Union Pacific Class MC-57

The Union Pacific Class Mc-57s (Ex-N&W) Locomotives were a small batch of Five Y-3 Class 2-8-8-2 Steam Locomotive Mallets that were bought second-hand from the Norfolk and Western Ry. during the latter half of World War II for assisting in Wartime traffic.
== Origins ==
The five locomotives were originally built for the Norfolk and Western Railway as part of a batch of 50 USRA 2-8-8-2s that were built after World War I between February to August, 1919. As delivered, this class of engine had Duplex stokers, Type A superheaters, Baker valve gear, Worthington feedwater heaters, 57" drivers and 16,000 gallon, 23 ton Rectangular tenders which had been built in 1937 by Alco. They also used six-wheel tender trucks. Becoming a mainline choice for heavy coal drags at slow speeds for the N&W during the 1920s and 1930s, several were sold to other Railroads during the War as Newer and more powerful engines like the Y6s replaced them.
== Service Lives on the Union Pacific ==
During early 1945 the Union Pacific found itself, just like other major Railroads like the Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific Railroads in need of more Locomotives to help assist in the increasing Wartime Traffic upon tougher routes like Sherman Hill, WY. UP Railroad officials observed the east for a fitting locomotive type for the heavier jobs like the Road's home articulated engines. By May 1945 the N&W put five used Vintage 1919-built Y-3 Compound Mallets for sale as the UP was interested, the five arrived on the Union Pacific at Council Bluffs in Jun 1945 as they wore former numbers 2030, 2020, 2025, 2041, and 2013. The engines were renumbered as the 3670-3674 series and were renumbered and re-lettered before entering Service on the UP. Little to no modifications were made on the N&W Units as the UP knew they weren't going to be on the property for very long also considering that the UP the previous year completed converting all their Mallets into Simple articulated, the Union Pacific Workmen did not consider the old Y-3s worth rebuilding although they were in fair shape, the main problem was the old air pumps were in poor condition and needed to be rebuilt and several new pipes installed. As the UP put them into service in Wyoming, they were too slow for freight service on the UP's Overland route that the frames were too light for fast service on UP. They did often double-head with the former C&O H7 units on other routes but for they're speed and design, they were no match for any of the road's Timken-equipped modern power. The locomotives took the brunt of the coal assignments for many months, and were withdrawn from service in late 1947. Some of the N&W units were the last "War Babies" to be withdrawn. As soon as the traffic on the hills decreased the former Y3s became surplus with retirements beginning with #3672 in July 1947, and the last retired in December 1947. Along with the 30 Ex-C&O H7 units the Ex-N&W units were quickly cut up by the first few Months of 1948.
Numbers 	Builder and year 	Notes 	Retired and scrapped
#3670 (Ex N&W 2030)	ALCO-Schenectady, May 1919 	Transferred to UP June 1945. 	November 1947
#3671 (Ex N&W 2020)	ALCO-Schenectady, April 1919	Transferred to UP June 1945. 	November 1947
#3672 (Ex N&W 2025)	ALCO-Schenectady, May 1919 	Transferred to UP June 1945, bell relocated to firebox top, first unit to be retired.	July 1947
#3673 (Ex N&W 2041)	ALCO-Schenectady, May 1919 	Transferred to UP June 1945, last unit to be retired. 	December 1947
#3674 (Ex N&W 2013)	ALCO-Schenectady, April 1919	Transferred to UP May 1945, first unit to arrive on UP. 	November 1947
== Trivia ==
* The Union Pacific made only very few modifications to these units, such as repainting with new numbers and lettering, lighted number boards installed on top of the smokebox, removed numberplates, removed doghouses, and rebuilt air pumps. 
* By UP crews because of being put into service on its new home during the war, they called these units "Warbabies".
* These units were the last true Mallets used anywhere on the UP.
* The only favorable comment about the War Babies were that they could pull more on less steam pressure than anything else on the road. Even with 125-150 lbs. on the gauge, they could start a train.
* All five tenders by 1948 were saved off the scrapped Mallets and few were used on Rotary Snowplows.
Category:2-8-8-2 locomotives
Category:Scrapped locomotives
Category:Union Pacific locomotives
Category:Norfolk and Western locomotives
Category:Mallet locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Compound locomotives
Category:Built in 1919
Category:Baldwin locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:Freight locomotives