Steam & Excursion > NRHS 1990 - Union Pacific 844

Another day, and another 4-8-4.  Union Pacific #844 on a round trip from St. Louis to Findlay, Illinois, and return.

This day was my introduction to steam chase frustration, as easily a hundred cars tried to chase the train on a two lane highway.  You can guess the result; three or four pacers getting great footage and ninety plus drivers getting really p****d off.

1. Our first catch of the day was just north of a photo run near Worden, Illinois.  We could see the smoke off in the distance for quite some time, and only later found out there was a photo run going on just at the edge of our vision.  Pentrex bribed me with a free copy of their convention tape to get me to move 25 feet behind a bush (I had been there an hour before they set up).  That was it for the northbound run.

2.  After getting no closer to the 844 than "Silver Solarium" bringing up the markers of the train, we finally gave up and went to the Pana, Illinois, Pizza Hut.  After lunch we found a spot to park and get a few pacing shots of the return trip.

3.  We parked at the same place we started the day and caught the southbound leg one last time near Worden.  Finally we had a little sun, and I walked up the right of way and crouched in the brush to get away from the crossing AND stay unobtrusive as everyone else got their shots.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

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Nice photos. That is me firing in the second photo.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Good photos...thnx.

#1 must be photoshopped.

No diesel and nobody hanging out the cab window. 

Realist Wrote:
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> #1 must be photoshopped.
>
> No diesel and nobody hanging out the cab window. 

1990; who'd heard of Eddie Dysfunction back then?

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> Nice photos. That is me firing in the second photo.

It's still a nice photo. ;-)