UP 844 Steamed into Ogden

[1911]

At the risk of offending MTBRAINDEADZ, I figured I'd post up a heads up to any steam engine buffs. Union Pacific 844 just steamed into the Union Station for a day or so worth of display. Yes I realize that not everyone who lives in Ogden does peruse this forum but a lot of guys who peruse this forum are from Ogden.

 

[kilowatt]

Gross Polluter

Brian
http://i25.tinypic.com/fxbjgy.jpg[/IMG]

 

[1911]

Those black pollutants are known to the State of California to be carcinogenic. Good thing it is in Utah.

 

[LESGO54]

that train is almost as old as kilo. lol

 

[ShowThemToMe]

If Sandra Bullock was on it & you didn't tell me I'm gonna be mad!

Hot Dog,Hot Damn,I love this Ameri-can

 

[1911]

I'm taking the whole fam damily up there to see it now and then grabbing lunch somewhere afterwards. If I see Sandra I'll let you know.

 

[eldorado]

Now that's a smoke belcher. Great looking steam engine.

Eldorado

 

[legacy]

Cool stuff!

 

[one_dryboot]

My wife was doing a photo shoot when it pulled in. got some cool family photos with it in the background. monday Were taking our 2 year old boy to see "Thomas" before it pulls out.

 

[2lumpy]

Great post. As a youth we picked up newspapers to deliver everyday off one just about like that. Good memories , thanks.

DC

 

[eelgrass]

My dad started working for SP in 1949, and worked around steam engines. Cool photos 1911.

Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. It was the last steam locomotive delivered (in 1944) to Union Pacific and is unique in that it is the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad.

Union Pacific 844 was one of 10 locomotives that were ordered by Union Pacific in 1944 and were designated as class FEF-3. The FEF-3 class was similar to the earlier FEF-2 class as both were designed as passenger engines.

UP 844 was reassigned to freight service when diesel-electric locomotives took over passenger service and operated from 1957 to 1959 in Nebraska. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960. It was chosen for restoration and is now used on company and public excursion trains, along with revenue freight during ferry moves.

Like the rest of Union Pacific's FEF-3 locomotives, UP 844 was originally designed to burn coal, but was later converted to run on fuel oil. Some enthusiasts think it could handle 26 passenger cars at over 100 mph on straight and level track; they would say it was designed to safely operate up to 120 mph with its one piece cast steel bed frame, 80-inch drivers, massive boiler/firebox and lightweight reciprocating parts, which were common on late era steam locomotives. (UP's timetables showed a speed limit for steam locomotives of 80 mph.)

Eel

 

[1911]

Ironically the electric tender engine is a SP.

Without looking it up Eel, do you know what number the 844 went by shortly after the steamers were phased out, and why its number was changed until reclaiming the 844 in later years.

 

[2lumpy]

Wouldnt it be a great experience to ride that over the Sierra Nevadas? That's a bucket list item for me. Guess Im stuck with AmTrak. Anyone else interested? Eel, sounds like you are up to speed on matters of the rail, maybe you better sign up as the MM resident historian and give all the good stuff on the way!

DC

 

[1911]

One of these days Lumpy I plan to do just that. Take an AmTrak across the country. There is just something nostalgic about riding the rails. My maternal granddad was a Union Pacific electrician. Maybe I glean a certain genetic fascination from that.

 

[2lumpy]

SLC to Sacramento run, round trip $162.00. After reading Stephen Ambrose's, Nothing Like It In the World: The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad 1863-1869 I've had a real interest in seeing the task these men accomplished crossing these mountains.

DC

 

[Trix4me]

Great family pic!!!

 

[eelgrass]

1911, I had to look it up. It was numbered 8444 because of a conflict with their numbering system with another engine.

I'm not a huge fan. I just grew up in a railroad family. Dad used to take me for train rides when I was a kid. He worked on the Northwestern Pacific (owned by SP). It ran from Eureka to Willits down the Eel River Canyon. It had to be one of the most dangerous lines in the US. A lot of places the track had to be lifted up and realigned every time a train went over the track. Even today the entire Eel River is littered with old rail and rail cars. It shut down in about 1983, the day my dad retired.

In about 1955 a steam engine and cars derailed and went into the Eel River. My dad went out the next day with another train to start repairs to the track. He took his movie camera with him and took video of the engine in the river and the divers attempting to recover the bodies of the crew. I still have that video, and I don't think anyone has ever seen it before. Someday I will give it to the historical society.

When I was a kid we took the train from Eureka CA to Texas and back. That was an adventure.

Eel

 

[fireball77]

I actually got to talk to a guy today that help build it ( or so he said ) he had a lot of cool info on this subject and I enjoyed our little chat.


That is a darn cute little fam ( if I dont say so myself )

 

[Gator]

WE watched it come thru Hesperia on the way to UT, it was pretty cool with all the people that was lined up to see it come thru.

"I have found if you go the extra mile it's Never crowded".
>[Font][Font color = "green"]Life member of
>the MM green signature club.[font/]