Error, error error! Stop the presses -- oops, Bill Shippen already nailed it! For August 1998, I reported seeing UP SD90AC 8200, and stating that it had not yet been renumbered to UP 8500. Big oops! What I saw was SD9043AC 8200, which was delivered to UP on 2 February 1998. When I saw it, I assumed I was looking at the SD90AC and forgot completely about the SD9043AC already being on the railroad.

UP 8500 is at EMD. It apparently never carried the UP 8200 number. It was renumbered direct from UP 8160 to UP 8500 sometime in August 1998. (Thanks to Dick Will for this info.)

As of September 27, UP 8501 and 8502 are both still at VMV, to be released soon. UP 8501 no longer has "We Will Deliver" on its car body. UP 8503 and 8504 were released from VMV on September 26, both with new H-series engines. UP 8504 is in full UP yellow and gray, and its blue card shows that it was out of service at VMV from May 19 to September 26. (Thanks to Steve Wilhelm for this info.)

I ran a trace on 8 September on the five SD90ACs and their similar SD9043AC siblings:

SD9043ACs: UP 8200 was Manville, Wyo., en route to Topeka, Kan. UP 8201 was at Coacremin, Wyo. UP 8202 had been interchanged with CR at Ogden Junction, Ill. UP 8203 was at Mojave, Calif., and UP 8204 was at Hinkle, Ore., en route to Cabrillo Mine, Wyo.

SD90ACs: UP 8500 and 8501 are at VMV. UP 8502 and 8504 were interchanged at Pueblo, Colo., on 11 April 1998. Presumably they are at the AAR test track. UP 8503 was interchanged with IC at Memphis, Tenn., on 6 June 1998, most likely it went to VMV. There is no record of EMD or EMDX 8504. My source tells me that all five units are being rebuilt, and upgraded by EMD (likely with new warranties) prior to being formally turned over to UP.