UP 900000-Series Jordan Spreaders

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This file was last updated on July 3, 2022.

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Overview

Although these machines were known very early as a "Jordan Spreader," Union Pacific equipment records use the name "Ballast Spreader."

Oswald F. Jordan was a roadmaster on the Canada Southern Railway, a branch of the New York Central Railway. Jordan designed the Jordan spreader as early as 1900. He formed his own company, O.F. Jordan Company, and continued construction of Jordan Spreaders at East Chicago, Indiana.

(Read the brief Wikipedia article about Jordan spreaders)

(Visit the Jordan Spreader web site at TrainWeb.org, by Paul Strubeck and Jim Otto; http://www.trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/sectionlist.htm)

Since the 1960s UP has used its Jordan spreaders as snow plows. Although purchased as ballast spreaders and ditchers used to maintain trackside drainage ditches, these unique machines became surplus as UP began using smaller self-propelled machines to spread ballast and maintain trackside drainage.

Modernized Fleet

Beginning in Fall 2009, Union Pacific contracted with Thunder Machine Works, Inc., of Sacramento, California, to rebuild the first two of its remaining fleet of Jordan Spreaders, for reliable use in snow removal. NMI Industrial of Sacramento was a subcontractor for the primary and secondary cab enclosures. Work started in October 2009 at a site near UP's tracks in Sacramento, with a planned completion of Thanksgiving 2009. As with any rebuild program of this complexity, delays pushed the completion to mid January 2010. On January 18, 2010, due to the arrival of a major winter storm, both spreaders were rushed to 98-99 percent completion and moved to Truckee, California, for their acceptance testing. They entered service immediately. ("The Spreader Snow Plow; New Mega Machines of the Sierra", video available from DonnerRails.com)

NMI Industrial in Sacramento has rebuilt a total of eight Jordan Spreaders for UP. Four UP spreaders (UP 903020, 903022, 903031 and 903134), and four former SP Jordan Spreaders (SPMW 4030, 4031, 4033 and 4034).

Following list of rebuilt UP Jordan Spreaders, as of January 2016:

(Read more about the 2009 rebuilds; at the Jordan Spreader web site; http://www.trainweb.org/JordanSpreader/rrrebuilt.htm)

(View the very short NMI Industrial promotional video on YouTube)

Roster Listings

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.

Road
Number
OWRR&N
Roadway Number
Previous
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
  OWRR&N 0450   Jun 1914   Feb 1956 1
OWRR&N 900453 OWRR&N 0453 North Coast X-3 May 1910   May 1973 2
OWRR&N 900454 OWRR&N 0454   Nov 1950     3

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-055, r3-061, r3-063, r3-0641

Notes:

  1. OWRR&N 0450 was retired in February 1956 after being wrecked on December 30, 1955 at Hilgard, Oregon
  2. OWRR&N 900453 was built in May 1910 as North Coast Railroad X-3; entire railroad sold to OWRR&N on December 23, 1910, renumbered to OWRR&N 0453 in August 1914; renumbered to OWRR&N 900453 in October 1959; retired in May 1973
  3. OWRR&N 900454 was Type A, Model 3-175, with front cab; built in November 1950 as OWRR&N 0454; renumbered to OWRR&N 900454 in October 1959

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.

Road
Number
OSL
Roadway Number
Previous
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
OSL 902060 OSL 02060 OSL 795 Mar 1910   May 1966 1
OSL 902061 OSL 02061   May 1913   May 1966  
OSL 902062 OSL 02062   Jun 1923   Nov 1968  
OSL 902063 OSL 02063   Jun 1930   Feb 1978  

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0214

Notes:

  1. OSL 902060 was built in March 1910 as OSL 795; renumbered to OSL 02060 in August 1912; renumbered to OSL 902060 in March 1959; retired in May 1966

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Front Cab

Road
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Rebuilt
Notes
UP 903020 Dec 1966   Fall 2011 1
UP 903021 Apr 1967     2
UP 903022 Apr 1967   Fall 2011 3
UP 903023 Jun 1967 915   4
UP 903024 Oct 1968     5

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0460, r3-0462, r3-0677

Notes:

  1. UP 903020 was rebuilt in Fall 2011 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California; assigned to LaGrande, Oregon, since early 2012, still there in late June 2022.
  2. UP 903021
  3. UP 903022 was rebuilt in Fall 2011 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California.
  4. UP 903023 (not rebuilt) was seen at Portola, California, during August and September 2011; seen at Roseville, California, during June and October 2015; later returned to Portola. (View photos at RRPictureArchives.net)
  5. UP 903024

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type J; Model 4-100

Road
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Notes
UP 903031 Apr 1976 1453 1
UP 903032 May 1977 1461 2

The UP numbers 903031 and 903032 were briefly used in 1971 and 1972 for the two Boiler Cars, built from retired C&O steam locomotive tenders.

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0460, r3-0462, r3-0677

Notes:

  1. UP 903031 was rebuilt and modernized in January 2010 by Thunder Machine Works, Inc., Sacramento, California; renumbered to SPMW 4032 and assigned snow service on former SP Donner Pass route (conversion completed at same time as SPMW 4031).
  2. UP 903032; as of February 2009, still in service at Dunsmuir, California. (View a photo of UP 903032)

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.

1959 Road
Number
Previous
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
UP 903129 UP 03129 Mar 1926   Nov 1963  
UP 903130 UP 03130 Jan 1917   Jun 1967  

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab

1959 Road
Number
Previous
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
UP 903132 UP 03132 Oct 1949 831 May 1985  
UP 903133 UP 03133 Oct 1949      

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab

1959 Road
Number
Previous
Number
Builder
Date
Builder
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
UP 903134 UP 03134 Sep 1958     1

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0306, r3-0679

Notes:

  1. UP 903134 was rebuilt and modernized in Summer 2012 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California; as of January 16, 2016, assigned to Dunsmuir, California.

 

Ballast Spreader
O. F. Jordan Co.; Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab

Road
Number
Builder
Date
Date
Retired
Notes
UP 903142 Oct 1963 After Nov 1986 1
UP 903143 Nov 1963   2

General Notes:

  1. UP Equipment Record: r3-0679

Notes:

  1. UP 903142 was retired after November 1986, the date of a photo taken in Oroville, California.
  2. UP 903143 was rebuilt and modernized in Winter 2012 by NMI Industrial, Sacramento, California; seen in service at Morgan, Utah, on Fewbruary 5, 2017; also being used at Evanston, Wyoming..

Sorted by Build Date

Road
Number
Builder
Date
Model Previous
Number
Date
Retired
Notes
OWRR&N 900453 May 1910   OWRR&N 0453 May 1973 Built as North Coast X-3
OSL 902060 Mar 1910   OSL 02060 May 1966 Built as OSL 795
OSL 902061 May 1913   OSL 02061 May 1966  
  Jun 1914   OWRR&N 0450 Feb 1956  
UP 903130 Jan 1917   UP 03130 Jun 1967  
OSL 902062 Jun 1923   OSL 02062 Nov 1968  
UP 903129 Mar 1926   UP 03129 Nov 1963  
OSL 902063 Jun 1930   OSL 02063 Feb 1978  
UP 903132 Oct 1949 Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab UP 03132 May 1985  
UP 903133 Oct 1949 Type A; Model 3-175; Center Cab UP 03133    
OWRR&N 900454 Nov 1950   OWRR&N 0454    
UP 903134 Sep 1958 Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab UP 03134   Rebuilt Summer 2012
UP 903142 Oct 1963 Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab   After July 1985  
UP 903143 Nov 1963 Type A; Model 3-175; Front Cab     Rebuilt Winter 2012
UP 903020 Dec 1966 Type A; Front Cab     Rebuilt Fall 2011
UP 903021 Apr 1967 Type A; Front Cab      
UP 903022 Apr 1967 Type A; Front Cab     Rebuilt Fall 2011
UP 903023 Jun 1967 Type A; Front Cab      
UP 903024 Oct 1968 Type A; Front Cab      
UP 903031 Apr 1976 Type J; Model 4-100     Rebuilt Jan 2010 as SPMW 4032
UP 903032 May 1977 Type J; Model 4-100      

Photos

Photos of UP Jordan Spreaders at UtahRails Photo Albums

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