Steam & Excursion > Riding the 844 State Fair Express and UP 844 DUS Sunday

When I saw the thread on Trainorders about the State Fair Express I debated about getting a couple tickets for myself and the eight year old, especially since we already had tickets for the Cheyenne Depot Train a month earlier. It took me a week or so to talk myself into it. The chance to ride behind 3985 in a dome on the joint-line was just too much to resist. I was disappointed when 844 was substituted, but still it was steam, in a dome on a line that I always wanted to ride on as a kid.

Then my son's Pop Warner Football league announced mandatory weigh-in and age certification on August 25th. Fortunately it was early in the morning, so my brother and niece, who live in Cheyenne, rode southbound. My son and I caught a flight to Colorado Springs from Phoenix and made it to Pueblo in the rental car, at 5:30, thirty minutes before departure. The flight was delayed 2 hours because US Air couldn't find a crew, or maybe it was the weather, the gate agents kept changing the story and we never got an explanation. There is a reason I fly Southwest almost weekly for business. Unfortunately, they don't fly to Colorado Springs.

Once we got up in the first dome coach, Columbine, my loathing of US Air subsided somewhat, along with my blood pressure. The on board staff was great, laughing at our airline tale and making us feel welcome. People on the train were mellow, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Riding in a dome on a mainline is a great experience. It was getting dark north of Colorado Springs, lots of flashes going off trackside as it became darker. A big crowd was at Palmer Lake. Coming into Denver, it was interesting to see the train "racing" the light rail trains from Mineral Ave to downtown. As we crept along by Invesco Field, home of the Broncos, we delayed a large contingent of Bronco Fans trying to get from the stadium across the tracks to the light rail boarding area. It probably did not help their mood as Denver had just lost to Cleveland. There was quite a delay as the train pulled into Prospect Jct and had to back into Denver Union Station, arrival was around 11:00, but I didn't hear any complaints.

Early Sunday the 26th we went down to DUS to check out 844 before it deadheaded back to Cheyenne. I was glad to see the Rio Grande Heritage unit was still part of the consist. Departure was scheduled for 11:00 am, but they did some switching with the cars before they left. A member of the crew told me they were rearranging the consist so it could be easily split in Cheyenne. The normal support cars, like the "Sherman Hill", "Howard Fogg", "Art Lockman", along with the cars to be used for the upcoming Oklahoma trip would stay in Cheyenne, the rest would deadhead east, I assume back to Council Bluffs. I asked the crew why the switching at DUS, they said it was easier at DUS instead of up in the yards in Cheyenne. The switching delayed the departure until around 1:00 or so.

In Cheyenne the train was split and the Rio Grande unit was left with the cars that were to return to Council Bluffs, I am guessing it departed with them sometime late Sunday.

Thanks to all those who made the trip possible, hopefully they will do it again. Chatter on the train was that they want to run it annually, but next year the DNC in Denver conflicts with the dates for the fair. Some of the staff on the train said the State Fair is receptive to changing their dates to accommodate a trip that does not conflict with the DNC, since UP's equipment will be used to entertain during the convention. I just hope they change the dates so it doesn't conflict with any Pop Warner activities! I would like to make the southbound trip someday.

BTW, if anyone would be willing to email me any shots of the northbound train on the 25th, please contact me off list, I would like to have a couple "trackside" photos of our trip.

Thanks,

Randy in PHX

First picture, departing Pueblo

Second, meeting a BNSF freight north of Pueblo

Third, stopped for a red signal on the single track, north of Colorado Springs

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First Photo, 844 and consist Denver Union Station, Sunday the 26th, things have sure changed over the years

Second and Third, getting ready to make the switching moves

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First, close up of the "Water Bottle".

Second, making the switching moves

Third, close up of the Dome Lounge, "Walter Dean". Business Car "St Louis" is behind. They were the last cars in the train to Cheyenne.

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Rio Grande unit with cars for Council Bluffs, the evening of the 26th, in Cheyenne. Sorry for the poor quality, sun was wrong and I was perched on a post by the fence in the parking lot by the UP depot.

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Ooh ... love those from-the-dome photos!


>I was disappointed when 844 was substituted

Hmm ... supposing UP stabled a restored Big Boy in its steam shop. Might fans register a similar sentiment if 3985 pitch hit for the Big Boy? :-)

* JB *

If they had a Big Boy, would they then be able to eject the diesel?

The diesels are never needed for lack of power. They have the diesel there incase the steam has a failure. FEF's used to haul tonnage freight trains across Nebraska with huge success. I doubt a passenger train such as the one the 844 is latched onto in these photos really put her to the test. As a matter of fact...I KNOW it does not.

kbush110 Wrote:
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> The diesels are never needed for lack of power.
> They have the diesel there incase the steam has a
> failure. FEF's used to haul tonnage freight
> trains across Nebraska with huge success. I doubt
> a passenger train such as the one the 844 is
> latched onto in these photos really put her to the
> test. As a matter of fact...I KNOW it does not.

They also use the diesel for it's dynamic breaks when going down hill. While in most caes, the 844 would have no trouble pulling the train up a long steep grade (like Cajon), most people would get board with the train traveling < 5 mph and there is probably other traffic on the line, the diesel is used to assist the 844. The same is true with the 3985.

You would be very surprised to hear how little 844 and 3985 can pull. About 10 passenger cars on the Joint Line and 8 or so on the Greeley sub would be enough to put 844 alone on its knees. You wouldn't think so because of the massive weight and such of these locomotives but it is quite true. The grade of both lines plays the biggest role in this. This is evident because at many stages along our ride Saturday and previous trips on the Greeley sub for Frontier Days you can clearly either hear the diesel helper working or you can see it working by the amount of exhaust. The steamer does as much as it can but the grades on both of these lines are enough to warrant help. Another case in point that says the diesel isn't all for dynamic braking....when 844 and 3985 are double headed there is no diesel helper. As we all know steam locomotives don't have dynamic brakes.

Oh and that talk a while back that the lead steamer can control a trailing steamer...sorry doesn't quite work that way. It is all operated by the seat of the pants. The first steamer also has to start first. Now the 844 and 3985 have been outfitted with a control for a trailing diesel but they still do have a crew in the diesel helpers and sometimes even they are operated manually.

Anyway, hope to see both steamers next year!

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

I hesitate to enter this fray but here's some comments:

- I recall Steve Lee stating that the 844 would slow to perhaps 5-10MPH if it didn't have help on the steep grades. To maintain a resonable speed up the long grade from Academy to Palmer Lake, the diesel provided some of the power. The relatively flat Platte Valley in Nebraska is a different situation, it's much less of a pull.

- 3985 has more tractive effort and on occasion, has pulled long freights by itself, Archer Hill, for example in the 1990's.

- In the days of steam, helper steam locomotives would be added to passenger trains over Sherman Hill, even those powered by 800 4-8-4 locomotives.

Very Interesting, educational, and informative information, Jim. Thank You All, and for the Photos Also! Of the Beautiful, Classic, Historic, UP Steam Locomotive, No. 844! Great Work.******* VERNON from Missouri