Union Pacific Historical Society

The 2015 UPHS Convention will be held in Omaha, Nebraska June 4 through June 7, 2015. The joint UPHS/C&NWHS website is now up and operating and will be THE SOURCE for the latest in convention information. Click here to go directly to the joint website. UPDATED: February 9, 2015 reb

Information for the 2015 Joint Convention Model and Photo Show is now available on the Joint Convention website.  Please click here to go directly to the Model and Photo Contest web page. POSTED: February 17, 2015 reb

For those wondering, the FULL $189.00 convention registration fee includes all convention meals. This includes the Thursday night Meet & Greet reception, Friday Breakfast buffet and the Friday evening meal, the Saturday morning breakfast buffet, the bus ride for the tours, the lunch at Casio’s and the Saturday night banquet.  It also includes the Sunday breakfast buffet and free entry to the swap meet. NOTE: You are on your own for lunch on Friday. The $125 WEEKEND registration fee includes the Saturday morning breakfast buffet, the bus ride for the tours, the lunch at Casio’s and the Saturday night banquet.  It also includes the Sunday breakfast buffet and free entry to the swap meet. POSTED: February 19, 2015 reb

The Autumn 2014 edition of The Streamliner Second Section has is now available here.
Posted December 23, 2014 reb

The most recent “From the Business Car” article from UPHS President Larry Tiffany can be read here.
Posted January 9, 2015 reb

HO-scale, Ready-to-run Union Pacific HK-70-1 Hopper cars in three different versions are now available from the UPHS Company Store.  Click here for more information about these new UPHS products. Click here to go directly to the hopper car section in the UPHS Company Store.  Posted on October 24, 2014 reb

Two new UP 4-6-6-4 Challenger Drawing DVDs  and the updated Second Edition of the Big Boy DVD is now available here on the UPHS Company Store.  To get more information about the three new UPHS drawing products and a discounted drawing four-pack, please click here. Posted on October 31, 2014 reb

The 2016 UPHS convention will be held in Sacramento, California July 24 through July 30, 2016.  Click here for more information. Posted on October 1, 2014

The pre-sale of the revised and expanded edition of the history of the Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Company and its predecessors in Oregon, Washington and Idaho by Jeff Asay has ended.

This new edition has nearly 500 pages and over 500 photographs. Over half of these photographs were not in the original edition and most have not been published anywhere before. For more information please click here.

Purchase your copy today at the US UPHS members’ price of $76 including shipping. The US non-member price is $93 including shipping. International member price with shipping is $133 and International non-member price with shipping is $150. Go here to purchase your copy today.

 Revised November 24, 2014 reb

WE WELCOME OUR NEWEST UPHS MEMBERS!

New Members since October 13, 2014  

Posted on January 8, 2015  reb

The Union Pacific Historical Society is proud to announce a new product for sale to its members.

“BIG BOY and Other Sounds of the Union Pacific” CD, a collection of 26 steam and diesel sound recordings from the late 1950’s, is now available at the UPHS Company store. The digitally re-mastered recordings were made trackside by noted photographer Stan Kistler in Utah and Wyoming in 1957, and in Nebraska in 1958. This CD combines tracks from two of his albums released on vinyl in the 1950’s with the addition of some previously un-released recordings.

Here are a few examples of the action captured by Stan’s sound equipment trackside. Please click on the link to hear the sound recordings. Click on the back arrow to return to this page.

1) UP Big Boy 4010 drifts into Cheyenne with an eastbound freight.
2) Union Pacific 2-8-2 number 2206 whistles through Archer, WY.
3) An 4-8-4 works a train through Grand Island, NE. 

The CD is priced at $15 for non-members and $12 for UPHS members, plus shipping and handling. So add this CD to your collection and support the UPHS.  Please click here to purchase your copy of this fine CD.

Updated July 7, 2014 reb

December 8, 1933 – July 18, 2014

Thomas Lee, a founding member of the Union Pacific Historical Society and its first Treasure passed away Friday July 18, 2014.  Tom served on the UPHS Board of Directors from the inception until his retirement in 2011.  His tenure as Treasure was from 1985 until 1998.  He continued his UPHS support and work as Publication Committee Chairman and recently Chairman Emeritus.

When it comes to Kansas railroads and their history few can top Tom, especially the Union Pacific and the Rock Island.  He was born and raised in Manhattan Kansas within shouting distance of both railroads and watched a lot of changes run by.  From 7000 and 800 class passenger power, to M-10000 Streamliners, early E units, and the final years of the 9000 UP class locomotives.

He was an accomplished photographer with a large collection of railroad action all around Kansas.  He authored several books covering his favorites, the Rock Island and the Union Pacific.  For the UP his famous “Turbines Westward” has sold untold copies and his latest book “Union Pacific’s M-10000 and the Early Streamliner Era 1934-1941” published by UPHS in 2012, another success.  He had published many articles in the UPHS Streamliner magazine.  See Streamliner Vol. 21 Issue 4 for as good a eulogy as one could hope to present on Tom and his rail history memories and exploits.

Tom is survived by his long time wife, friend and companion Ann and two sons, Mike and Richard and their families.

Tom we will all miss you and wish you Gods speed on your next journey.

Respectfully submitted,

Larry Hochhalter

Fellow UPHS Board Member and friend

Posted July 21, 2014 reb