Nice post SHEEPDOG  !

Large consist! 21 cars, including 7 domes. 

Very nice, thanks!

Great to see her out. What a consist, thanks for the heads up, and your video!

Simply beautiful! Thank you for your effort.

Does anyone know what the reason is for the Cheyenne Frontiers Day train not using Denver Union station?  Before the station remodel a few years ago, the train always used Union Station.

Since the station remodel, there is no longer an easily accessible public viewing of the train.

R. Hales posted:

Does anyone know what the reason is for the Cheyenne Frontiers Day train not using Denver Union station?  Before the station remodel a few years ago, the train always used Union Station.

Since the station remodel, there is no longer an easily accessible public viewing of the train.

I believe it is because that there are no longer any "spare" tracks, let alone one long enough for such a huge train.

Hot Water posted:

R. Hales posted:

Does anyone know what the reason is for the Cheyenne Frontiers Day train not using Denver Union station?  Before the station remodel a few years ago, the train always used Union Station.

Since the station remodel, there is no longer an easily accessible public viewing of the train.

I believe it is because that there are no longer any "spare" tracks, let alone one long enough for such a huge train.

Thanks Hot Water.  I would have guessed it was because of the length of the train.  But if that is the case, I believe it was a mistake not to maintain at least one platform long enough to accommodate such a train when they did the station remodel.  If I remember right, the station currently has 8 tracks.

The diesel is doing a nice job shoving her along...

Uh oh.  Thanks to Rich,  Alan is gonna have to lock this thread.

RickO posted:

Uh oh.  Thanks to Rich,  Alan is gonna have to lock this thread.

LOL!

Good one, Rick.

Gotta call a spade a spade...

R. Hales posted:

I would have guessed it was because of the length of the train.  But if that is the case, I believe it was a mistake not to maintain at least one platform long enough to accommodate such a train when they did the station remodel.  If I remember right, the station currently has 8 tracks.

Years ago, the tracks passed the back of the station heading north-south, so trains could pull through the station (the way it was when I lived there in the 70s). Now, it is solid buildings to the south, the tracks end at the back of the station, and trains have to back in to the south to the station, and then depart to the north.

Actually, there are only three non-commuter tracks that back into the concourse at the rear of the station.

In the end, a beautiful train. Luckily UP runs their own track.

Shame that the 611 has been shackled by small thinking.

Jim M Sr posted:

In the end, a beautiful train. Luckily UP runs their own track.

Shame that the 611 has been shackled by small thinking.

I do not know anything about the area the 611 is in, but here in southern ca there is talk that when the 3759 is back up and running it might pull a commuter train on the metro link.

similar to what the 765 is doing on the metra.

https://fortwaynerailroad.org/...ket-returns-in-2018/

bigdodgetrain posted:

...similar to what the 765 is doing on the metra.

Yes...and with no diesel.

Just listen to the rapid-fire, machine gun exhaust in this clip after the whistle stops blowing!

OGR Webmaster posted:

The diesel is doing a nice job shoving her along...

Next year they can use UP 4014 without the helper?

Thanks Rich, that clip STILL wells me up! I got to see you two at the stop at Glenview that morning.

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OGR Webmaster posted:

The diesel is doing a nice job shoving her along...

Next year they can use UP 4014 without the helper?

Nope. That train is VERY heavy, and they have a tight schedule, so there is always additional horsepower required.

Very cool …. thanks for posting.

Thanks from my family to Union Pacific for painting up #1943 SD70 (or whatever model diesel it is) like that for our armed forces.  Happy to see they are showing her off like this, too.

Hot Water posted:

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OGR Webmaster posted:

The diesel is doing a nice job shoving her along...

Next year they can use UP 4014 without the helper?

Nope. That train is VERY heavy, and they have a tight schedule, so there is always additional horsepower required.

It was my understanding that the diesels in these trains are there mostly for additional braking.

It may be that the 844 could well handle this consist on its own. I'm not going to take the time to compare pulling power, but years ago, when the Challenger was here in Dallas (pulling a fairly long consist), I asked the engineer if that was a significant load for the engine. His reply was "Nah, it's just loafing."

I suppose it depends on the route. I recently saw a video of the J getting "stuck" on a sharp curve when pulling a very long consist. It eventually made it, but the problem was not power, but traction - keeping the drive wheels from spinning because of the additional friction incurred as the cars rounded the sharp curve (I assume that was the cause).

breezinup posted:

Hot Water posted:

Dominic Mazoch posted:

OGR Webmaster posted:

The diesel is doing a nice job shoving her along...

Next year they can use UP 4014 without the helper?

Nope. That train is VERY heavy, and they have a tight schedule, so there is always additional horsepower required.

It was my understanding that the diesels in these trains are there mostly for additional braking.

No, not the the Cheyenne to Denver and return route. There are some pretty good grades, in either direction, and the added diesel provides much need additional HP, as well as dynamic braking on the down grades.

It may be that the 844 could well handle this consist on its own.

No, not by a long shot, especially trying to make 70 MPH with that heavy train. I was Fireman on the July 2010 CFD train, and even with the DDA40X #6936, we had 844 at full throttle and the 6936 in run 8, and it was no picnic!

I'm not going to take the time to compare pulling power, but years ago, when the Challenger was here in Dallas (pulling a fairly long consist), I asked the engineer if that was a significant load for the engine. His reply was "Nah, it's just loafing."

In Dallas, that would have been true. But NOT between Denver and Cheyenne, when trying to make such a tight schedule (the goal is for the CFD Special to arrive in Cheyenne in time for the Frontier Days Parade and then the opening ceremonies).

Rode behind 8444 (844) on Memorial Day weekend,1973, Denver to Laramie (north bound), using the Dent Subdivision. With no diesel helper. As we approached the state line, the 8444 was down on her hands and knees, doing about 3-4 mph. Working so hard that the steam heat had to be turned off - - - and it got cold in those passenger cars! So, yes, that's a taxing bit of geography for the UP.