UP 844 has been in continuous service on Union Pacific since it was built in 1944, perhaps the only steam locomotive never removed from service and still operating on its original railroad. Now totally rebuilt, it's amazing!! ********************************************************************* We followed to locomotive through Idaho on "shake down" runs testing the rebuild completed in 2016. Rain and mist made for some spectacular images of steam in the mist. We also stent the night at Lava Hot Springs, to "take the waters" in this awesome old hotel and resort from 1911. This was 844’s first real trip after a break-in run in the Cheyenne-Colorado area last fall. They took the locomotive through Wyoming, Idaho and Utah in April of 2017 with a string of service cars and two passenger cars. they are now ready to start a full schedule of trips with passengers. ******************************************************************** From Utah Rails.net: 844 and 838: Built by American Locomotive Company. *UP 838 was retired July 1962; stored at Cheyenne, Wyoming; used as a source of parts for 844. * UP 844 has been in continuous service on Union Pacific since it was built in 1944; renumbered from UP 844 to UP 8444 in June 1962 to avoid confusion with newly delivered GP30 844; renumbered back to UP 844 on June 2, 1989 (27 years later) after the GP30 had been retired. * UP 8444 received a complete rebuilding by Omaha shops in 1971, including new flues, firebrick, dynamo, and superheaters, along with new brasses, staybolts, and paint. After powering the last UP passenger train over Sherman Hill prior to the start of Amtrak on May 1, 1971, later in May 1971, UP 8444 was sent to Omaha for a complete rebuild. A break-in run was made between Omaha and Valley, Nebraska on November 7, 1971. UP 8444 returned to Cheyenne on January 10, 1972. Five days later, on January 15th, UP 8444 was used to power a train to Denver for Wyoming Day at the National Western Stock Show. (Railroad magazine, May 1972, page 54; Fifty Years of Union Pacific Steam Excursions, page 23) *UP 844 was painted in two-tone gray with yellow lettering and striping from September 1987 through June 1996 (out of service, September 1991 to September 1996). *UP 844 was out of service from September 1991 to September 20, 1996, for an overhaul which included work mostly on the running gear. Following the overhaul, it has been reported that almost everything below the running boards was either replaced, or reconditioned. *UP 844 was out of service from July 1999 to March 2005, repairing damage from a boiler tube failure at Railfair 1999 in Sacramento, California. *UP 844 overhaul and rebuild was completed during March 2005, including firebox, backhead, and all staybolts and flues; break-in run to Denver on May 5; displayed at Cheyenne on June 9, 2005; second break-in run operated between Cheyenne and Denver on June 22, 2005; operated on public excursion service on the annual Denver Post train for Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 23, and for UPHS Denver convention on July 24, 2005. * UP 844 was last used during Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 18-20, 2013, and a special excursion for Cheyenne Depot Museum on July 21, 2013. *UP 844 was removed from service on July 21, 2013, pending a complete overhaul. *UP 844 was returned to service on July 23, 2016 on the Cheyenne Frontier Days special; the overhaul was completed and a test run to Greeley was made on July 12; a positioning move from Cheyenne to Denver made on July 21. See more at http://oscaleguys.com/oscaleguys.html http://guyshobbyshop.com/ http://utahrails.net/ http://www.up.com/ -~-~~-~~~-~~-~- Please watch: "The Trains of Santa Cruz California" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv0S8Sa18mY -~-~~-~~~-~~-~-

• published: 07 May 2017
• views: 7407