Steam & Excursion > Historic UP Steam Engine #3985 Never To Run Again?

Wasn't 3985 Advertised by UP as "The World's Largest Operating Steam Locomotive" When it was running? What happened to that? Where has it been the past few years? Why disable a lovingly restored, admired by all, and perfecly operating locomotive like this? All for parts, for the 4014 project that may, or may not be seen through to completion? Why not keep 3985 going untill 4014 is finally complete? What is UP thinking?

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/17 05:12 by Boomer92.

Uh oh. I detect the sparks are going to be firing from all angles here pretty soon. Gotta get the popcorn ready and enjoy.

Boomer92 Wrote:
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> Wasn't 3985 Advertised by UP as "The World's
> Largest Operating Steam Locomotive" When it was
> running? What happened to that? Where has it been
> the past few years? Why disable a lovingly
> restored, admired by all, and perfecly operating
> locomotive like this? All for parts, for the 4014
> project that may, or may not be seen through to
> completion? Why not keep 3985 going untill 4014 is
> finally complete? What is UP thinking?

You would have to present all your questions to the current manager, in Cheyenne. To be blunt, it had absolutely NOTHING to do with any members of upper management on the UP. The false information about 3985 was, and still is being, perpetuated by the current manager in Cheyenne.

A quick search turned up answers to all your questions. I get the sense that these questions were only asked again to start an argument that will inevitably turn into a 3 page tread, just so OP can say he started a high count "discussion".

-Dave

djh4d Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A quick search turned up answers to all your
> questions. I get the sense that these questions
> were only asked again to start an argument that
> will inevitably turn into a 3 page tread, just so
> OP can say he started a high count "discussion".
>
> -Dave

Oh Drat, my evil plan exposed!..all kidding aside however, I have missed a lot of those answers, don't have time to search for them, dont know if this particular question/subject has been brought to light or not before. I am truly wondering why. Think I'll even send Big Ed an email pointing to this post, when I have time. Also, there may be newer members who aren't aware? Nothing wrong with keeping this subject fresh, and I could care less how many pages are generated, only care that the subject is not forgotten.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/17 06:55 by Boomer92.

OK - "Pro" Dickens, please line up on the left. "Anti" Dickens
please line up on the right. Now y'all can leave the room and
discuss among yourselves.....

Boomer92 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>Nothing wrong with
>keeping this subject fresh,....care that the
> subject is not forgotten.

There is no point to re-hashing subject 3985; it is not forgotten; once 4014 runs a trip, the only subject left is 3985, so assume restoration, ok?

Spikes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boomer92 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >Nothing wrong with
> >keeping this subject fresh,....care that the
> > subject is not forgotten.
>
> There is no point to re-hashing subject 3985; it
> is not forgotten; once 4014 runs a trip, the only
> subject left is 3985, so assume restoration, ok?

You are right, No. 3985 is not forgotten. It is just sitting in the roundhouse looking sad with missing parts and no tender because Ed has full intention of restoring her.

The problem is, there never should have been 4014 before 3985 was running. 3985's "problems" should have been addressed first.

Spikes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boomer92 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >Nothing wrong with
> >keeping this subject fresh,....care that the
> > subject is not forgotten.
>
> There is no point to re-hashing subject 3985; it
> is not forgotten; once 4014 runs a trip, the only
> subject left is 3985, so assume restoration, ok?

Sorry but, you are wrong, wrong, WRONG!!!!!! So long as the current manager in Cheyenne is employed in THAT position, 3985 will NEVER RUN AGAIN! He has stated just that many, many times.

Stuff like this has a bad habit of disappearing so unexpectedly, for so many reasons.

JBWX

---

---

---

(307) 778-3133.

That's the phone number to the shop. I think a lot of TO's calling asking the same question over and over will get his attention.

Posted from iPhone

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> (307) 778-3133.
>
> That's the phone number to the shop. I think a lot
> of TO's calling asking the same question over and
> over will get his attention.


Nope! He could care less what you, or anybody else, thinks. He has been getting away with his lies since January 2011!

There was a big puff piece in the Cheyenne newspaper over the weekend about the UP Steam Program. About what you would expect from a gullible reporter.

djh4d Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A quick search turned up answers to all your
> questions. I get the sense that these questions
> were only asked again to start an argument that
> will inevitably turn into a 3 page tread, just so
> OP can say he started a high count "discussion".
>
> -Dave


Exactly no other reason no matter his reply will make many think anything else.

Your images of UP 3985 in steam are outstanding ! Thanks for posting them.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CPRR Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > (307) 778-3133.
> >
> > That's the phone number to the shop. I think a
> lot
> > of TO's calling asking the same question over
> and
> > over will get his attention.
>
>
> Nope! He could care less what you, or anybody
> else, thinks. He has been getting away with his
> lies since January 2011!

Jack I am on your side.....:)

Posted from iPhone

JB, I am not sure which years these were taken but in Photo 1 that is Steve running. Photo 2 is on the Cheyenne runaround track. And three is up at Harriman.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Bob, thanks. Pix mean more when there are real people associated with them. The top picture was April 1991, Hal Lewis and I were chasing north out of Ogden. The bottom two were October 1984.

JBWX

Boomer92 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh Drat, my evil plan exposed!..all kidding aside
> however, I have missed a lot of those answers,
> don't have time to search for them, dont know if
> this particular question/subject has been brought
> to light or not before. I am truly wondering why.
> Think I'll even send Big Ed an email pointing to
> this post, when I have time. Also, there may be
> newer members who aren't aware?

Yup. I don't remember your participating in the 3985 discussions, when it was much hotter few years ago.... so I know you aren't guilty of an evil plan here. :-)

One of the early "followers" of Ed Dickens all the way back in summer of 2010 INSISTED to me that the 3985 will NEVER run again, according to the "UP Manager." What I pieced together later, was that the "UP Manager" was ED himself, because Steve Lee was promoted around that time and unavailable at the UP Steam ship in Cheyenne on a daily basis, which I didn't know. I was a little confused, but that was cleared up just a couple of months later when I chased the UP 3985 pulling the Circus Train between Cheyenne and Denver. When I ran into the "follower" again, I nicely told him the 3985 is still running, with a video proof in hand, but he refused to continue the conversation.

So regardless of what you'll read here or elsewhere, I hereby establish a motive, going back 7 years ago.

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Boomer92 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Oh Drat, my evil plan exposed!..all kidding
> aside
> > however, I have missed a lot of those answers,
> > don't have time to search for them, dont know
> if
> > this particular question/subject has been
> brought
> > to light or not before. I am truly wondering
> why.
> > Think I'll even send Big Ed an email pointing
> to
> > this post, when I have time. Also, there may be
> > newer members who aren't aware?
>
> Yup. I don't remember your participating in the
> 3985 discussions, when it was much hotter few
> years ago.... so I know you aren't guilty of an
> evil plan here. :-)
>
> One of the early "followers" of Ed Dickens all the
> way back in summer of 2010 INSISTED to me that
> the 3985 will NEVER run again, according to the
> "UP Manager." What I pieced together later, was
> that the "UP Manager" was ED himself, because
> Steve Lee was promoted around that time and
> unavailable at the UP Steam ship in Cheyenne on a
> daily basis, which I didn't know. I was a little
> confused, but that was cleared up just a couple of
> months later when I chased the UP 3985 pulling the
> Circus Train between Cheyenne and Denver. When I
> ran into the "follower" again, I nicely told him
> the 3985 is still running, with a video proof in
> hand, but he refused to continue the
> conversation.

To be perfectly fair, even though the current manager did NOT want 3985 to operate any longer, Steve Lee had not yet retired from his Superintendent of Heritage Fleet Operations position. Thus, 3985 handled the Circus Train to Denver, plus one more trip down through Kansas City. From that point on, fall 2010, 3985 never ran again, and after the 844 trip to Omaha and back in November 2010, Steve Lee retired at the end of December 2010. Thus, the current manager finally got his way, and 3985 was stuffed into the last stall of the round house, sill with time on her FRA 15 year inspection.


> So regardless of what you'll read here or
> elsewhere, I hereby establish a motive, going back
> 7 years ago.