What happen when Union Pacific need a yard-switcher? Can they go to a producer and buy a simple 0-8-0 of USRA heritage? No way!

If it doesn't look different they wan't it. Otherwise how they can ask royalties for the use of the brand to the modell railroaders of the world?

For this reason in the beginning of the forties the chief officer of the UP Department for Locomotives and Shrimps Transport (the ubiquitous LST Dept.) Ed Cheapbuy went to Ira Berliner, the genius of improbable locomotives, and asked for a project at the level of UP's expectations.

And Berlinerwerke replied with a project that have been transformed into a prototype at the beginning of WW II. It used as many as possible parts from the Big Boy production by reducing performances and dimension adeguatelly.

The result was everything else then a yard-switcher, but matched the image UP had of himself (or herself? Who knows).

The yardmens have been not so happy, because they had a job to do, and this was more a road locomotive then a yard-switcher, but... marketing forever. The locomotive was good over 50 mph... not the best solution for a yard-switcher. Anyway, the Lil'boy went in use switching long trains between the different yards of the Los Angeles area and dereiling on every connection with less then a wide radius...

Why? Because with 65 inches drivers the Lil'boy had some difficult going over at full power on 50 yards radius rails... UP went out to Ira Berliner asking for solutions, but he replied that this was the best for the money... UP was not too happy about this reply and went up with a new project... the turbines with which they destroyed just like every overpassing bridges on the Shermann Hill line.

The locomotive remained in service until 1951. It have been destroyed in a riots of the kirghizian community of Los Angeles caused by the choice of Metro Goldwin Meyer to avoid presenting "The seven kirghizian" an Holywood remake of "Derzu Uzala" for the Oscar's nominations.

The name, Lil' Boy, has been applied, as usual, by Lee Duval, the black sheep at the UP San Bernardino yard depot one night he had... well... some difficults with his wife... All of you over 50 knows what I am speaking about... As usual, against all planes of the Marketing, Communication and Wrong Stories Dept of UP that has spending huge time and money finding out something like Y6WC Intercooled... the name catched and everybody knows this locomotive as Lil' Boy.

Many thanks to Sam Berliner III, the only real serious researcher in the matter of Ira Berliner and improbable locomotives. He offered me the drawing he found in his huge archive of documents regarding Ira and his activity.

I suggest you to check his web-site Berlinerwerke frequently. He inspired my activity of researcher of the less knowed railroad arguments. His site is the Bible of the serious researcher for improbabile locomotives.



Union Pacific Lil'boy
Union Pacific Lil'boy
Paese	USA
Anno	1942
Tipo	4 cylinder single expansion	4-4-4-2


What happen when Union Pacific need a yard-switcher? Can they go to a producer and buy a simple 0-8-0 of USRA heritage? No way! If it doesn't look different they wan't it. Otherwise how they can ask royalties for the use of the brand to the modell railroaders of the world? For this reason in the beginning of the forties the chief officer of the UP Department for Locomotives and Shrimps Transport (the ubiquitous LST Dept.) Ed Cheapbuy went to Ira Berliner, the genius of improbable locomotives, and asked for a project at the level of UP's expectations. And Berlinerwerke replied with a project that have been transformed into a prototype at the beginning of WW II. It used as many as possible parts from the Big Boy production by reducing performances and dimension adeguatelly. The result was everything else then a yard-switcher, but matched the image UP had of himself (or herself? Who knows). The yardmens have been not so happy, because they had a job to do, and this was more a road locomotive then a yard-switcher, but... marketing forever. The locomotive was good over 50 mph... not the best solution for a yard-switcher. Anyway, the Lil'boy went in use switching long trains between the different yards of the Los Angeles area and dereiling on every connection with less then a wide radius... Why? Because with 65 inches drivers the Lil'boy had some difficult going over at full power on 50 yards radius rails... UP went out to Ira Berliner asking for solutions, but he replied that this was the best for the money... UP was not too happy about this reply and went up with a new project... the turbines with which they destroyed just like every overpassing bridges on the Shermann Hill line. The locomotive remained in service until 1951. It have been destroyed in a riots of the kirghizian community of Los Angeles caused by the choice of Metro Goldwin Meyer to avoid presenting "The seven kirghizian" an Holywood remake of "Derzu Uzala" for the Oscar's nominations. The name, Lil' Boy, has been applied, as usual, by Lee Duval, the black sheep at the UP San Bernardino yard depot one night he had... well... some difficults with his wife... All of you over 50 knows what I am speaking about... As usual, against all planes of the Marketing, Communication and Wrong Stories Dept of UP that has spending huge time and money finding out something like Y6WC Intercooled... the name catched and everybody knows this locomotive as Lil' Boy. Many thanks to Sam Berliner III, the only real serious researcher in the matter of Ira Berliner and improbable locomotives. He offered me the drawing he found in his huge archive of documents regarding Ira and his activity. I suggest you to check his web-site Berlinerwerke frequently. He inspired my activity of researcher of the less knowed railroad arguments. His site is the Bible of the serious researcher for improbabile locomotives.