General Discussion
UTA 901 was built as L&N GP40 3025; renumbered to Seaboard System (SBD) 6821; renumbered to CSX 6821; rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen to Virginia Railway Express (VRE) V07 in August 1991, changing as-built 16 cylinder 567 engine to 12 cylinder 645 engine; retired by VRE in 2011 and returned to Wabtec-Boise ownership, stored until reconditioned by National Railway Equipment (NRE) in December 2013; to UTA 901.
NRE bought the locomotive from Frank Sahd & Sons, reconditioned it and delivered it to UTA in Salt Lake City in December 2013.
UTA 901 was out of service from its delivery in December 2013, until at least October 2014.
UTA 901 was used regularly to switch the few remaining industries along the east side of Union Pacific's 4th South Yard. Access to the yard by Union Pacific locomotives and crews had been blocked when UTA finished its Frontrunner South mainline in 2012. The two industries that received the most number of rail cars were the Cereal Food Processors mill (Grain Craft after 2014) on 5th South between 400 and 500 West, and the Mountain Cement distribution terminal between 8th and 9th South. The Cereal Food Processors mill closed in 2018. Mountain Cement stopped receiving rail cars in late 2021.
James Belmont photo