Steam & Excursion > 4004 Display turns 50

Recently I got the folks around here involved with the 50th anniversary of the 4004 being placed in the park on June 28, 1963. Today I got the city involved with a sort of rededication of the locomotive.

The first photo is of the 4004 before we at the Sherman Hill Model Railroad Club added some much needed accessories to the ole gal. I local sign dealer with his office next to mine worked with me and our Big Boy drawings to create new numbers for the train indicator and a somewhat replica number plate for the front.

Second is a grab shot after our ceremony ended and some were still hanging around. We estimate we had around 100 there today from Wyoming and Colorado. We also had a couple from Massachusetts who stopped by to see the engine that we invited to hang around and they had a good time too.

It was awesome having the current Mayor and the Mayor from 1963 give speeches. I had the current steam crew from the UP there and Ed Dickens gave a talk on behalf of the UP.

The third photo is of the front end all gussied up for the event. The weather was good and so was the crowd. There were several in attendance who were at the 1963 dedication.

In visiting with the Parks and Rec folks their are preservation prospects in sight for 4004 and that is even better news.

Thanks for stopping by this post and taking a look. If you have a loco on display near you I highly recommend you pull up its history and perhaps organize the same for it.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/13 19:37 by Bob3985.

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Her is an earlier shot I took of 4004 in its display location at Cheyenne's Holliday Park.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

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Good to see someone looking after the old girl, All the 4000s are a breed unto themselves, there will never be another like them. Just makes me look forward even more to 4014 moving under her own power. Miracles do happen. Thanks UP

Thank you Bob for putting this event together. It sounds like your efforts has made the parks and rec group realize the importance of the display. Hopefully they follow through.

Ken Britton
Bedford, TX

In my historical presentation today, I reminded all of the signifigance of 4004 as it appears on most brochures and ads for Cheyenne and its businesses.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Looks better than she has in years! Are the marker lights a permanent addition, or just for today's ceremonies?

Thank you, Bob, for all that you have done as part of the steam crew at UP for many years. 4004 looks great thanks to your efforts.

The marker lights were just for today, but we are looking for a set to put on her, if we can do it and make it so they won't disappear.

Great stuff, Bob!!! Thanks for making a special event out of this milestone!

John Bush
Omaha

I don't want to minimize the fantastic work that's already been done, but I think a great finishing touch would be to do something to restore the headlight. It's been suggested on another forum that a great, inexpensive, durable substitute for the silvered glass reflector (which is missing/broken on most park engines) is a suitably sized commercial stainless-steel mixing bowl that could be polished if desired. A clear piece of plexiglass cut to size could go in front of it to replace the lens.

davew833 Wrote:
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> Looks better than she has in years! Are the marker
> lights a permanent addition, or just for today's
> ceremonies?


Dave, we borrowed the class lights from the steam shop for this event only. I don't imagine a pair would last long on thee if we were to hook up a pair.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Mr. Krieger, this is a wonderful thing you have done.

The error in the mileage figure (which is actually well over a million) has been noted before.
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?10,2548184,2548373#msg-2548373

I agree, this was a very wonderful thing to do, and the 4004 looks really good with the new additions.

Thanks to you Bob and the current UP Steam Crew ... I started following the UP steam engines seriously in 2008 and have enjoyed numerous encounters since then ... your dedication is appreciated and admired by this railfan.

Odyssey
Evergreen, CO

Are those extra number boards on the side of the headlight?

lwilton Wrote:
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> Are those extra number boards on the side of the
> headlight?


The blanks on the sides of the headlight are the location for number boards of the locomotive and we will work on a set for them next.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

What about a headlight restoration? If the headlight were operational, that would put it over the top.

up3985 Wrote:
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> What about a headlight restoration? If the
> headlight were operational, that would put it over
> the top.


Our hope is to get the city to work with us to get the locomotive lit up. There is power already run into the display. We need to get the wiring changed out I believe.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Yes, VERY fine work, Bob.

JNG in MHK