Steam & Excursion > Back When It Burned Coal

This was on the trip to Pocatello and Salt Lake City. 198????

Ed

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Also, Back when it ran !!

I believe UP 3985 made a trip to Salt Lake City in 1982.

Nice photo. Sure wish she was back out....uh some day I pray.

That's a very nice photo. Great to show the people
who actually made her run.

Yes, that was in 1982. I chased her from Cheyenne to
Pocatello to Salt lake City-Provo-Salt Lake City, then rode
the SLO-Provo-SLC trip the next day, then chased
her back to Cheyenne.

That was a wonderful time -- she looked awesome
in Idaho and the setting there was gorgeous --
with what one railfan there called "a high BQ" --
Bucolic Quotient = lots of cows in pretty, green
fields.

That was also the trip whereI saw John Kenefick,
UP President and CEO, got up in the cab, sit down in
the engineer's seat, and, with a big cheroot in his
mouth, and the proper striped cap on his head,
and gloves on his hands, pull out on the throttle
like he knew what he was doing (I'm sure he did!)
and off the 3985 went, with nary a slip. I think
he ran her from McCammon, Idaho, to Pocatello.

The 3985 went to Pocatello to help celebrate that
city's centennial, as it began as a UP division point.

Those were the days -- when she burned "the black
hard stuff" (in Notch16's words).

I miss her.....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/14 10:48 by Margaret_SP_fan.

June 1982 was the year and my first excursion behind her Salt Lake to Provo.

Story on my 1980 to 2000 Page on my web site . Click Mudrock. No direct links. Near bottom of that page.


Chris

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Back when it set fire to the countryside.

A nice look back. Can we put names to the faces?

My picture was from Idaho where it had rained the week before and it didn't set one fire there, Utah on the other hand was another story. It had been dry and north of Brigham City
it started setting trackside fire and at Point of the Mountain after the Photo Runby that whole hillside went up.


Chris

Fitzpatrick on the left. Not sure about the person on the right.

Ken Britton
Bedford, TX

And here is the main crime scene! Today......there are NO TRACKS, roadbed, any sign of a railroad. Nothing but subdivision homes, as far as you can see (except on the snow-capped peaks).

Ed



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/14 19:54 by Auburn_Ed.

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Wolfman Wrote:
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> Also, Back when it ran !!

Back when it burned right.

Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
>
> Back when it burned right.

Posted from iPhone

Finderskeepers Wrote:
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> Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
> >
> > Back when it burned right.

I would be interested in a further clarification on that statement also. Having fired 3985 as a coal burner and after the conversion to oil, I wonder what he means by "burned right".

HotWater Wrote:
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> Finderskeepers Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
> > >
> > > Back when it burned right.
>
> I would be interested in a further clarification
> on that statement also. Having fired 3985 as a
> coal burner and after the conversion to oil, I
> wonder what he means by "burned right".


My guess is he preferred it as a coal burner

Spoony81 Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Finderskeepers Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
> > > >
> > > > Back when it burned right.
> >
> > I would be interested in a further
> clarification
> > on that statement also. Having fired 3985 as a
> > coal burner and after the conversion to oil, I
> > wonder what he means by "burned right".
>
>
> My guess is he preferred it as a coal burner

Ah, so I guess he preferred that the 3985 never operate system-wide, but remain "restricted" to the state of Wyoming? Look at all the places that 3985 operated to AFTER conversion to oil burning!

Copy19 Wrote:
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> Back when it set fire to the countryside.

There was a video I ran onto with it running at speed showing a fire it had set in the pix. Think it was around that time as it was noted that it had been changed to oil for that reason.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Finderskeepers Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
> > >
> > > Back when it burned right.
>
> I would be interested in a further clarification
> on that statement also. Having fired 3985 as a
> coal burner and after the conversion to oil, I
> wonder what he means by "burned right".

Just asking not trying to start something but since you fired it both ways, which way from your view as a working fireman did you like the best overall??? Nice to hear from the guy who walked the walk with it and gave us all so much pleasure to see it run.

It was quite an experience watching steam veteran Tom Stuart fire the engine going east out of Laramie in the snow after we started losing steam pressure. Tom had been running and he jumped over to the left side and started working on the fire, Steve Lee took over the throttle. We made it to the top but it was touch and go for a while, Unforgettable!
JB

BAB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Finderskeepers Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Are you saying it didn't burn right on oil?
> > > >
> > > > Back when it burned right.
> >
> > I would be interested in a further
> clarification
> > on that statement also. Having fired 3985 as a
> > coal burner and after the conversion to oil, I
> > wonder what he means by "burned right".
>
> Just asking not trying to start something but
> since you fired it both ways, which way from your
> view as a working fireman did you like the best
> overall??? Nice to hear from the guy who walked
> the walk with it and gave us all so much pleasure
> to see it run.


BAB, since you asked, I always felt that has a coal burner, whit what little time I had on her, 3985 seemed "easier" to fire. Why? well because with a coal burner there is a REAL FIRE in the firebox, and that massive heat-sink of supper hot coals reacts slower to changes. An oil burning locomotive simply has a big flame, which reacts instantly to ANY and EVERY change the Engineer makes in throttle of cutoff adjustments. I also felt that as a coal burner, 3985 could be "forced" harder in order to maintain the 280psi working pressure, even with the throttle wide open and significant back pressure. As an oil burner, depending on the type of fuel oil at the time, you really had to plan ahead, by trading a little water for steam pressure, until all that fire brick inside the firebox got really hot, at which point the fire could then be forced and still keep a respectable exhaust color.

Overall, I spent some 17 years as a Contract Fireman for the Steve Lee Steam Crew, and always preferred firing 3985, as 844 was literally too easy. Good old 3985 was always a real challenge!