Steam & Excursion > UP 3985 on the River City Roundup Special - 1990

I found this gem while digging through old VHS recordings....back in 1998, the CBS Sunday Morning television program re-broadcast a piece they originally aired in 1990 on the UP's Challenger.  She was pulling the River City Roundup Special eastbound from North Platte to Omaha on Sept. 19, 1990.  The previous day she had pulled a freight train from Cheyenne to North Platte.  I'm sure you will enjoy viewing this piece, with Roger Welch doing his 'Postcard from Nebraska' segment.   The broadcast has been split into 2 parts to satisfy the video upload requirements.  

Steve Zahn
Glenview, IL



 

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Thank you for posting the 3985 videos, those were well done.  I remember those years well myself.  Wish 3985 would run again.

Beautiful! The human element - priceless!

The scene at the 3:30 mark of part two is absolutely priceless!

 

Will MacKenzie
Dundas, ON

What a great video tributary!!!!!!!!!!

And sadly, contrary to the speaker's words, she is cold, asleep, and not alive.

As with people we knew and loved and are now gone, this locomotive as well as UP 844 and hopefully UP 4014 will ALWAYS be alive as long as we, who are now alive have memories of them. Long live the Queen of the Fleet and her Court!!

I like the description of public relations nuclear weapon!
Very well done piece.

Thank You so much for posting this. I can't believe it's 26 years ago I watched 3985 Start the APL train in Cheyenne with the real test of the oil conversion. Watching this video shows the work and dedication of that crew to bring this machine out for the world to see opperate. Not for the personal glory.
UP brass of today and the current Management in Cheyenne should be forced to sit and watch this.
I asked Roger Welch later at a book signing if that was the best ride he ever had. He said it was number 2, Blue Angels was number 1.
Ive never been in a Blue Angels plane so my ride in 3985 is #1 for me. I miss those days and that Crew. Brought tears to my eyes to watch this again.
Thanks.
Steve Jones



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 12:29 by wpjones.

Steve ---
Ohhhhh....this piece -- this video -- is beynod touching and
is incredibly beautiful and poetic.  The majesty of the 3985
and her awesome presence..... she truly has "gravitas".
And she IS alive -- at least in my heart she is.

THANK you from the bottom of my heart for posting this incredible
tribute to the 3985  and her court.  I had never seen it before, and I
now can treasure it for a long time.  The people at CBS really outdid
themsel;ves with this piece.  Thank you, again, for posting this
masterpiece here.

THIS is what true artists can do on television.

gandydancer4 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> As with people we knew and loved and are now gone,
> this locomotive as well as UP 844 and hopefully UP
> 4014 will ALWAYS be alive as long as we, who are
> now alive have memories of them. Long live the
> Queen of the Fleet and her Court!!

Yes!!!  "Long live the Queen of the Fleet and her Court!"



 

.....I miss those days and that Crew. Brought tears to my eyes to watch this again. 
.....Thanks. 
......Steve Jones

Me too Steve.  Me too.  I was on that train.

John Bromley

Bittersweet to watch.  Friends gone, 3985 gone.  I've been lucky enough to fire 3985 and enjoy the camaderie of the old UP Steam crew.  Just like our 1522 experience, I guess we came along at the right time and I think a lot of those days.
3985 only need a couple weeks more work to put her back on the road and could have filled in while 844 was being repaired.   I have doubts that I will see her ever run again.

Watching this video, I can only once again say what a privilege it was to have had the opportunity on a few occasions to be around Steve, Lynn, Bob and the whole crew of professionals that made the UP steam program what it was.  My hat's off to them.

Gordon 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 19:28 by gbmott.

I join the gang, Steve Jones, John Bromley, Margaret and all the others with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart, knowing all the joy and awe we brought to so many people over the years. The locomotives will live on so long as their keepers maintain them and respect them as we did. I am sure the current crew, as novice as they are, now know a bit of the feelings that people have for these mighty steeds. I truly can say I was proud to have been a part of bringing the past to the people with the steam locomotives as well as the pristine set of E units. Heck, even our SW10, which Steve and Lynn dubbed the "Boy's Toy", was a part of the historical fleet as well. We even operated the rotary plows when the service units gave up on them. So many wonderful people we allowed to look into the cab and answer questions. And even more rewarding and tear jerking were the rides we gave to the Make-A-Wish children, providing them a last wish ride before their precious life was about to end. I still cry thinking about those days.
​The locomoitves are survivors. Live on 844 and 3985 with 4014 in the stable as well.
​You know Roger Welch has always been a master of words and Ideas and this episode of the postcard series was no different with his talents.
​Yes, hard to believe, it was 35 years ago when we of the 3985 restoration committee fired up the old gal for the first time in years and put it on the roster again. Our trip that was referred to, pulling the 143 car double stack with 3985, proved to me the strength and power of this mighty steed.
Thanks Steve for posting this memory from the past.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 16:57 by Bob3985.

Oh, Bob --- your words brought tears to my eyes, especially when
you talked about the "Make-A-Wish" kids you gave cab rides to.
Just thinking about those wonderful days brings tears to my eyes,
too, because they are gone -- but my memories will always live on
in my heart.  I had no idea you could write so incredibly movingly. 
Your words touched my heart deeply....  Thank you.....

gandydancer4 ---
I lost it when I read "Long live the Queen of the Fleet and her Court!!"
I weep when I read that.  But my tears are not only sorrow, but also
are sweet memories.  Tthank you for those beautiful, beautiful words.

I feel it was an honor for me, also, to know Steve and Lynn and Mary
and Reed and you, Bob, and all the others in Steve's crew -- and Jim
Duncan nad Jim Chval and Bob Marquardt and Fred Emmons and
all the others in the 8444's crew in the late 1970s and the early 1980s,
and it was an honor to have met Frank Acord -- UP;s CMO back then,
and it was also a big honor to have met John Kenefick, who was, INO,
a  wonderful President.  He was quite approachable and kind.

Ahhhhh..... those were the days.....

This achingly beautiful video awoke in me again the feeling of the
strong bond we who passionately love these incredible locomotives
share with each other.   We are a family, far-flung though we may be,
and we will always be united by our deep love of the Quee and her Court.

AWESOME AND 2 THUMBS UP!!! All I can say now is it sucks how UP Corporate are gonna retire her instead of doing her 1472 and get back on the road! I bet there's not too much wrong with her anyway and on top of that the story on why she's not gonna run keeps changing, it be great if someone would actually get the chance to see her for themselves and make a decision, not form Special Ed!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 19:44 by ProAmtrak.

  Somehow, I missed seeing this originally.  It sure was good to see and hear Steve, and see Lynn in the fireman's chair.

   Frank, in Tennessee

I had never seen this and I am very glad I now have.  The Steve Lee interview was remarkable.  It showed the pride in his work and his company.  He was a wonderful ambassador for UP.  And, UP got more PR from that than anyone can imagine.

Many thanks for posting this.

Y'all might want to keep this around for the next time DL or his sycophants start bloviating about what a bunch of lazy, incompetent, careless, destructive, lackadasical drunkards that outfit was.

And remind yourself that this is what he and one person in the top management worked so diligently (and successfully) to discredit and get rid of (the people and the machine).

I can't help but get tears in my eyes every time I watch it and I see. at the start of it, Hot Water and his family!

fehorse1 Wrote:
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> I can't help but get tears in my eyes every time I
> watch it and I see. at the start of it, Hot Water
> and his family!

Sorry, but that was NOT me, and my family. I was not on that particular run, plus my family would not have been with me anyway, whenever I did work trips for Steve's crew.