Steam & Excursion > This Display Showed The Pride This Railroad Had In Their Steam!

The Union Pacific Steam Program stands out for how long it has lasted and how much devotion that railroad has in preserving their steam legacy.  This is but one example of that dedication.

Back in the 1970's, before the UP brought Challenger #3985 back into steam, the sole active UP steam locomotive was 4-8-4 #844.  However, that was not enough for the UP and they decided to create this imaginative display at their Omaha shops using stored UP #4023 as the center piece for this new display.

#4023 was freshened up with new paint and polish and placed on a very visible display track by the shops.  Flood lights were installed to keep her fully illuminated at night.  Then, the finishing touch was the piping of steam from the shops to the #4023 so she appeared to be under steam while on display.

After several years on this display, #4023 was moved to new display sites.  Currently she is in a park in Omaha, Nebraska on what may be her final display site.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/21 06:18 by LoggerHogger.

---

This photo is of the UP 4023 outside the Omaha Shop on live house steam.
The shop employees sealed off the boiler so the steam entered the smoke box thru the front end to make it look live.
Then at some time it was moved to a display over by Eppley Airport for a number of years before it had to be moved for an interstate realignment.
So it and the 6900 DD40A were moved to up on the hill at its current location at the Laurentzen Gardens along I-80.
 

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/21 05:29 by Bob3985.

My first trip to UP land was 1968 to ride 8444 from Denver to Yoder.  We got off at Cheyenne and I remember seeing 4023, 3985 and a few others in the vacinity of the roundhouse. Yes UP has done great things to preserve steam over many decades.
Greg

gregscholl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My first trip to UP land was 1968 to ride 8444
> from Denver to Yoder.  We got off at Cheyenne and
> I remember seeing 4023, 3985 and a few others in
> the vacinity of the roundhouse. Yes UP has done
> great things to preserve steam over many decades.
> Greg

Yes Greg,
They were in the scrap line at that time.
But thankfully were spared the cutter's torch in the end.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

4023 in it's current display site can be seen from Amtrak 6 eastbound.  It could also be seen from 5 but it's dark.  BSB

I had the privilege of visiting Omaha for the first time in June, 2020. While the wedding I came to attend was the focus, I managed to swing by 4023’s display site. It is very well done and the locomotive appears to be in great shape. Hopefully I can return if the 4014 visits in the future.

Mark V.
“The Fort” in Indiana

Posted from iPhone

When was your excursion from Denver in 1968?  I was on the California Zephyr arriving in Denver around the second week in May 1968, as I remember,  when 8444 was pulling out of the station.  I captured the locomotive on my 8mm camera from the dome car as we passed.  I digitized my movie of that trip and show it to the kids at the Monticello Railway Museum in Illinois where I am the ticket agent.  The movie starts out with the Zephyr going through the Denver wash rack.

J. Downing



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/24/21 13:47 by SVTRY.