The Union Pacific FEF-1 is the first batch of the FEF Series (FEF meaning, "four-eight-four") which consisted of twenty 4-8-4 "Northern" steam locomotive types built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1937 for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). They were assigned road numbers 800 through 819.
Origins[]
During the late 1930s, the rising trainloads started to exceed the limits of the 4-8-2 that were the mainstay of the UP-passenger operations. One day, in 1937, with UP President William Jeffer's business car in the rear, a "7000" Class 4-8-2 demonstrated the lack of steaming power inherent in the type. Even when the train was waiting for rescue, a telegram was sent to ALCO in Schenectady seeking something better. The result was a superb class of 45 locomotives known as the FEF Series that could run at 100 mph and produce between 4,000 and 5,000 drawbar horsepower. They also ran about 14,000 miles a month.
The first twenty locomotives were delivered by ALCO in 1937 and were classified as the FEF-1 with the later 25 being classified as the FEF-2 and FEF-3. The "800"s, as they were sometimes known, as a whole followed the simplest possible arrangement of only having two outside cylinders. Fitting ALCO's lateral motion devices to the leading coupled wheels eased the negotiation of curves. Complicated accessories often spoiled the basic simplicity of so many US locomotives, but UP resisted most of them, resulting in an elegant, uncluttered appearance. Despite frequently moving at speeds over 100 mph (161 km/h), the forces and stresses on the coupling and connecting rods were kept within acceptable limits. There were thus excellent results, and there were many reports of the class reaching the design limit of 110 mph (177 km/h).
Preservation[]
Of the 20 locomotives that were ever built, only one locomotive, No. 814, survived into preservation. Currently it is on static display at the RailsWest Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Stock list[]
| Loco No. | Image | Build date(s) | Retirement Date(s) | Restoration Date(s) | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | 
|
1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 801 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 802 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 803 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 804 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Tender preserved, locomotive scrapped. | |
| 805 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | locomotive scrapped, Tender unknown. | |
| 806 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 807 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Tender still in use, locomotive scrapped. | |
| 808 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 809 | 
|
1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 810 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 811 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 812 | 
|
1937 | 1956 | - | Scrapped | |
| 813 | 
|
1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 814 | 
|
September 1937 | 1959 | - | Preserved | Currently on static display at the RailsWest Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa |
| 815 | 
|
1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 816 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Tender still in use, locomotive scrapped. | |
| 817 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 818 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped | |
| 819 | Frameless | 1937 | - | - | Scrapped |
Gallery[]
