Steam & Excursion > 844 On The Wimmer Wye Today

I really debated back and forth today about going out to see the 844 special come into Omaha. I saw 844 leave Omaha about a month ago on the Shiloh Special, so I had my recent fill of it. But there were a couple things on this trip that peaked my interest. First, the E units were along. Second, the special would head out on the Wimmer Wye in Omaha in order to then back up over to Council Bluffs so that the 844 would be facing the right direction when it heads over to the Golden Spike Park on Thursday for display. So I finally decided late in the afternoon to leave work an hour early. I picked up my 3 boys and we first head over to Bellevue.

The first couple picks were at Chandler Road in Bellevue, about 5:15 PM.

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The special then headed straight west onto the Wimmer Wye off the Falls City Sub, then would back up on the Omaha Sub over to Heritage Park in Council Bluffs. Next series of shots are from 36th Street viaduct, over the Wimmer Wye, at about 5:30 PM. In the background you can see the BNSF overpass. In front of that is the abutment of the old C&NW overpass, which was a connection to the UP at Summit at one time, until it was abandoned about 1990. The C&NW had another track, approximately where the Wimmer Wye alignment is now, that went under the overpass and headed for the South Omaha stockyards.

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More wye shots.

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Two last wye shots.

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Last series of shots show the special backing up at 10th Street, at about 6:15 PM

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Nice photos! Thanks for sharing them here.
(I don't understand how anyone could ever
get their fill of the magnificent UP 844.)

3 more shots

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Last 2 shots of the day.

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Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
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> Nice photos! Thanks for sharing them here.
> (I don't understand how anyone could ever
> get their fill of the magnificent UP 844.)


I think we get very spoiled here in Omaha. We seem to get a steam visit at least a couple times a year, plus with all of the passenger specials with Heritage Park nearby.

Question: in the last picture, what is the crumbling concrete and steel structure on the right? I'm guessing you were standing on part of it.

its part of the old concourse that connected the Burlington station with Union Station

So they did indeed back up all that way... at any rate, great pictures, thanks for getting out and taking them.

Jim Burrill

So....what happened to the Pizza plate under the headlight? Did it fall off, or was it stolen???

The plate was for an individual event and was taken off afterwards.I personally am glad it is off as, to me, it really detracts for the grand front of the locomotive as it approaches you. One man's opinion.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Thanks a lot for these, Chris! I couldn't get out to see 'em on Wimmer. By the way, both MoP & CNW had yards in the 36th-42nd street "valley" and in fact the CNW had a small roundhouse at the base of the jut of land occupied by today by that equipment dealer.

John Bush
Omaha

Nice work!

Steve Mitchell
http://www.yardgoatimages.com

Bob3985 Wrote:
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> The plate was for an individual event and was
> taken off afterwards.I personally am glad it is
> off as, to me, it really detracts for the grand
> front of the locomotive as it approaches you. One
> man's opinion.

They did have flags flying on the front, US flag on the engineer's side and the state flag on the fireman's side. They were pretty good about switching the Kansas flag over to the Nebraska flag after they crossed the border at Falls City.

Nice work, Chris. It would have been neat to see all the activity in that area back in the day when all the players were still in town.

What causes that narrow jet of (steam?) coming straight out the stack in the picture 3rd from last? Too much blower?

Chris,
What is going to be built to the left of 844 in your last pics., there on the bare area? upkpfan