The CENTENNIAL! Union Pacific 6900 - World's Largest Diesel Locomotive 

If you go the wrong way and end up on an old man's property, he spoke like a tour guide and told us it is very normal for people to take the wrong turn into the garden. I swear best wholesome interaction I ever had.

I got to run the UP 6936 back in 2007. Well .... sort of. I worked for the Soo Line Railroad as a locomotive engineer at the Soo's former Milwaukee Road yard at Bensenville, IL (now retired). There is an annual event held around Memorial Day called Railroad Daze in nearby Franklin Park, IL. The Soo's tracks go by where the event is held and consequently brings down the locomotives several Chicago area railroads provide for the public to view on the outside and inside. It was in 2007 I believe when the UP brought in the 6936 for the event. I came to work on a late May, sunny, warm afternoon and there she was sitting on the service track at the east end of Bensenville (waiting to be moved to Railroad Daze the next day). When my lunch break came up, I used it to inspect the idling Centennial. Seeing that there was about 300 ft of clear track ahead I thought, "what the heck." So, I took off the handbrake inside the cab, positioned both isolation switches to "Run," inserted my reverser on the control stand and moved to forward, released the independent brakes and away I went about 100 feet, stopped and then tied it down. It wasn't a mainline run, but hey, at least I can say I operated the largest and most powerful diesel locomotive in the world!

Beyond impressive. The GM V-16 two-cycle diesels were around 10,645 cubic inches each. RPM was limited to about 950 because the reciprocating internal parts were so heavy and massive. These units were a sight to behold. For UP locomotives, excess power was never enough!

Union Pacific Railroad was known for its history with large powerful locomotives to get over those mountain passes. Examples included the Big Boys, the large Gas Turbine Locomotives and the Centennials. Today with modern locomotive control systems the locomotive in the front can control a chain of locomotives behind it. So we will likely not see these huge locomotives again.

I’ve been on that locomotive and the big boy that’s there. Before they were moved to their current location they were at a park and you could actually get on them both and get in the cabs. This was back in the early 90’s when I was a teenager.

I got a few photos of 6936 when she came through Portland about 2 decades ago... It's quite a sight! MASSIVE doesn't even scratch the surface.

6936 was still in Union Pacific's excursion fleet with Big Boy 4014 as of November 2022. The first three DDA40X locomotives had a horsepower rating of 7,000hp but they consumed a lot of diesel fuel and were sent back to EMD to have their fuel injectors swapped out to low flow fuel consumption injectors which decrease the horsepower to 6,600hp. This is the same 16 cylinder 645 engine inside of EMD's SD40-2 family of locomotives. Also inside of Union Pacific's famed fast forties SD40-2 locomotives Union Pacific use to operate with the Centennials on high priority trains and hot Z piggyback truck trailer trains from Los Angeles to the Midwest.

These used to roll by my house when I was a kid. Super cool to watch

Very impressive diesel locomotive model, the centennial class were a unique diesel model type owned solely by the Union Pacific rr.

I'm guessing that the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, TX is the only other place where you can capture one of these and a Big Boy in the same frame.

Wish they would have built roofs over both engines.

That cab has SO MUCH room. Would love to be able to operate this bad boy.

6936 just went to Illinois I believe

Their designation is actually DDA40X.

I've been to that place in Omaha when I was younger

Superbe locomotive diesel 👍👍👍

There's one of these in our shop and i'm going to do some electrical repairs on it...

Been there years ago. Great view of hwy 80.

Great video

That's a model I have to have!

The Big Boy Steam Locomotive was large , This is collosal and a Beast of a Diesel locomotive 😮Damn , Impressive size and wow quite a walk to the front ,These must be the size of Two football Pitches 😮Think big stateside ,Oh yes ,Greetings from Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿💖🇺🇲 Legends and Remember that TV series Monster Moves where one is next to a steam loco both pulled up a hill by Large trucks .Clue me in as to where these are ?😮

if you havent watched the vids of them being moved and set at location, it’s a cool vid.

Which had more tractive force, this or Big Boy?

And the worlds largest steam train next to it

❤❤❤❤❤

What is that odd piece of steel hanging off the middle of the right rear truck? It looks like a rain diverter!

💪🚂

Super video, nice BIG locomtoive! MEGA LIKE & Subscribe

Hmm, I suspect two locomotives double heading with a little bit of CGI mixed in.

Cab is locked?

😮11 survivors………. I wonder if there are any in working order

I’ll never forget the first time, as a kid sitting in the window seat , a yellow wall is passing, then a break , then more yellow…yellow, what was that? I went to find my dad!

Where are the centennial locomotives located these days?

It's 90mph not 85.

Subbed thanks.

Are they made by GE ?

Why the awfully irritating generic guitar music.

Whats the weight?

the worlds largest steam engine and diesel engine belong to union pacific.