Steam & Excursion > 844 on Pocatello Sub

The weather on the 19th turned out MUCH better than forecasted. Instead of clouds and on/off rain showers, we had partly to mostly sunny skies. I was able to get a couple of sunny shots of the 844 special on the Pocatello Sub. First is at Pegram, ID, at a place I call the "marsh spot", with the Raymond Mountains in the background. Next was several miles west of Montpelier, where the line goes from double to single track at Pescadero. Despite the light train of only six cars plus the auxiliary tender, the 844 made quite a show and looked really good without a diesel along for dynamic braking. We had quite a snow season out this way, with some places reporting over 200 inches, and the spring melt has rivers and creeks running bank full or over, flooding many lower lying areas. The water in the foreground in photo 2 is from the Bear River just behind the 844. This could be a banner year for mosquitoes!

Bob
Thayne, WY

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Great to see her without diesel helpers.

Martin

Nice photos, had hoped to catch her through Montpelier but couldn't get away from work. Was there a big crowd chasing?

Posted from iPhone

Great images Bob. Thanks for sharing them.

Larry W. Grant
(olddude41)
Dallas, Texas

Not an unusually large crowd of chasers, from what I could tell. At the spot where I got my first shot, there were exactly two fans - me and a fellow from Pasco, WA. There were lots of people around at the servicing stop in Montpelier and the stop at Soda Springs to let people off the train, but it appeared that the UP team handled it very well. One more shot of the train, at the Valley View Drive crossing a couple of miles west of Soda Springs, ID, is attached. There were maybe 50 people here when the train went by.

Bob

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Those are beautiful photos, sir! Lovely, just lovely!
Very pretty country around there. Thanks for posting
these nice pictures here.

Is the smokebox black now?

Frisco1522 Wrote:
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> Is the smokebox black now?

Certainly appears to be, as well as the sides of the firebox.

Fireman's been taking posing lessons as well, I see. Either that or someone is running from one side of the cab to the other depending on where the biggest crowd can be found.

PatternOfFailure Wrote:
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> Fireman's been taking posing lessons as well, I
> see. Either that or someone is running from one
> side of the cab to the other depending on where
> the biggest crowd can be found.

Both the Engineer's and Fireman's arm rests have been greatly enlarged, thus allowing either person to "lean way out".