Just my opinion but, the only real "excursion", i.e. available for public purchase of tickets sponsored by the Denver Post, will be the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Special. The other two trips are simply "outings".

Hot Water posted:

Just my opinion but, the only real "excursion", i.e. available for public purchase of tickets sponsored by the Denver Post, will be the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Special. The other two trips are simply "outings".

Yup. Union Pacific Public relations "outings"

Tranz4mr posted:

Hot Water posted:

Just my opinion but, the only real "excursion", i.e. available for public purchase of tickets sponsored by the Denver Post, will be the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days Special. The other two trips are simply "outings".

Yup. Union Pacific Public relations "outings"

Only "special invited guests" of the UP get to ride those other two trains, i.e. shippers, community government folks, and other "higher" government representatives.

Why does UP do so few public excursions with 844? Insurance reasons? NS has more public excursions this spring with 611, several weekends worth. Is CSX the only US class 1 that hates steam? The other three allow steam.

Robert K posted:

Why does UP do so few public excursions with 844? Insurance reasons? NS has more public excursions this spring with 611, several weekends worth. Is CSX the only US class 1 that hates steam? The other three allow steam.

Presumably, by having the 844 make mostly business related outings, the cost of upkeep on the 844 becomes a deductible business expense for UNP.

Running excursions like the FWRHS does with the 765 would presumably not be considered "ordinary and necessary" business expenses under Internal Revenue Code Section 121 for UNP.

Just a guess on my part......

I don't have a dog in this fight--living in GA, I'll never ride or photograph UP steam.

My thought is that the folks who criticize the "UP Steam Program" ought to SHUT UP!!

UP's so-called "Steam Program" is a PR exercise and a meager effort for UP's revenue.

As a PR program, rather than a truly serious restoration effort, the more negative comments directed at it simply empower the bean counters to argue against it.

Leave 844 alone; let the 4014 be restored to operational status.  Two steamers will have been preserved.  After that, criticize UP all you want--but, please wait until 4014 is finished.  Perhaps they will be donated to something akin to FWRHS and we'll enjoy them in the future.  But, if UP pulls the plug, those locomotives are done.

Hot Water, swallow your heartfelt desire to be critical, and let 4014 be saved.

What????  ^^^^^^^^^^^

BTW:  There was NOTHING critical in this thread.....until your post.  Not sure what your point is.  But telling people to shut up is poor form.....in GA or anywhere else.

The 844 will be back on the main line for 2017.  When the U P Steamship Crew takes out the 844, work will stop on the 4014.

No. 844’s first trip, following a break-in run in the Cheyenne-Colorado area, will take the locomotive through Wyoming, Idaho and Utah beginning April 18. Several stops are scheduled throughout the 11-day roundtrip. A detailed schedule, including locations and display times, as well as route map and a GPS monitor is available on UPsteam.com.

The Steam Team also will travel with No. 844 to Omaha, Nebraska, for the 2017 College World Series in June and Cheyenne Frontier Days in July.

“We’re excited to get the locomotive back out and showcase it,” said Ed Dickens, senior manager-Heritage Operations. “It’s always a highlight seeing the public’s reaction and hearing their stories.”

Gary: Rail-fan

The steamship crew?.....uhhhh boy. 

More U P News from; Cheyenne, Wyoming. March 2017

Gary: Rail-fan

The comparisons with 611 are totally invalid. 611 wasn’t restored by NS and is being allowed to run on the NS but isn’t put of any steam program by Norfolk Southern. That’s why you can buy tickets to ride their trips.

The UP program, as Hot Water correctly points out, is a PR tool of the UP and usually only shippers, investors and friends of the UP ‘suits’ get to ride behind it. The only public excursion I’ve ever seen from the UP is a double-header run they once made with 4449 to the Puget Sound (WA) area several years ago. I chased it but couldn’t afford to ride as the tickets were not cheap. Bill Gates chartered a run from Tacoma to Everett on the first day of those trips. As I understand, the train was almost completely empty that day (I watched Gates and a few strap hangers of his getting on board, with my own eyes).

As for nay-sayers, many of them piped down once 844 finally took to the rails because many of their “no UP steam will ever run again with Evil Ed in charge” diatribes were invalidated the moment 844 returned from its first post-restoration trip without flat spots on the tires or a sagging (or failed) crown sheet.

The remaining UP conspiracy theorists declare that now it’s 4014 that will never run. That remains to be seen, but even those people will have to run and hide if indeed 4014 starts running.

I will agree that there is a substantial question from some of them that doesn’t seem to have been answered in regard to where 4014 is going to be able to travel on the UP. Ogden in 2019 is a certainty for a running 4014. I know there’s been some talk with the ROW folks as to where 4014 can run. I’ve read some stuff that suggest that due to broader curves on the system because of longer cars and diesels in recent years, a Big Boy can go places it couldn’t have in the Steve Lee era (you know, the guy who said there’d NEVER be a 4000 running again and to quit asking). Living in the Pacific NW, I wouldn’t bet my life on 4014 ever coming up here, but 3985 did a few times (once since I’ve lived here) so I can’t help but ask why it couldn’t get up here?

Like many train fans, I’ve always dreamed of seeing a 4000 in steam. I only live a few miles away from UP territory (via trackage rights on the BNSF) so maybe I won’t have to travel all the way to Cheyenne to see her under steam once the restoration is done…

The Cheyenne Frontier Days Train is a public excursion open to the public to purchase tickets and to ride the train. Proceeds from the Cheyenne Frontier Days Train benefit Denver Post Community Foundation, which works to improve and enrich the lives of those in our community by supporting Colorado nonprofits in the areas of arts, youth, education and human services. So in my opinion UP probably gets to write off expenses for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Train as a charitable donation - a good deal for Cheyenne, Denver the charitable organization, train fanatics and the UPRR.

As Hotwater stated all other trips are "Outings" for PR purposes (advertising) to attract new business and to soften up politicians - again most likely a business write off as others have stated.

Tranz4mr posted:

a good deal for Cheyenne, Denver the charitable organization, train fanatics and the UPRR.

Agreed, a very good deal.

Gary. Not sure that any of us needed that. I'm sure we have all advanced past the selfie stage. 

 

 

Gary: Rail-fan

Thanks for posting this, Gary.

That's the first time I've seen a Big Boy frame. Wow, what a truly impressive piece of steel. 

Firewood posted:

Thanks for posting this, Gary.

That's the first time I've seen a Big Boy frame. Wow, what a truly impressive piece of steel. 

Firewood

"Nice try, Lao Che!"

Hey Firewood, this is for you "Nice try, Lao Che!"  •  Hahaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMubnxLRwDM

N&W Class J posted:

The steamship crew?.....uhhhh boy. 

You don't THINK that MAYBE, that was STEAM SHOP, that was either a mis-directed finger, or (GASP) an uncaught SPELL CHECK mistake, just possibly do you?

Doug

challenger3980 posted:

N&W Class J posted:

The steamship crew?.....uhhhh boy. 

You don't THINK that MAYBE, that was STEAM SHOP, that was either a mis-directed finger, or (GASP) an uncaught SPELL CHECK mistake, just possibly do you?

Doug

Wow do you think?....hence the smiley face in my post.  

trainroomgary posted:

Hey Firewood, this is for you "Nice try, Lao Che!"  •  Hahaha

That's the one, Gary.....     "Goodbye, Dr. Jones, hahahahaa!"

N&W Class J posted:

The steamship crew?.....uhhhh boy. 

At least they do not have to worry about ice bergs!

Dominic Mazoch posted:

N&W Class J posted:

The steamship crew?.....uhhhh boy. 

At least they do not have to worry about ice bergs!

Lol....quite right. 

My guess is if the SP had the cab forewards that the BB COULD run where they ran  if the track geometry was not changed much.

Love to see a BB go around that sharp curve just north of Spring Jct. 25 miles nort of downtown Houston.

Firewood posted:

trainroomgary posted:

Hey Firewood, this is for you "Nice try, Lao Che!"  •  Hahaha

That's the one, Gary.....     "Goodbye, Dr. Jones, hahahahaa!"

Thanks Firewood, cool story about the "Goodbye, Dr, Jones" this is what the U.P. Steam program is all about. A hidden agenda, that comes to to main line at the U.P. Steam Shop.

Thanks: Gary: Rail-fan 

Dominic Mazoch posted:

My guess is if the SP had the cab forewards that the BB COULD run where they ran  if the track geometry was not changed much.

The UP 4000 class locomotives were MUCH larger than the SP cab forwards. You might want to do so research prior to making such statements.

Love to see a BB go around that sharp curve just north of Spring Jct. 25 miles nort of downtown Houston.

UP 844 Steam Excursions

Look for Ed's Steam Shop vehicle on this next run.  It should be on a flat car, or his private parking space.  Just like all the Union Pacific Executives. 

Gary: Rail-fan   -   Source: United Press International. Cheyenne, Wyoming.