UP Steam Schedule - Southwest

Just released.

https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

Remember, there is time, Indian time, and UP Steam time. The schedule is what they hope to run. 4014 is old and complicated.

UP 4014

4014 Tour

Yes the wind chill factor in Cheyenne this morning was -40°F. No excuse to miss a rare opportunity to tour the Union Pacific Steam Shop, the only place left in the USA where steam locomotives are rebuilt.

Sponsored by the Wyoming Transportation Museum,

http://www.cheyennedepotmuseum.org/

the  tour is about two hour.  Included are a visit to the outstanding museum and the local brewery located in the old railroad depot.

My interest in steam locomotives goes back to my youth when my father was a section foreman on the old Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Watching the Mallet 2-8-8-2s pulling and pushing the heavy freight trains up the grades leading to the Moffat Tunnel was always a thrill. Later I was able to ride in the cab of one and blow the whistle!

Wandering through the museum reminded me of the many times I was able to ride with my father and his crew on one of these.

A few readers of this blog might like to have this in their collection.

The UP 4014 “Big Boy” sat at the Los Angeles Fairgrounds for many years. An anonymous donor put up several million dollars to have the 4014 restored to running condition. In May 2014 the UP  brought her back to Cheyenne. I watched from a place near Tie Siding,  Wyoming. It was snowing. What else would you expect during springtime in Wyoming?

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7MOBSIdPuU

There is no set timeline for the restoration. Estimates are in the two year range. The project was put on hold when the extent of repairs on UP 844 was discovered. UP 844 is now back in good condition. Considering it is 71 years old, the extent of repairs might  be expected. After 4014 is done the shop will turn their attention to their Challenger UP 3985. The repairs aren’t expected to be too extensive.

Took over 60 pictures. Hard to work around the glare from the high clearstory windows. If you want to see them, they are at Dropbox.

https://www.dropbox.com/home/4014Tour/4014Tour

Should you be interested in the Big Boys, Google is your friend. The Union Pacific puts a lot of information on YouTube that some may find interesting.

Old Steam Engines

I like old steam engines and stop and look at them when I have the time. Located in Gering, NE is a Baldwin 2-8-0 slowly falling apart. It served as a yard engine  for many years until it was pushed across from the depot into a city park sometime before 1970. 

When was it built,  I don't know. Baldwin built this type from around 1890 to around 1920. Innovative for it's time, it could move large loads but at a sedate speed. It has been sitting for 45 years and looks like nobody has kept it up. Something of a testament to the workmanship that went into it that is is still intact.

My interest in these goes back to being a railroader's kid for ten years. An early memory is three 2-4-4-2 Mallets on the D&RG pulling a long train of military tanks during the Korean war. Later, I got to ride in those Mallets used as helpers from Tabernash, CO to the West entrance of the Moffat Tunnel. Heck of an experience for a fifth grader.