Steam & Excursion > Couldn't 844 fill in for the 4014 in the PNW this year?

Just wondering because I witnessed her go through Idaho in 1989 as 8444 it was Spectacular, then again in 1990, have posted video here on TO those trips. Back then they had no problem routing it around the regular freight trains???
Are the stockholders really that worried that 844 will interfere with splitting 844 and 4014 trips nowadays?

(Thread title changed 5:44pm)

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/24 17:44 by RailRat.

RailRat Wrote:
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> Just wondering why not?

1) I believe the UP management has already ststed that there is too mich freight traffic for a "steam trip" to the Pacific Northwest.

2) 844 does not have any PTC equipment, as it is all on 4014.

HotWater Wrote:
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> RailRat Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Just wondering why not?
>
> 1) I believe the UP management has already ststed
> that there is too mich freight traffic for a
> "steam trip" to the Pacific Northwest.
>
> 2) 844 does not have any PTC equipment, as it is
> all on 4014.

Fake News, too much traffic?
Only one PTC unit available?
I thought Public Relations was Paramount!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

RailRat Wrote:
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> HotWater Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > RailRat Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Just wondering why not?
> >
> > 1) I believe the UP management has already
> ststed
> > that there is too mich freight traffic for a
> > "steam trip" to the Pacific Northwest.
> >
> > 2) 844 does not have any PTC equipment, as it
> is
> > all on 4014.
>
> Fake News, too much traffic?

Apparently too much traffic for the few crews they have.

> Only one PTC unit available?

For steam locomotive, yes.

> I thought Public Relations was Paramount!

Not anymore! If they can't even keep their customers happy, who cares about the public?

4015 was used for PTC , it can go with 844 too

dan Wrote:
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> 4015 was used for PTC , it can go with 844 too

1) Do you mean 4014?

2) Where would they get additional crew members in order to double head?

the title was fill in not go with

advantage of 844 going solo would be faster transit times to not tie up the rr as much

The PTC communication gear is on the 4015 the diesel, 4014 uses that with display wired to the 4015



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/24 07:25 by dan.

---

dan Wrote:
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> the title was fill in not go with
>
> advantage of 844 going solo would be faster
> transit times to not tie up the rr as much
>
> The PTC communication gear is on the 4015 the
> diesel, 4014 uses that with display wired to the
> 4015

I changed my thread title just now, it was a bit vague before.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

I know 844 hasn't been out and about for awhile now, not sure if she's really ready or not to run, there has been various opinions expressed here on TO about that.

If she is capable of running, the point made about not enough steam crew and PTC is valid, unless they run 844 at a different time than 4014, but I do respect the fact it's still a big deal to see ANY big steam engine running on a class 1 railroad these days especially. And a lot of planning and logistics go on behind the scenes to accomplish these trips, far more than most of us "regular" fans are aware of.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/24 18:02 by RailRat.

I like 844 a little more anyway, like comparing a SD-9 to an E-9 like the passenger higher speed engine personally.

those big Drivers are something, so are many drivers...

844 has gotten some service this spring, i think it could get prepped and go , set up PTC using the 4015 arrangement and run.

Ed would love to have more trips, it isn't him limiting the  steam operations, he is waiting for omaha's green light.

The PNW / Blue Mountains line has too much traffic??!  Are they serious??!  Everything I've read from old timers says train counts are "way down."  

I suspect it's really because the UPRR is no longer fluid.  Rather, it lurches from one dispatching crisis to the next, on most of its lines, just trying to survive, vs. thrive.

I've got three generations of railroaders in my history. My assertion: You can't run a railroad totally from a central location with newbie dispatchers and expect efficient operation. 

I guess you haven't heard that 838 is doing the PNW tour in Greyhound paint this Fall?  (Oh wait, I'm 20 days too late!!)   :-) 

coach Wrote:
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> The PNW / Blue Mountains line has too much
> traffic??!  Are they serious??!  Everything I've
> read from old timers says train counts are "way
> down."  
>
> I suspect it's really because the UPRR is no
> longer fluid.  Rather, it lurches from one
> dispatching crisis to the next, on most of its
> lines, just trying to survive, vs. thrive.

Too much traffic? By who's numbers? The monster trains foul nearly all operations. There are plenty of places with 2 tracks too. The  UP PNW is a shadow of itself from not too many years ago .BNSF has eaten UP's lunch.

perhaps too much traffic for the skeleton employee base, wyoming lines are thread bare

dan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> the title was fill in not go with
>
> advantage of 844 going solo would be faster
> transit times to not tie up the rr as much
>
> The PTC communication gear is on the 4015 the
> diesel, 4014 uses that with display wired to the
> 4015

Yeah if you had an an engineer who would go fast, Ed's afraid going over 40 would damage 4014 for crying out loud!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > the title was fill in not go with
> >
> > advantage of 844 going solo would be faster
> > transit times to not tie up the rr as much
> >
> > The PTC communication gear is on the 4015 the
> > diesel, 4014 uses that with display wired to
> the
> > 4015
>
> Yeah if you had an an engineer who would go fast,
> Ed's afraid going over 40 would damage 4014 for
> crying out loud!

Besides, the UP pretty much limited the 4000s to 55 MPH, which is right in the current manager's comfort zone.