Steam & Excursion > Looking back on 2016 steam, part 2: 844 returns

Part 1: NW 611 can be seen here

As I mentioned in part 1, we took the trip to North Carolina in April to see 611 largely due to the fact that we figured it would be the only mainline steam we would see in 2016. Low and behold, less than a month later, the Frontier Days website posted that 844 would be the locomotive on the train! I had my doubts along with everyone else, but as the trip got closer, things started taking shape.

Then, on the evening of July 11, 10 days before the big trip, I received a text message that 844 would be making a test-run from Cheyenne to Greeley, CO, and back, the next day. When I got off work that morning at 7:00, I made the 100-minute drive from Denver to Cheyenne, where I ran into some TO members and some other local railfans.

After listening to radio chatter, it was clear that 844 was making its way onto the main line!

Photo 1: 844 blasts out from under the C&S bridge at CPW511 for the first time in nearly 3 full years

Photo 2: After a stop at Speer, 844 pulls 6936, in heavy dynamic brakes, and their 2 cars at Terry Ranch Road

Photo 3: 844 pulls past a 3/4 mile marker at an isolated location between Carr and Nunn. So isolated, there weren't even tire tracks coming into this spot!

Keep it up, old friend!
~wko

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Fortunately for me, they had to slow to 10 mph through Nunn for a signal that was giving a stop indication, so they had to get talked by it. This allowed me to get ahead of it, and work my way through the construction zone between Ault and Nunn.

Photo 4: 844 blasts through the small town of Pierce, CO, at track speed.

Due to the road work, I wouldn't see 844 again until Greeley, where I got them backing onto the Great Western line to Windsor for their wye. After a long wait (really long), they finally started making their way back towards Cheyenne.

Photo 5: Here, the short train pulls off the Great Western, starting into the north leg of the wye.

Photo 6: 844 accelerates impressively out of Greeley. This would be my last shot of it for this day. My video can be seen by clicking here.

We'll see you in a week and a half!
~wko

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10 days after the test run, 844 pulled the Cheyenne Frontier Days special from Denver to Cheyenne and return. I posted my morning photos here, but didn't include the rest of the trip. The southbound trip didn't have the fanfare of the northbound trip, mainly due to the clouds and the lighting.

Photo 7: The southbound Frontier Days special accelerates out of LaSalle, CO, under cloudy skies.

Photo 8: July 22 saw the deadhead move back to Cheyenne from Denver. Here, 844 rounds the curve at the other end of LaSalle.

Their service stop in Greeley allowed me to get ahead of the train again, but in typical Colorado fashion, afternoon rain was moving into the area. This was okay with me, because that allowed me to shoot on either side of the tracks, and utilize the dark backdrop of the clouds.

Photo 9: 844 and UP 1989 were in full throttle as the train blows for the crossing at the south siding switch at Ault siding in Ault, CO. The elevator at Eaton, 5 miles away, can barely be seen above the corn on the far left.

That would be the last I would see 844 in 2016, as when it departed (and arrived into) Cheyenne for the Trek to Tennessee, I had to work both of my jobs those days, so I was unable to make it out to see it. Here's to hoping there'll be a couple more trips in 2017!

Part 3 will be posted in the next few days. Sorry for the delays between parts 1 and 2, as our home internet was down all weekend, then when we did get it back up, I had to work both jobs.

Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed!
~wko - not counting on more than 3 trips - College World Series, Cheyenne Frontier Days, and another fall trip are my guess

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Oh wait. I thought this loco was in such bad shape with shoddy repairs it would never run again or blow up in the process!  What happened? 

Great photos Kirk. Thanks for posting these of the venerable ole gal.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

I thought the thread was going nicely until AndersonB109 had to drop a snarky comment.  Proud of yourself?   I see a lot of that kind of nonsense coming from you.

That's the norm.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> I thought the thread was going nicely until
> AndersonB109 had to drop a snarky comment.  Proud
> of yourself?   I see a lot of that kind of
> nonsense coming from you.

And besides, someone said if Ed doesn't do proper boiler washes it'll be like 3 years ago!

Posted from Android

Time will tell. Let's just wait and see.  I've never wished bad on anyone in the industry.  When I was active, I thought it was a bad idea because it could bite you in the ass instead.
I've been critical of some things that have been done, but I don't have a dog in the hunt and nobody cares what I have to say anyway.  Best of luck to all of the steam operators.  Be careful out there.

Love your image at Ault, CO.  EXCELLENT.

Thanks, Bob, Don, and Kelly, for the kind words! It was nice to see this magnificent creature back on the high iron again!
~wko

The way it should be...respect, encouragement, & support...THATS HOW WE GET MORE SPECIAL TRAINS RUNNING!!!!!!

Here's to 2017...

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Time will tell. Let's just wait and see.  I've
> never wished bad on anyone in the industry.  When
> I was active, I thought it was a bad idea because
> it could bite you in the ass instead.
> I've been critical of some things that have been
> done, but I don't have a dog in the hunt and
> nobody cares what I have to say anyway.  Best of
> luck to all of the steam operators.  Be careful
> out there.