Lettering for UP’s Fairbanks Morse ERIE built diesels

In December of 1945, the UP took delivery of it’s rst passenger diesels. These units were powered by opposed piston diesel engines - a new design for the Navy’s submarine diesel engines, prohibited for nonmilitary use by the War Production Board until 1945. Built at General Electric’s Locomotive and Car Equipment Division plant at Erie, Pennsylvania, they became known as “ERIE Builts”. This rst set of A-B-A units were assigned road numbers as Series 50-M-1a, 50-M-2a and 50-M-3b. The UP’s publicity photo above shows the set running backwards with 50-M-2a in the lead and 50-M-1a in the rear. In August 1946, these units were renumbered to 981A, 982A and 983B, and later in March 1948 to 700, 701 and 700B; and nally in February 1953, to 650, 651 and 650B. These rst 3 units came with rectangular front cab windows - a distinctive look as well as unusual F-M straight-equalized fabricated power trucks. Subsequent units came with a large curved windows and cast side frame A!A Alco-Baldwin F-M trucks.

 

In November 1947, two A’s and two B’s were delivered and assigned road numbers as Series 984A, 985A and 986B and 987B. Less than a year later these were renumbered into 702, 703, 702B and 703B, and again in February 1953 to 652, 653, 652B and 653B. Then in March 1948, six more units were added for a nal total of FM diesels of 8 A-units and 5-B units. These last six were assigned as 704, 705, 704B, 706, 707 and 706B; and in February 1953, were renumbered into 654, 655, 654B, 656, 657 and 656B respectively. This decal set provides the modeler to letter these units for any combination of numbering in actual practice.

 

Paint & Lettering: Painted UP’s Armour Yellow (TCP-026) with gray roof, skirts and trucks (TCP-025).

 

Decal set designed and created at Protocraft Decals with artwork by Dick Harley

Printed by Microscale Industries