UP 844, a Mountain, a Mob, and Me

As I described in in my previous post, “”UP” for a Chase? 844 Comes to California,” Union Pacific’s famous steam engine, the UP No. 844, is in California and garnering quite the attention in the process. On Saturday, November 19, 2011, the UP 844 lead the Centennial Tour train eastbound from West Colton, California to Yermo, California. The route the train was scheduled to take was over BNSF rails up and over the scenic and challenging Cajon Pass. It was the making of a perfect photo opportunity and I headed out early Saturday morning, almost dutifully, to get in position…

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"UP" for a Chase? 844 Comes to California

Today marks the beginning of the “return-trip” for Union Pacific’s “Living Legend,” No. 844, after participating in what Union Pacific dubbed the Centennial Tour to help New Mexico and Arizona celebrate their one-hundred years of statehood. Union Pacific’s No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific, delivered in 1944, and will travel more than 2,900 miles from its base in Cheyenne, Wyoming during the 32-day, nine-state tour that will honor the rich railroad heritage of the scenic Southwest…

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Union Pacific Leads the Way

Last night I settled in to my usual haunt, the easy chair in the front room, and perched upon my lap was my trusty Apple MacBook Pro. I had plans to research and craft a blog post that was long overdue. You see, the Union Pacific Railroad is embarking on a grand tour of the Southwest with one of their treasured and glorious steam engines replete with appropriate carriages of old in tow. The purpose of the event is best left described by a few passages from their press release…

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Video of Union Pacific No. 844 on Display in Houston

The public was given an opportunity to get up close and personal with the legendary locomotive as she rested at the Amtrak Station in downtown Houston. As the following video proves, complements of ABC13 Houston, fun was had by young and old alike…

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Two Must See Videos of the Valley Eagle Heritage Tour and UP No. 844

You have to see these videos! Here are two very good videos posted to YouTube by a friend and fan of ChasingSteel.com, Zach Pumphrey (a.k.a. UPTRAIN). The videos offer rare views of the UP No. 844 as she moves through Kansas and Missouri because it includes…

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More Cool Videos of UP's Valley Eagle Heritage Tour Train

Here are a couple of good videos of UP No. 844 pulling the Union Pacific’s Eagle Valley Heritage Tour train captured by a railfan as she went through Kansas…

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Union Pacific's No. 844 Suffers a Seized Bearing

One of the main reasons that the railroads switched from steam-powered locomotives to diesel-electric locomotives was the high level of maintenance that the steam giants require. With thousands of moving parts, most under tremendous strain and pressure, parts are due to wear rather rapidly. In fact, steam locomotives typically require a good oiling and greasing of all critical components every several hundred miles or so…

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See an Eagle Soar

I found on YouTube a video shot pacing the train with great views of No. 844 as she cruises through Egbert, Wyoming that was filmed and posted by Skip Weythman. Thanks to Skip’s effort and work, you can railfan the “Valley Eagle” run from the comfort of your keyboard…

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Tracking a Legend on Her Journey and Kudos to UP!

Now that the Union Pacific’s Valley Heritage Tour is underway, you can follow the train’s progress and current location on a map that is updated every 5 minutes thanks to the generosity and talents of the Union Pacific Railroad! Here is what the application looks like with an overview of the route highlighted…

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Union Pacific's Valley Eagle Tour Update

As a follow-up to the “A Union Pacific Living Legend Stretches Her Legs On an Eight State Tour” post, here is the latest schedule for the The Valley Eagle Heritage Tour with No. 844 on the point compliments of the Union Pacific Railroad…

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