Railroaders' Nostalgia > Union Pacific Big Boy what a kid thought

My dad was a engineer for the Union Pacific based out of Denver Colorado. He came home from his run from  Cheyenne Wyo drove in the drive way of our house, jumped from the car shouted son come with me now! I wondered what was all the hurry up. so I got in the car drove to the UP Roundhouse at 40Th st crossing the entrance gate , On the way he said that he just brought a Big Boy Steam Engine Into Denver. He stated that the Big Boy did not run into Denver, as to long to turn on the Round House turntable. This was a once in a life time to get close to the Big Boy. So I went up into the cab and wow what a experience got to blow the whistle and look out the engineer cab window. For a 8 year old will never forget.

Wes  

That's a great story and always treasure your memories.
I will always remember the day I was picked to be on the steam crew here in Cheyenne and what a real priviledge to enter the cab of 8444 in 1989.
I was called to pilot the 8444 to South Torrington in 1983 for the 4th of July celebration and Torrington's centennial celebration.
That trip was the fastest I had ever been on a railroad, UP or Rock Island.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/18 07:12 by Bob3985.

Bob

I'll always remember when I won the cab ride raffle on one of the Chicago Chapters excursions to Clinton IA and rode all the way to the Drive by shooting (photo ruinby) at Peace Road in Dekalb

Mike


Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That's a great story and always treasure your
> memories.
> I will always remember the day I was picked to be
> on the steam crew here in Cheyenne and what a real
> priviledge to enter the cab of 8444 in 1989.
> I was called to pilot the 8444 to South Torrington
> in 1983 for the 4th of July celebration and
> Torrington's centennial celebration.
> That trip was the fastest I had ever been on a
> railroad, UP or ROck Island.

I would not want to be fully steam qualified, but I would like to do a little switching a possibly 50 miles or so on the mainline just to get a feel for it. After that I am sure I will happy to get back into my ES44T4's

engineerinvirginia Wrote:
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> I would not want to be fully steam qualified, but
> I would like to do a little switching a possibly
> 50 miles or so on the mainline just to get a feel
> for it. After that I am sure I will happy to get
> back into my ES44T4's
There is no doubt that the cab comfort features in the ES44T4 would be more preferable to the cab on 3985 or 844 but I would have never passed up the experience I was able to have running UP's Heritage fleet which included the E units, DD40 and the rotary snow plows.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Bob3985 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> engineerinvirginia Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I would not want to be fully steam qualified,
> but
> > I would like to do a little switching a
> possibly
> > 50 miles or so on the mainline just to get a
> feel
> > for it. After that I am sure I will happy to
> get
> > back into my ES44T4's
> There is no doubt that the cab comfort features in
> the ES44T4 would be more preferable to the cab on
> 3985 or 844 but I would have never passed up the
> experience I was able to have running UP's
> Heritage fleet which included the E units, DD40
> and the rotary snow plows.

I’d KILL to be qualified as a steam locomotive engineer in this day and age and would refuse entry into the comfort of an ES44T4 to prove my point!! For the true steam enthusiast, it’s about the experience - comfort be damned!!! Here endeth the lesson.

Posted from iPhone

I was fully steam qualified on Frisco 1522 from 88-02.  I don't and didn't work for the RR, but had an FRA ticket.
I wouldn't trade my time on the mainline in that cab for any ride on a diesel.  Nothing like it.