Casey Jones2 posted:What is Mr Ed's qualifications/ background for working on mainline steam...any at all??
Just about as qualified as you would expect any talking horse to be.
Wiiiiiiilbuuuuur.
I was at Depot Days Sunday and the crew was hard at work on 844 so they do appear to be working 7 days/week to reach their Frontier Days goal.
Will 844 be ready to roll?
Maybe.
Will the cowboys going to the rodeo care if it's 844 or E9's and 6936?
Probably not.
I would guess that bringing 844 to the 2016 Republican and Democratic conventions as they have done in the past would be a much more important goal from an advertising or publicity point of view.
After attending many shop tours and Depot Days it appears that the Steam Shop crew is getting much better at setting the scene that they want the public to see or not see.
I wouldn't believe any rumor that has been leaked or any info that the security people were handing out at Depot Days.
Did it pass or fail its FRA hydro test a week ago Tuesday? Did it leak? Where and how much. There are rumors on both sides.
Which tender was which? No numbers were visible from what I could see.
There was the heavily shrink wrapped one conveniently lined up outside in the sun, just far enough away from the public, in line with the shiny Aux water tenders.
There was also the dusty one hidden way in the back dark area of the roundhouse, behind 838, just barely visible.
I think that nobody really knows much of anything and that is the way they want it.
Time will tell so keep posting and speculating and we will find out for sure when they want us to - eventually.
Have fun!
844's whistle could come in handy during some TV commentary at the conventons!
Dominic Mazoch posted:844's whistle could come in handy during some TV commentary at the conventons!
Where are the two conventions located? I remember some years back, one of there conventions was in the twin cities area (Minnesota) and neither the state law enforcement people nor the Secret Service want the Challenger there. Thus, it stayed in Cheyenne. I can't imagine the UP wanting to go through THAT again.
Hot Water posted:Dominic Mazoch posted:844's whistle could come in handy during some TV commentary at the conventons!
Where are the two conventions located? I remember some years back, one of there conventions was in the twin cities area (Minnesota) and neither the state law enforcement people nor the Secret Service want the Challenger there. Thus, it stayed in Cheyenne. I can't imagine the UP wanting to go through THAT again.
The Republican Convention is in Cleveland.....where the Socialists are already planning to protest and all kinds of crazy......stuff.
The other convention is in the City of Brotherly Love.
Geez, it's bad enough that we can't have a thread about UP steam without the accusations against Ed and his people every time the subject comes up, but for the love of God, can we please leave politics out of this?
p51 posted:Geez, it's bad enough that we can't have a thread about UP steam without the accusations against Ed and his people every time the subject comes up, but for the love of God, can we please leave politics out of this?
I'm with you on the politics thing - sadly, they slither into threads and don't seem to get whisked away. 
Tranz4mr posted:
I think that nobody knows much of anything and that is the way they want it.
Time will tell so keep posting and speculating and we will find out for sure when they want us to - eventually.
Which says a LOT in itself. Frankly, I'm not buying it. Ed Dickens is an attention whore and a self gratification expert. If there is good news to report, there is NO WAY he keeps it quiet. If he had a hydro test certification, I would fully expect him to be handing out copies to the crowd this past weekend. Just to double check, I went to the UP 3985/844 info Facebook page, and at least on there, I can't find ANYBODY claiming a successful hydro test, or even talking about it at all. A couple people asked about it, and there were no replies. That page is pretty well known to be the Ed Dickens "house organ".
Keep looking.
p51 posted:Geez, it's bad enough that we can't have a thread about UP steam without the accusations against Ed and his people every time the subject comes up, but for the love of God, can we please leave politics out of this?
Right you are it is enough that people are exposing him on all the train forums in the world, and does he need the stress if he reads the posts while trying to get everything back together?
Tranz4mr posted:Keep looking.
Don't worry, I will be. It's good for a laugh......
Dieselbob posted:Tranz4mr posted:
I think that nobody knows much of anything and that is the way they want it.
Time will tell so keep posting and speculating and we will find out for sure when they want us to - eventually.
Which says a LOT in itself. Frankly, I'm not buying it. Ed Dickens is an attention whore and a self gratification expert. If there is good news to report, there is NO WAY he keeps it quiet. If he had a hydro test certification, I would fully expect him to be handing out copies to the crowd this past weekend. Just to double check, I went to the UP 3985/844 info Facebook page, and at least on there, I can't find ANYBODY claiming a successful hydro test, or even talking about it at all. A couple people asked about it, and there were no replies. That page is pretty well known to be the Ed Dickens "house organ".
As of this morning, May 25, 2016, there has been no "preliminary" hydro, nor the "official" hydro for the FRA inspector. They are STILL chasing leaks, LOTS of leaks, i.e. the boiler will not even hold city water pressure (approximately 125 psi).
Also of interest for those of you that are interested in facts, John Rimmasch compared a timeline of UP 844 VS N&W 611 on Trainorders this morning. It took that EXPERIENCED crew 105 days to go from successful hydro test to the first break in run, and the 611 crew did not have to put a cab back on or put a set of drivers back in or re-plumb half the locomotive. These facts have nothing to do with Ed Dickens, it's just a fact of how long it takes an experienced crew to do this work. If Ed had the crew that 844 had circa 2005, MAYBE they could split the crew into shifts, go 24 hours a day and cut that time in half, but they don't have THAT crew. Once again, not an indictment, just a fact.
Without getting into the Ed Dickins mud fight - is it usual or unusual for a crew to have to fix several low pressure leaks after rebuilding a boiler?
Unusual...
Keystoned Ed posted:Without getting into the Ed Dickins mud fight - is it usual or unusual for a crew to have to fix several low pressure leaks after rebuilding a boiler?
In my option, it is fairly unusual to have THAT many leaks. Some examples:
1) The ALL VOLUNTEER CREW on Santa Fe 2926, doing their complete restoration OUT OF DOORS, did very preliminary "leak detection" after all the flues/tubes were installed, with low air pressure and smoke. Although not many leaks were discovered/repaired, I thought that process was pretty ingenious.
2) The "professional" crew that brought N&W 611 back, many of whom were originally on the N&W/NS Steam Crew, found no leaks, to my knowledge, on their first pre-test.
3) The ALL VOLUNTEER CREW on SP 4449, found only some "seeping" stay bolt caps on the lower portion of the combustion chamber. Upon further, closer inspection, the caps had not been properly tightened. Thus the individual that "hadn't completed the job, initially" then tightened all the caps in the "rain shower", and upon completion there were no more leaks found. Thus a successful pre-hydro was performed, prior to the "official" hydro from the FRA.
Edit:
4) Forgot to add NKP 765 ALL VOLUNTEER CREW completed their complete replacement of all flues/tubes, and to my knowledge found no leaks on the preliminary boiler fill, nor the preliminary hydro, and finally "successfully passing" the official FRA hydro, within the las three weeks.
Hot Water posted:As of this morning, May 25, 2016, there has been no "preliminary" hydro, nor the "official" hydro for the FRA inspector. They are STILL chasing leaks, LOTS of leaks, i.e. the boiler will not even hold city water pressure (approximately 125 psi).
I can see the headlines now.
Do to an issue with water leaking from the boiler the 844 will not be at the Denver show, sorry.
This is just plain sad and embarassing. Like many, I just want to see the Union Pacific have a full functioning locomotive running again. All three would be nice!
Al
this is what us Pennsy fans have felt like.........
Well, the SP system is now part of UP. There is a SP steamer in Portland, OR........as long as the PDX runs her!
This thread and others about 844 is depressing. You don't realize what you have until it's gone is how the saying goes. I just wish I had gone to see the 3985 and the 844 when they were operable. I don't see any of this ending well.
Thats the truth, you don't miss it till its gone, living in Omaha we got to see the Challenger and 844 so much it seemed normal in the 80s- late 90s to see and hear steam engines, not so much anymore. I am self employed and supplied food items for the trains in those years and will only say the steamers and excursion trains were a big deal to management, everything first class, hope that has not changed. I had the opportunity to go on excursions at anytime but was to young and dumb to go except once on the 844 to Kansas, took my whole family and a bunch of business associates, first thing everyone remembers when we meet is the train ride, the kids that went are absolute UP fans now as adults. If the Challenger runs again I won't make that mistake of not doing that again. I hope things get better.
but it should make us appreciate what we do have..765,611,3751,4449, and a bunch of other steamers that are running.
Nick Chillianis posted:Casey Jones2 posted:What is Mr Ed's qualifications/ background for working on mainline steam...any at all??
Just about as qualified as you would expect any talking horse to be.
Wiiiiiiilbuuuuur.
The "talking horse" TV show was called "Mr. Ed"!
For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
Chuck Sartor posted:For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
Any photos?
Chuck Sartor posted:For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
If what you say is true, that's good news. We can but hope.
The 844 status changes faster than I can track it. Seems minor miracles have happened in the UP steam shop in the past 3 days. At this point I hope 844 steams to Cheyenne on schedule without issues so that top UP management doesn't kill the entire program out of frustration with legal issues and 3 years of non-performance.
Hay Hot,.
I would bet that if it does do the show it will smoke and fire an a helper will push or pull.
aterry11 posted:Hay Hot,.
I would bet that if it does do the show it will smoke and fire an a helper will push or pull.
What?????
Hot Water posted:aterry11 posted:Hay Hot,.
I would bet that if it does do the show it will smoke and fire an a helper will push or pull.
What?????
I'm guessing that he meant that if 844 does that run, it'd be just generating smoke without any steam pressure generated, and that the diesels will do the heavy lifting.
I think that's what he meant, anyway.
I was equally confused...
Chuck Sartor posted:For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
If the part about the boiler is true (unlikely) then that means the report of it passing LAST week was BS. If THAT report was BS, why should we believe THIS one?
Dieselbob posted:Chuck Sartor posted:For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
If the part about the boiler is true (unlikely) then that means the report of it passing LAST week was BS. If THAT report was BS, why should we believe THIS one?
In my opinion, it didn't happen, and without photos to PROVE it happened, I wouldn't believe it. Besides, if such an event DID happen, you can bet that the current manager would be "blowing the horn" all over that faceplate site, with appropriate photos.
Mr. P51 Spot on.
Hotwater, how many passenger cars can 844 pull? We don't need no stinkin dieasemals
Hot Water posted:Dieselbob posted:Chuck Sartor posted:For everyones FYI, 844 passed hydro test earlier this week with 3 FRA guys present, no leaks. Cab is back on and last of the plumbing in cab near finished. Superheater is next. Having ready next month is very real at this point.
If the part about the boiler is true (unlikely) then that means the report of it passing LAST week was BS. If THAT report was BS, why should we believe THIS one?
In my opinion, it didn't happen, and without photos to PROVE it happened, I wouldn't believe it. Besides, if such an event DID happen, you can bet that the current manager would be "blowing the horn" all over that faceplate site, with appropriate photos.
And a video on Youtube, which the latest one is a month old.
Attachments
aterry11 posted:Mr. P51 Spot on.
Hotwater, how many passenger cars can 844 pull? We don't need no stinkin dieasemals
Depends on the grade. However, concerning the CFD Special, as a result of the tight time schedule and the size of the train (18 to 22 cars?), 844 will HAVE to have diesel assist, usually the DDA40X #6936, in order to maintain track speed. Due to the terrain and the speed requirement, at least 70 MPH, both the 844 and 6936 will be at full throttle much of the time.
Even if 6936 is a diesel, it is an amazing machine. AND LOUD!
