Posted by Scott Carney on January 24, 2007  That is a heck of a lashup. Too bad those days are gone. Keep on posting your Northwestern collection. Posted by KJ Larson on January 24, 2007  WOW!!!! great shot and historical documentation....keep 'em commin Posted by bob bunting on January 25, 2007  Ralph, Those are some hairy lookin' machines. Why were the U50s called whirlybirds? Nice picture man. Bob EMDjunkie@netzero.net Posted by Ralph Back on January 25, 2007  This is why the UP U50s are called "WhirlyBirds": From Union Pacific Historical Society's "The Streamliner" Vol. 18 No. 3 Summer 2004 UNION PACIFIC'S WHIRLYBIRDS - The 5000-horsepower U50s were basically two GE U25B's on steroids with two squirrel-cage blowers at the opposite ends of the carbody which produced an exhaust report and a reverberation cadence similar to the famous Bell UH-1 Huey helicopters, hence they were nicknamed "WhirlyBirds". Posted by J Moller on July 17, 2012  The squirrel cabe traction motor fans were one thing but the large horizontal fans underneath the radiator were ear splitting.

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