotives that includes Challenger No. 3985, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, and a fleet of Heritage diesels honoring "fallen flag" railroads that are now part of the UP system. On this page we offer flag-themed UP diesel No. 8355 along with matching cars commemmorating earlier railroads now merged into the Union Pacific, including the Katy, Southern Pacific, Missouri Pacific and Denver & Rio Grande Western.
Under the hood beats a third-generation model 710 diesel with 4300 horsepower; only slight modifications were needed to make the model 710 meet new emission standards. With 5000 such motors in service worldwide and a reputation for dependability, EMD reasoned that shop crews would prefer familiar technology.
Other than the prime mover, however, virtually every element of the SD70ACe has been rethought to create a 21st-century locomotive. Ergonomics were a prime consideration. The engine's angular nose offers the crew far better visibility than most other locomotives, and the cab is comfortable for engineers of almost any size. Digital screens provide a range of information on what is happening both inside the locomotive and out on the road. The cab easily accommodates a crew of three - an important factor in a modern world without cabooses. And there is, of course, a cup holder for the engineer.
The RailKing Imperial SD70ACe is accurately decorated in modern motive power paint schemes. Our near-scale model is a full 17" in length, yet operates comfortably on O-31 curves. Under the hood of the Proto-Sound 3.0 version is the same sound and control system found in our more expensive Premier model of this locomotive - complete with sounds recorded from an actual Union Pacific SD70ACe. Additional Imperial features include operating diesel exhaust smoke and flashing ditch lights. If you're looking for realism and a lot of fun at a RailKing price, it doesn't get any better than this!
Did you know?
IntelliTrain, an option on the SD70ACe, uses cellular and GPS technology to allow a railroad's maintenance department to monitor operating conditions and problems as they occur out on the road - making diagnosis and repair considerably easier.
