@mark s posted:ED 3945: I was speaking in general terms, not specifically of a Union Pacific machine. Steam wrecking derricks were common through the 1960's on American railroads. Last one I saw in service was on the former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy/Burlington Northern in 1977. It was dispatched from it's normal Aurora, IL location to LaGrange, IL to help in the clean-up of an Amtrak wreck, wherein the Amtrak locomotives derailed on a bridge over the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad tracks. It was still steam-powered.
The last steam wreckers I saw were on the Southern Pacific Railroad, with 2 stationed at Truckee, CA (for use on the Sierra-Nevada mountans, running east from Truckee) and at Klamath Falls OR. This was in 1999.
Would love to see more portrait photos of your UP wrecker!
Thanks for the explaining I like them very mutch saw one similar in the states.