Hey Hot Water

Back in 2010.....she had white walls earlier in her excursion career also....seen here in 1982....for me personally she looks horrible with them....again just to me..

Probably most people who have to run and maintain the engine don't like them.

 However, I was a teen back in the days when cars had white walls, and steam eninges dressed up for special occasions had them.. I love 'em.

Ed Mullan

Well Ed, as CWEX stated, they did the silver tires and walkway edges for the November 2010 50th anniversary excursion celebration out of Omaha, NE. That was all fine and dandy for JUST ONE MEMORABLE EVENT!  

However, Steve Lee retired December 31, 2010 and poor 844 has since been turned into a dolled-up circus wagon! Notice the polished stainless steel "housings" around EACH WASHOUT PLUG. Also notice the highly polished fasteners that hold all the completely new jacketing sections together.

In my opinion, 844 is no longer a PROPER HISTORIC representative of the 150 year history of the Union Pacific Railroad. The new manager of the UP Steam Program has "tricked out" poor 844, one of the most historically significant pieces of motive power in the world, to look like a circus wagon. Personally, I have NEVER felt the Union Pacific RR to be a circus operation!

>>In my opinion, 844 is no longer a PROPER HISTORIC representative of the 150 year history of the Union Pacific Railroad. The new manager of the UP Steam Program has "tricked out" poor 844, one of the most historically significant pieces of motive power in the world, to look like a circus wagon.<<

IMO, heres how she looked best.

Joe

http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/up/up-s8444bdk.jpg

Joe,

I must agree she did look pretty good in the two-tone gray paint. However, THAT wasn't historically correct either, since when 844, and the rest of the FEF fleet, were shopped in the early thru mid 1950s for heavy repairs and addition of the Worthington S type feed water system, all the 800s had the two-tone gray removed and returned to regular service in gloss black & bright aluminum lettering/numbers. Thus, 844 equipped with the Worthington Feedwater system did NOT operate in any other color except good old passenger service GLOSS BLACK.

I'm no fan of bling on a STEAM locomotive...now on some covered wagon diesels it was great.

But dear 844 has great lines & composition no matter how natty her wardrobe. WHen is she coming to Chicagoland next (I know...check the site yerself...)

>>when 844, and the rest of the FEF fleet, were shopped in the early thru mid 1950s for heavy repairs and addition of the Worthington S type feed water system, all the 800s had the two-tone gray removed and returned to regular service in gloss black & bright aluminum lettering/numbers. Thus, 844 equipped with the Worthington Feedwater system did NOT operate in any other color except good old passenger service GLOSS BLACK.<<

Hot water, I thought I read the 844, then #8444 was painted in two toned grey sometime during the late 70's early 80's?

And, as you can see, its still running that way today.  

Joe

Call me crazy, but having a running steam locomotive in the year 2012, let alone one OWNED AND OPERATED by a class 1 railroad at track speed (give or take) is good enough for me.

If someone wants to paint it like that, have at it.  Just keep that steam on the gauge.

Seeing that 844 was never retired, any paint scheme is correct.  The current paint scheme just happens to be correct for operations in 2012.

Although, I would agree that 844 looks best in pre-8444 paint.

Rusty

I see where your coming from Hot Water but that first picture is so nice.Rusty has a good point also.

I'll echo the motion that it's owned by a class 1 and in operating condition, and that's good enough for me. But please, when that thing is running, the crew should take those ridiculous vests off when they're in the cab! I say this as a conductor who cannot stand wearing them...

Personally do NOT care about the paint scheme  - just keep her running!  

I am all for keeping her running also, but as Hotwater said she looks like a circus wagon....not a faithful representative of how she looked in revenue service.... 

She sure looks good to me...whitewalls and all.  So long as she's running and people who never experienced steam can get a look at her, I don't see anything wrong with dressing her up at bit.  Most of us folks on the sidelines couldn't care less about how she looked in revenue service (probably dirty and covered with grime most of the time).

OK, why did UP place the SS washouts on the 844? Reduced cost to maintain? They show up on her like warts.

Then agan, if you wanted the 844 to be as it came from the factory, she would be a coal burner and not have wind wings.

Nobody ever said, ESPECIALLY me, that 844 should "be as it came from the factory"! I am saying that she should look like the race horse that she really was/is, and NOT be all tricked out like a circus wagon, or some "low rider" from southern California!

Plus, those polished rings around the washout plugs sure don't reduce maintenance. Think of who has to keep them clean & polished all the time. Just another waste of labor.

The "you" in my post was not for any particular person or reader:  just a general pronoun.

But I am in the camp which thinks that if is not broke, do not fix it!

Well she was converted to oil in 1945 only months after delivery so she has been an oil burner for 99% of her career.  The wind wings came in the late 40's so she ran with out them for maybe 3-4 years, but as you know has had them for most of her career as well.  The stainless trim or what ever they are called just look out of place to me.  The same goes for the white walls, but that said the 765 would look strange to me with out the white walls.  And yes all steam was dirty and oily and covered in soot and grime back in the day Allan....that's a given.  There was no time for cleaning them back in the day, they had $$ to earn...not wow railfans and excursion groups.  Now the 844 looks like she was the victim of "Trick My Locomotive"...to me it doesn't suit her.  And while many "don't care" about her appearance there are many who do care.  I understand many love her appearance and that's okay, but to me she just looks silly.....maybe chromed drivers next?...

The Auxillary tenders are not "correct either, as the UP did not use aux tenders during regular steam operations, but they sure make operating steam TODAY a whole lot more practical. If it keeps the steam program in business, I can accept almost anything. If the white walls or two tone grey paint make the current steam steam team management happy, I will live with it.

Doug

Maybe they are trying to emulate a 1956 Buick Roadmaster with all those shiny "portholes" along the jacket. 

Now the 844 looks like she was the victim of "Trick My Locomotive"...to me it doesn't suit her.  And while many "don't care" about her appearance there are many who do care.  I understand many love her appearance and that's okay, but to me she just looks silly.....maybe chromed drivers next?...

LOL,  I could see those drivers now with chrome spinners on a race.

Joe 

Right now it is more important to get 844 fixed and back on the line before a paint job redux is due.