Power tripping on the U.P. 3985!!!

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

If I could live in another time, I would want to be the guy who operated one of these giants! I would be insane with power... HAHAHA!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjraJs2V ... ed&search=

Daniel C. Oberloh

[Mikelynch]

Dan,
Having ridden in the cab of 3985 on four occasions, I can say there is nothing like being up in the beast. The pounding syncopated rhythm of the double drivetrains, and the heat from the firebox are pretty darn incredible.

I rode in the 844 once, and it would be remarkable, but for the 3985. Once you've experienced that, there's no substitute.

If it ever comes close (as in probably Portland), it's worth going out by its route. When it goes by at speed, the ground shakes like a herd of dinosaurs (or maybe half a herd of tuba players) is comng.

Mike

[SRanney]

I had never seen a steam engine up close until I was in Prague, Czech Republic this past summer.

I was on vacation and had stepped up to the platform 30 minutes before my train was to leave and found what looked to be an absolute vintage, massive steam engine. It was pretty neat, standing next to what felt like a living beast, breathing steam out of it's top and every so often just beneath the platform. I watched and photographed it until the engineers climbed back aboard and led it out of the station.

I have no idea what it would be like to see an engine such as what was shown in the You-Tube video. Certainly there must be some kind of adrenaline rush watching something like scream past at speed.

Thanks for posting that link.

[UDELBR]

This is the greatest way to travel by train!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZvm5H4F-aA

[windshieldbug]

A new definition for BAT... Bad A&& Train!!

[Chuck(G)]

Dan, didn't 3985 come up through Seattle on its tour last year?

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Dan, didn't 3985 come up through Seattle on its tour last year?

I don't know. Seems like a lot of stuff never makes it out quite this far. Portland tends to be the stopping point. I believe the UP Steam Division's home for the 3985 Challenger is in Kansas so seeing it up this way would be a very pleasant surprise. I sure would have made an effort to see it if I had a heads up.

Daniel C. Oberloh

[Chuck(G)]

Set this URL into your bookmarks and then check in the spring:

http://www.upsteam.com/schedule.html

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Thanks Chuck.

Dan'l

[tofu]

Dan, didn't 3985 come up through Seattle on its tour last year?

I don't know. Seems like a lot of stuff never makes it out quite this far. Portland tends to be the stopping point. I believe the UP Steam Division's home for the 3985 Challenger is in Kansas so seeing it up this way would be a very pleasant surprise. I sure would have made an effort to see it if I had a heads up.

Daniel C. Oberloh

UP Steam is headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyo. and the steam program has been run for the last 25 years by Steve Lee. He is also the big guy you see hanging out of the window running 3985 and 844 out on the rails. Many folks would love to have his job. UP is the only railroad with a steam program since Norfolk Southern shut theirs down a decade ago.

The 3985 and 844 run pretty much only on UP trackage for employee specials and select railfan excursions and even this is being restricted these days due to strained trackage capacity. My chapter of the NRHS has in the past put on rail excursions including one several years ago when 3985 came to Chicago. The insurance has become astronomical and even a fully booked train will just break even.

It is also becoming harder and harder for the steam engines to comply with all the federal railroad regulations and the ever tightening boiler inspections. I believe 3985 is due for a major boiler job soon and will be down for a couple of years even with UP extensive facilities it takes a long time especially since we have lost a lot of the skilled workers and industrial companies that can make replacement parts etc.

The penny pinchers at the railroads also don't want them on the rails because they do break down out on the line occasionally and that can really screw up a freight railroads operation. On the other hand they are great public PR. There is nothing to compare to seeing/hearing/ and especially feeling one of these live firebreathing monsters out on the road especially at speed on full throttle. Unlike Norfolk which had a 40 mph max limit on their excursion engines, Steve Lee will really open up the throttle on 844 and 3985. I've been on 3985 flying down the rails at 95 mph and there is nothing in the world like it. Simply awe inspiring. Second largest class of steam engines ever built and many would say the best. The Big Boys were the biggest but were severely limited where & how they could run due to size, weight and curve issues.

Norfolk had a great steam program run by the Claytor brothers who were steam fans and president of the company, with the famous streamlined "J" series 611 and former N&W Class A number 1218, a simple articulated 2-6-6-4. When Goode a lawyer became president of Norfolk he killed the steam program.

Kudos to UP for keeping an important part of American history alive and running. See them while you can because they won't be around forever and we saw how fast Norfolk killed their program (after just having spent a good chunk of money on it) with a change in CEO's.

If I recall Gene Pokorny's CD Tuba Tracks the cover has UP 844 on it and his CD Big Boy shows him in front of 3985.

[Daniel C. Oberloh]

Dan, didn't 3985 come up through Seattle on its tour last year?

I don't know. Seems like a lot of stuff never makes it out quite this far. Portland tends to be the stopping point. I believe the UP Steam Division's home for the 3985 Challenger is in Kansas so seeing it up this way would be a very pleasant surprise. I sure would have made an effort to see it if I had a heads up.

Daniel C. Oberloh

UP Steam is headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyo. and the steam program has been run for the last 25 years by Steve Lee.

I stand corrected. Thanks.

Daniel C. Oberloh