Steam & Excursion > UP 8444 Fan Trip Date

I have a snapshot photo of UP 8444 on the Huntington,OR turntable being turned. Clearly, the end of a fan trip. Probably headed back to Boise. Can anyone say when this trip occurred? I am guessing 1962-65?

Probably 7/27/1966  for National Model RR Club   Left Cheyenne 7/27/1966,  At Nampa  Aug 5,    Boise-Huntington roundup excursion Aug 6,  Boise-Portland Aug 7-8,  Portland-Hinkle roundtrip excursion Sept 11, Portland to Cheyenne Sept 14-17, 1966.  Only trip to NW in 1960s
Info from  Stagner and Reisdorf  50 Years of Union Pacific Steam Excursions  (2003  South Platte Press)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/19 12:48 by dougd.

Thanks for your help. That makes a lot of sense. The fellow who shot the picture has passed on and did not leave any data on the photo.

It was in Portland in '64 or '65! I know because my dad and I chased and filmed movies of it! My high school friend Verne was with us and we hadn't graduated yet. I graduated in '65. In '66 I was in the Navy. 

Dougd's information is mostly correct, except for the statement that the 1966 trip was 8444's only visit to the Pacific Northwest in the 1960's.  I was part of a group that sponsored excursions from Boise to Huntington on September 21 and 22, 1968, for the benefit of the Boise YMCA.  So the photograph in question might have been taken during one of the two days 8444 was on the Huntington turntable in 1968.

As a point of interest, in 1966 they watered the engine before turning it, and found that the turntable motor wasn't up to the task of getting the bridge moving.  They had to hook a 4-wheel drive truck to the tender coupler with a chain to provide some extra pull, with much spinning of wheels and throwing of gravel.  In '68 they turned the engine before fillilng the tender, and things went much better.  Here's a picture of the 1966 effort.

Joel

 

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