Spotted this amature video of UP 844 at 70mph

Great find, thats some excellent pace work. Too bad its only in 480p................

Thanks for posting that. I have always wondered  what those kids, in the convertible, did with their video. Yours truly was Fireman on Duty, between The Dalles, Hinkle Yard for pilot change, and Pendleton, OR that day (Sept. 2010). 

The most unusual thing about that video? Take note that about 10 or 12 minutes into the video, I get up from the Fireman's seat and Rikki, the young blond girl from the Chehalis, Washington steam logging locomotive operation (her dad is Engineer there), takes over and SHE fires the rest of the way to Hinkle Yard. She did an excellent job, at speeds to 79 MPH. Also, she told me that on of the guys in the convertible was an ex-boyfriend!

Circus vests...in a steam locomotive? Tell me it ain't so, Joe!

I would not wear one of those polyester/plastic things anywhere near a hot steam locomotive. If something happened in the cab, such as a burst water glass or a hot coal or something else that would raise its temperature, it would melt right to your skin. And they are constantly catching on things.

What's wrong with a plain old cotton shirt? It worked pretty well for about 180 years or so before these silly vests came on the scene.

Great video....That is great that she got to fire all that way, good for her...  Must have been a huge difference up on that Northern for her.....I'm jealous...

Wow!

Thanks Sam for posting this.  I watched the whole thing.  I love it.

I made this one of my favorite links.

Believe it or not, as much as I am in to UP, I don't have an 844 - I have to fix that soon . . . what a grand locomotive!

Pretty much dress of the day for the UP Steam team. 

That was Great. Thank You.

"I get up from the Fireman's seat and Rikki, the young blond girl from the Chehalis, Washington steam logging locomotive operation (her dad is Engineer there), takes over and SHE fires the rest of the way to Hinkle Yard"

is that the same young woman featured in the RH seat in a vid posted on real trains recently?  i buy the ex-boyfriend remark or at least friends of her; they zoomed in on her as soon as you switched seats, hot water.

That loco, that setting and that speed....doesn't get much better.

Firing 844 in 2010 and taking the throttle of 4449 in 2011 seems like a fine career progression for Miss Burchett.

I used to wonder what would happen when guys like Lee, Wheelihan and McCormack retired.  Now I know.  The future looks bright. 

Is her web handle "Clear Stack"?

Firing 844 in 2010 and taking the throttle of 4449 in 2011 seems like a fine career progression for Miss Burchett.

And per her FaceBook page a cool Gal! Looked at her movie and TV likes and it could be mine!! I've ridden behind 611, CP2816 and every Loco at Cass....but I'd love a ride in 844 at 70 mph!!!!

Yes, same girl Forrest.

I agree with you 100% Rich. I fact I have had many "discussions" with some of the managers on UP, BNSF, CP, and CN ever since this "high visibility vests/jackets" became required for folks on the ground. Every time I pointed out that the vest/jackets where 100% Polyester, and VERY dangerous in the cab of an oil fired steam locomotive, and that I was NOT going to wear one until I was on the ground, the vast majority agreed with me.

I think the CP and CN started this whole "high visibility" vest/jacket safety thing, back in the mid-2000s. When we took 4449 cross country to Train Festival in Michigan during July 2009, the vest where just coming into practice on BNSF, but where already well entrenched on the CP in the Chicago area. As I recall, the UP really started using them system wide by 2010.

I will continue to refuse to wear on of thus stupid, Polyester things in the cab of 4449. Since I'm "retired" from the UP program, it makes no difference to me anyway.

Dickies make very nice safety orange all cotton shirts.... a compromise???  My son is a heavy equipment mechanic and has to wear one from time to time if he is working on site on a open road.

 Rikki in one video.

     http://youtu.be/vWMUH4NhuRo

Rich and Jack, I concur with both of your statements. Not only those points you mentioned, but that have a really bad habit of catching on EVERYTHING... grab irons, door handles, almost anything. Its even worse when a radio is clipped on and it sags down, there's even more potential for something bad to happen. I hope someone at NS will realize this as well.

Nice Video

Torn my share of Yellow jackets.

In the electrical business, electrcians can only were cotton now when around live circuits. It's the lt's the law under NFPA 70E. The must have the flame retardant clothing. No loose clothing or Jewlery either. All hazards of the trade.

It's a result of the flash protection. As Rich stated anything elese will just melt to you in a heartbeat.

Now back to the trains.

Jamie

quote:

I will continue to refuse to wear on of thus stupid, Polyester things in the cab of 4449.

Don't you guys know you are not required to wear them unless you are on the ground?

Yes WE do, but certain members of "management" don't seem to know their own policies, nor do the members of the pilot crews.

Taking a calmer view at this scene...

...it appears that the weather is cold enough that a jacket is required to keep warm. Most of these guys have opted to buy the Hi-Vis jackets instead of wearing a vest over their regular jacket. 

Yes, but they ARE on the ground. I had the same insulated jacket, but ALWAYS removed it in the cab.

WOW! Thanks for sharing C. Sam.

Now I can see why they keep those side rods oiled!

I wanted to comment on this post that I recently stumbled upon. I do not particularly like polyester vests, either, however, not for at least one of the reasons, you cite, namely, the failure of a water column gage glass. The UP 844, like its numerous 4-8-4 Northern* brethrens, had a boiler operating pressure of 300psig (314.6 psia) (1). At that pressure, the enthalpy of the boiler water is 399 BTU/lb, yielding a saturated steam temperature of 422 deg F. (2). The melting point of polyethylene terephthalate (polyester) is 490 deg F. (3). A steam leak from a broken gage glass on a 4-8-4 would not produce a sufficiently high temperature to melt the 100% polyester vest. In fact, a boiler operating at 600 psig would still have a saturated steam temperature (489F)(2) just below the melting point polyester vest. I have no specific expertise in any of the other maladies you describe with respect to polyester vests; however, I thought we could, at long last, put this one to bed. If you have other data to support your statement, I would be more than happy to review. Thanks

RF (Bob) Di Stefano

(1) Guide to North American Steam Locomotives by George H. Drury (Kalmbach Publishing Co.)

(2) Thermodynamic Properties of Steam. Keenan & Keyes, John Wiley & Sons.

(3) Eastman Kodak Company. Technical Bulletin TI-2598, March 2010

* Although UP did not use the Northern classification