DIRTY DIESELS DONE DIRT CHEAP! While Union Pacific's U50C was one of the least successful locomotives due to design flaws, like aluminum wiring, the UP did get quite a bit of use out of them. With the first units starting to roll out in October 1969, 5021 was delivered in May 1971. Most of these units ran up over 500,000 miles with 5021 reaching 518,940 miles before being retired in 1978. It spent its final months being leased to Ford Motor company in Lorain Ohio as a stationary power plant in March and April 1978. These units produced 5000 HP and here we see a single unit on the front of a very long train and looking well used with maintenance deferred.
