Steam & Excursion > Some recollections from 1981's "great race"

Together with some friends, not to mention many other folks, I chased the UP 8444 and 3985 from Cheyenne to Ogden in April 1981. The engines were enroute Railfair at Sacramento and the opening of the California State Railroad Museum.  My recollections include a lot of driving, a lot of high sun, not much smoke, and very few good photo ops.  Attached are a few of the only decent pix I got, others hopefully did better (especially those who knew the country better than this Californian, and hopefully they will post some pix here).

JBWX 

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Looks like you got some good shots, particularly number 2, which I think is in Echo Canyon.  Thanks for sharing.

Ronnie McCallay
Cañon City, CO

Well, I'd say those are some high quality slides. Thanks for posting. --Kelly

Thanks for the kind works, and I agree those are ok pix (I hide all the really bad ones!), but given the investment of time and energy, they were pretty disappointing results.  If I had known the territory better and done more homework and planning, perhaps the results would have been better.  I am kind of hoping that somebody who did that would post some really gangbusters pix and show me what I missed!

JBWX

That was a fun chase, but yes, plenty of high sun like you said.
Thanks for the memory jog, and here's 3 more pics from the event.  I don't think I've posted the first two before, but I know I've put up the 3rd one in the past.  (Apologies for the repeat, but it fits here as well as anywhere, I guess.)
GK

1.  At Wamsutter, we had to have been standing just a few hundred feet to the west of you. (Is that you at the far right?)

2.  Granger, Wyo., after overnighting at Green River.

3.  At Tipton, Wyo., with Bob3985 at the throttle, I believe.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 04/18/19 21:24 by TheNavigator.

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Why did the cab of 8444 and its tender sag so much right near the engine-tender connection?  Weight of fuel?  Old springs?  Metal fatigue?  The tender on 3985 looks level by comparison.

Thanks.  I was hoping for more opportunties like you got in the second and third one.

JBWX

8444, 3985 and two SD40R's at Emigrant Gap a couple of days later...

Joel Kirk

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coach Wrote:
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> Why did the cab of 8444 and its tender sag so much
> right near the engine-tender connection?

Photos of 844 in regular service show the same "rear of cab droop", as well as on some other FEF locomotives.

 Weight
> of fuel?

There is no "fuel" in the cab.

 Old springs?

No springs under the cab.

 Metal fatigue?

Maybe. During one of the major overhauls on 844, the "rear of cab droop" was corrected. Checkout photos from the late 1990s or early 2000s

 The
> tender on 3985 looks level by comparison.


Photos of 3900 class locomotives in regular service did not reflect the same "rear of cab droop".

How did you go about researching this run. I'm guessing back then you only had very rudimentary internet, at best, and the only celllular phones available to public were likely car-mounted phones that I doubt you could get on a rental car. 

Would you have to buy a special atlas or map at the bookstore? I'm guessing there were a lot more of those back then. 

Seems like a daunting experiment in dangerous futility. 

Back in those primitive times we had lots of maps, magazines, books, newsletters, timetables, and so on.  There was plenty of information available, it just wasn't as real time or convenient to access.  Whatever real time info you had was via telephone.  I have drawers full of topo maps that I acquired to research various routes and look for photo spots.  The big difference between now and then for me is the online Photographers Ephemeris that overlays sun angles throughout the day with topomaps and provides an incredible tool for research a photo chase.  Or moonrise angles if you want to do a moonrise shot!  

JBWX

phthithu Wrote:
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> How did you go about researching this run. I'm
> guessing back then you only had very rudimentary
> internet, at best, and the only celllular phones
> available to public were likely car-mounted phones
> that I doubt you could get on a rental car. 
>
> Would you have to buy a special atlas or map at
> the bookstore? I'm guessing there were a lot more
> of those back then. 
>
> Seems like a daunting experiment in dangerous
> futility. 

JLKirk Wrote:
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> 8444, 3985 and two SD40R's at Emigrant Gap a
> couple of days later...
>
> Joel Kirk

In general the pix I have seen on Donner are more interesting, despite the two diesel units.  I was up in Oregon busy chasing the 4449 coming south to Sacto.

JBWX

I rode the train from Evanston to Ogden.  That was a great run-by at Echo.  I must be in that gathering trackside...

John Bromley - Omaha

Copy19 Wrote:
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> I rode the train from Evanston to Ogden.  That
> was a great run-by at Echo.  I must be in that
> gathering trackside...
>
> John Bromley - Omaha

I think this was your runby with lots of smoke.

JBWX

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Great series!

Posted from iPhone

Great shot!!!

Joel

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> coach Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Why did the cab of 8444 and its tender sag so
> much
> > right near the engine-tender connection?
>
> Photos of 844 in regular service show the same
> "rear of cab droop", as well as on some other FEF
> locomotives.
>
>  Weight
> > of fuel?
>
> There is no "fuel" in the cab.
>
>  Old springs?
>
> No springs under the cab.
>
>  Metal fatigue?
>
> Maybe. During one of the major overhauls on 844,
> the "rear of cab droop" was corrected. Checkout
> photos from the late 1990s or early 2000s
>
>  The
> > tender on 3985 looks level by comparison.
>
>
> Photos of 3900 class locomotives in regular
> service did not reflect the same "rear of cab
> droop".

so was this a design flaw in the 800s, or manufacturing mistake in the 884, or just decades of wear and tear?

JP86 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > coach Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Why did the cab of 8444 and its tender sag so
> > much
> > > right near the engine-tender connection?
> >
> > Photos of 844 in regular service show the same
> > "rear of cab droop", as well as on some other
> FEF
> > locomotives.
> >
> >  Weight
> > > of fuel?
> >
> > There is no "fuel" in the cab.
> >
> >  Old springs?
> >
> > No springs under the cab.
> >
> >  Metal fatigue?
> >
> > Maybe. During one of the major overhauls on
> 844,
> > the "rear of cab droop" was corrected. Checkout
> > photos from the late 1990s or early 2000s
> >
> >  The
> > > tender on 3985 looks level by comparison.
> >
> >
> > Photos of 3900 class locomotives in regular
> > service did not reflect the same "rear of cab
> > droop".
>
> so was this a design flaw in the 800s,

Maybe.

or
> manufacturing mistake in the 884,

You mean 844? No, as other FEF locomotives exhibited the same "rear of cab droop", as I mentioned above.

or just decades
> of wear and tear?

Possibly. I don't remember what the shop crew did to correct the situation on 844.