Steam & Excursion > The 1 Hour UP steam presentation video!

Well I was bored stiff and actually watched the entire UP steam special presentation by special Ed himself, it was pain full to watch but I made it through the whole 1 hour. So below are the highlights of the presentation to those who would not be able to stomach the whole 1 hour show. This news worthy due to this being the first detailed presentation by the DL since the restoration began.

There was no mention of proper boiler TLC as in proper water treatment, boiler washes, and blow downs. In fact water treatment, and blow downs were not mentioned at all. The mud and scale build up was not mentioned either which didn't surprise me. Since that is what started this complete restoration project and the longest boiler wash in history in the first place.

His presentation consisted of photo's off all the work that was done, with comments by the DL himself. Highlights of the presentation were:
1. Metal brackets that were welded to the outer shell of the boiler were starting to cut through the boiler shell itself on top.
2. The mud ring was bad deteriorated and had to be replaced.
3. The firebox was bad and deteriorated due moisture getting between the firebox brick and firebox sheet. So two sections had to be replaced.
4. They had to have all special tool's made in order to do the job, I guess there wasn't any tool's in the shop anymore?
5. DL has to limit his high level of technical talk to his boss Scott George because he doesn't understand a lot of it.
6. All the stay bolt stock in the shop was no good, so all new stay bolts had to be purchased.
7. The main turant valve was bad, so they had to completely rebuild it. He also mentioned that it had not been shut off for a long time.
8. Washout plugs had to be replaced because they were beaten to death and were beaten to submission when they were removed in the past.
9. The DL gave a lecture about how important it was to wash out the boiler, To bad he doesn't listen to his own words.
10. All the stay bolt sleeves and stay bolts were rusted and had to be replaced.
11. For some reason showed a picture of how bad the stay bolts were on the 3985.
12. Had to rebuild the check valve on the boiler because it was bad.
13. They found rust in the air brake system. Looks like the air brakes were rebuilt in the shop at Cheyenne by Ted, I don't know if there is clean room in Cheyenne to do such work. The rebuild was done by the master craftsman fireman Ted so he can one day be an engineer.
14. Put all the flues and tubes in a few days.
15. The brand new MU control box that was built in house and thoroughly tested, We all know doesn't work!
16. The floor of the 844 that is in the locomotive now was built in 2011 after he took over. I though we have gone through a few floors since then?
17. When the DL took over as the manager in 2010 he had to look over the 844 and found a lot stuff that needed to be done in order to keep running it. His plan was to use the 3985 and 844 but after finding significant problems on the 3985 he had to just focus on the 844.
18. While he was telling this tall tail to the audience he assured them that his crew was with the 844 right now and the main thing they would be doing is cleaning her inside and out.

During the question and answer part of presentation here are a few of his answers:
1. The DL proclaimed that all of the work was done in house at Cheyenne by his staff of 14 people.
2. The water tender is in bad shape on the 844 so the 838 water tank would be used as a replacement.
3. Would not comment on how much his restoration project cost the UP.
4. He mentioned trips for later this season and that they are being evaluated.

I have one word for this presentation: delusional! There was never any photo's or mention of the boiler full of mud. There was no mention of how the water was going to be treated from now on and how boiler washes are going to be done. I have not seen photo's out of hundred's that have been posted of blow down's being done or any reports of it being done.
No mention of the internal boiler braces that were shortened because the DL felt there was to much play in them. No mention of how the all the scale build up was removed from the inside of the boiler.

My question is if the 844 was in this bad of shape were all these things needed to be replaced then why didn't he pull it out of service himself when he first took over. Instead he kept running the 844 and would still be running it today if the boiler hadn't filled up with mud. If you objectively listen to and watch his presentation; and didn't know any better you would think the 844 was on its last leg and was barley able to operate with all half a&^ed stuff that been done to it in the past. Then he himself (DL) came along and saved the day.

IMHO I see a lot of trouble on the horizon with the 844 when she does some long cross country trips, there isn't one thing on her boiler that hasn't been messed with. From air brakes to appliances and the boiler itself. The word on the street is after the short trips on the CFD train there is multiple firebox leaks already.
 

CS
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/16 07:21 by CaliforniaSteam.

You seem displeased with the steam program, CS. Perhaps it best that you ignore it and all their activities from now on to avoid the aggravation. Just kidding?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/16 06:39 by Spikes.

Spikes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You seem displeased with the steam program, CS.
> Perhaps it best that you ignore it and all their
> activities from now on to avoid the aggravation.
> Just kidding?

Well just thought this presentation was news worthy since this is the DL's first big detailed presentation since the 844 restoration project began.

CS

Thanks for sharing CS. I started watching the video over on another board this morning but I could feel my breakfast coming back up so I stopped a few minutes in. It's easy for him to look like a genius/ hero in front of people who don't know any better.

Posted from iPhone

Spoony81 Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing CS. I started watching the
> video over on another board this morning but I
> could feel my breakfast coming back up so I
> stopped a few minutes in. It's easy for him to
> look like a genius/ hero in front of people who
> don't know any better.
>
> Posted from iPhone

I started this thread to report the highlights of his presentation because I actually watched the whole thing. I knew some of us would not be able to stomach watching it from start to finish.

CS

Where is the video?

Posted from Android

WRRC Wrote:
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> Where is the video?
>
> Posted from Android

Go to YouTube and search
Union Pacific 844- The Special Presentation by Ed Dickens

Posted from iPhone

The grapes they are sour.

aehouse Wrote:
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> The grapes they are sour.

The grape kool aid is mighty tasty huh?

Posted from iPhone

Is this the video from back in March in Denver?

czuleget Wrote:
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> Is this the video from back in March in Denver?

No this was from last week July 22nd

Posted from iPhone

You guys think restoring a steam engine is tough? Try a B-29. Hats off to the guys who got "Doc" (no relation) into the air!

Have fun, fly safe,
Bruce "Doc" Jones  Sierra Madre CA

You know, you just have to keep that staybolt stock in a refrigerator to keep it from going bad.

Out

WRRC Wrote:
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> Where is the video?
>
> Posted from Android

http://www.altamontpress.com/discussion/read.php?1,137324,137324#msg-137324

I could not stomach more than 10 minutes of Mr. Dickiens' lies and
idiotic statements.  And I do know something abot asteam locomotives
after being part of the SP 2472's initial restoration crew for 13 of the
16 years that the restoration took.  (I joined back in 1979 and we
finished the restoration in 1991, with a triumphant trip to Railfair 91.)
I continured as an active volunteer with the group -- renamed "the
Golden Gate Railroad Museum" -- as an active volunteer until 2006 ,
when health problems forced me to both stop being an active GGRM
volunteer and to reture from my job.  During those 27 years, I listened
to and learned from manty very experienced and very knowledgeable
steam-eraq men who actually worked on steam locomotives.

Of course, I have no first-hand knowledge of what has been going
on in the UP Steam Shop since Jan. 1, 2011, but it seems to me that
no qualified steam locomotvie work manager would ever say any of
the stupid things that Mr. Dickens said during this July 22, 2016, video.
Example -- near the beginning of this video, he said the insulation
on the 844's boiler was "not watertight" --and that that was a problem. (!!!)
He made a lot of other statements that also made no sense at all.

Those of you who bekieve that everything Mr. Dickens said in
this video made sense and was factual, please tell us which steam
locomotive(s) you have worked on, and what you did, and how long
you worked on them.  Or at least tell us where you got your knowledge
about steam locomotives.  Please don't fall into the trap of "Don't
confuse me with the facts -- I've got my mind made up."

HotWater?  Realist?  Comments, please.
  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/16 11:45 by Margaret_SP_fan.

What's happened is a major sea change in how UP uses and presents
steam, and it started 7 or 8 years ago, not just in early 2011.

Imagine, if you will (channeling Rod Serling) a high-ranking, high-paid
top management official.  You've been shuffled around from department to
department over the years, accomplishing little but causing a lot of disruption.
You got promoted repeatedly, as a means to get rid of you from any particular
department. Finally you end up at a level that is almost bulletproof, but where
you actually have to produce.

As time goes by, top management understands you are not "getting it done,"
so they begin giving your duties and responsibilities to others.  You find you have
less and less to do, so you focus more on your shrinking area of control, and
micromanage even more.  The duties you have left happen to have good,
productive leaders, who do a lot better without your "help."  This you bitterly resent,
which leads to distrust, then back-stabbing, then head-hunting.

One-by-one, you "pick-off" those people, firing them, forcing them to resign or retire,
whatever.  They are gone, that's all that matters.  You try to do their jobs and find out
you can't.  You let some of the jobs go unfilled for years, afraid another go-getter
will get in there and make it better than you could.

Along comes a person who has always wanted to "be somebody."  He has no relevant
background or experience, but is a smooth talker and knows how to hit all your buttons.
So you put this guy in and tell him to do what you has been doing:  Clean house.
Get rid of anybody that dares question him, make suggestions, or knows more than he
does.

So the purge starts.  One-by-one, until all are gone.  Replacements are also soon out
if they show initiative or question anything.  And while at it, make a list of all practices
and procedures that have been in place for generations.  Then change every single one,
just to show that there is a new dog in the doghouse.

But it's not enough just to get rid of the "old guard;"  they and their accomplishments are
dismissed and denigrated at every opportunity. They get blamed for things they had nothing
to do with and in fact worked diligently to prevent from happening. 

Then comes a major change in top management.  The incompetent VP is out; his duties are
so few that his job is abolished.  Along with his and other departures, must of the institutional
memory goes with them.  Nobody is left who can separate the pony from the manure.  And
manure is your specialty, so the gloves come off.

One engine is summarily shoved aside because you resent it and what it stands for. "Things"
start to happen, such as flat wheels, roll-outs, collisions, derailments, late trips and cancelled
trips. The one operating locomotive suffers from mismanagement to the extent that is isn't
trusted to pull even 3 cars unassisted and "has" to be serviced at ridiculously short intervals.

Soon, the entire focus changes.  The program is no longer about remembering and honoring
history, employees of all kinds in all disciplines past and present, historical events, etc.  It
morphs into a top-level toy for the amusement of the senior management echelon.  Thus,
appearance counts; nothing else does.  This is where you get the dainty, shiny engine with
chrome, stainless, polished brass, spotless, with flags and pizza pans, loafing along
with diesels pushing.  Learn to like it, because that is what you are going to get with both 844
and 4014.  They are caricatures. And forget 3985. That well has been totally poisoned.

What does this mean?  If you haven't noticed, the 2013 season was the first harbinger:  Only
2 trips were run all year; of those the only one available for the public to ride was the CD train
and the northbound run the next day.  In 2016, one trip could be ridden; the CD.  The home bound
trip that is usually a public excursion became an empty deadhead.  UP was not even interested
in covering the fuel costs for the northbound move.

That will continue.  Steam will be confined to corporate events such as the College World
Series.  The only public trip will the the Cheyenne Frontier Days run each year, with empty
move back.  Expect displays here and there, but little else.  Expect a lot of money to be poured
into the program with little to show for it.   There will be diesels on every trip, slow speeds,
many more grease stops, etc.  All in the name of preserving and protecting, of course

Expect more self-serving bloviating to come from the shop, and continuing attacks on previous
crews and designers.  More good parts and tools thrown out.  More things opened up in search
of something to fix. Expect continued isolation from and derision of the other steam operators
in the country.  Expect much more reinventing the wheel and "correcting mistakes" made by
Alco and UP's engineering staff.

This is how it is now, and it seems to be what UP wants. It isn't going to change even if UP loses
the lawsuit or has to pay out huge settlements.  They have already done that in several instances
and it hasn't changed anything.

It's a new world, boys and girls.

Truth and reality need not apply.



 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/16 11:58 by Realist.

Gee, sounds like politcs in general.

Out

we talking about the guy ClaY SIDING WAS RENAMED FOR?

Thank you, Realist.

This. Is. Awful.

But we have to know what reality is, so we can deal with it.

As far as I am concerned, "Taps" has already been played
for the UP Steam Program, in spite of the fact that many did
not hear it.  The Dearly Departed is merely being made to look
as though he is still alive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/30/16 13:30 by Margaret_SP_fan.

I love 844. My dad took me to see her everytime she cam into salt lake when I was a kid. Can't stand Ed Dickens though. Hopeing something good happens with the steam team and I hope for the continued preservation of 844 don't really care about 4014.

Anybody paid any attention to the fact that NOT ONE of today's (or yesterday's) successful, experienced, long-time steam operators or mechanics has rushed to defend this guy and his claims? Or to back up anything he's said or done?