Steam & Excursion > Pacing UP 8444

On the way home to Cheyenne after co-starring with SP 4449 at the LAUPT 50th Birthday party,  UP 8444 at speed near Cima, CA  5/9/89.   Thanks to WP17 for the driving that made these photos possible.  And, I don't recall any other chasers on this stretch of road....probably wouldn't be the same today....lol

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You are right, it is different today.   Her pace isn't nearly as brisk.

I have a photo that I took of her leaving LAUPT crossing the LA River from that year.

Always liked that paint job.

CPRR Wrote:
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> Always liked that paint job.

Agreed, it didn't stay painted that way long enough.   BSB

Ah, the speed queen in action. May she run again.

       You don't need a car to pace it these days. A 'hurrycane' would work as well, or maybe even a hospital gurney.
 

Nice photos depicting 8444 being fired by my closest late friend, Lynn Nystrom. Thank you for posting these.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Awesome pics, but that was the challenge on chasing her and 4449 then, they always opened up the throttles wide open, made it that much more fun as long as you kept it safe!

Nice clean stack.  Was the stoker door left open on purpose?

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> Awesome pics, but that was the challenge on
> chasing her and 4449 then, they always opened up
> the throttles wide open, made it that much more
> fun as long as you kept it safe!
LOL, actually in most cases we didn't even have the throttle wide open. Those 80" diameter drivers would get up and take off without going full throttle. Only time I ever had the throttle wide open on 844 was the time we assisted a freight up the hill westbound out of Burns, Wyoming and boy did that old gal talk.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

sgriggs Wrote:
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>  Was the stoker door left open
> on purpose?

Yes.

Such a beautiful sight! The two-tone gray is my favorite of the 844(4)'s paint schemes. Probably was a hassle for the steam crew to keep clean, though.

Mark H.

Mark,
It wasn't any harder to keep clean than the black scheme. In fact it looked cleaner most of the time on two tone. The black really showed the road grit and blow down residue.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Awesome pics, but that was the challenge on
> > chasing her and 4449 then, they always opened
> up
> > the throttles wide open, made it that much more
> > fun as long as you kept it safe!
> LOL, actually in most cases we didn't even have
> the throttle wide open. Those 80" diameter drivers
> would get up and take off without going full
> throttle. Only time I ever had the throttle wide
> open on 844 was the time we assisted a freight up
> the hill westbound out of Burns, Wyoming and boy
> did that old gal talk.


Right Bob, i hear ya there!