UP Steam latest video

I thought Dickens was out...

Rusty

I wonder who soiled those gloves he was wearing?

Wow reamers.......

He mentions the Challenger after 4014 interesting

I thought he was going back to the diesel pool when the new guy came on board.  what gives.

As usual, you haven't been keep up with the Cheyenne saga. The DL isn't going anywhere until the lawsuits are concluded.

lawsuits could take years.  Fun is.

Is it just me ? Metaphorically speaking  Ed Dickens and boiler reams YUK YUK YUK .

So can we just focus on the video and not speculate about Ed or Lawsuits?

It a good thing he did mention the 3985 again, so there is some hope. As for the superheaters, I thought Hot Water mentioned before they were shot and needed to go regardless of who did it.

No. The superheater units were not "shot". The current manager told the guys to remove, and hydro-test, and repair as necessary, every single individual unit. They were then all placed on a long flat cart, still inside the roundhouse and protected from the weather. The two men that actually completed the work are both still good friends. At some later time, all the superheater units were place on a flat car, unprotected, and moved out-of-doors, to rust. After a few years, the current manager "disposed of them".

Per Trains Newswire,I see that Jack's arch nemesis, the evil genius Ed Dickens is due to give a public talk out West on the mysterious status of the steam program. Should prove interesting. Ultimately, the proof is in the pudding one way or the other. One thing I noticed is that Ed talked about tools and generalities ...he never seems to give a direct progress report. Hmmm..I wonder if there will be a Q and A session after the talk..Rocky Mountain Train Show at 11 am on March 7, 2015.

The last time the dl spoke at that train show, questions were not allowed.

Now that is odd....You'd think it was a national security issue. You would think he could bat away the rumor mill if he had something in hand with progress...hmmm. I see that Jim Wrinn has been strangely silent after going gaga at the onset.

Lets forget about any lawsuit, and just take this video for what it is:

Whats there to focus on The reamers? The staybolts?..... washout plugs.... or the two poorly rehearsed lines by his "partners"?

The whole thing seems silly to me? Its like a kindergarten presentation." O.K. kids these are reamers......"

When "guys that really know what there talking about" speak, its actually interesting. Even if its merely typed word here on the forum.

Mr. dickens is like a bad politician, everything is just filler nonsense  that doesn't really mean anything.

I'm sorry, when real experts speak, folks want to listen, Ted King, Steve Lee, Rich Melvin, Hot Water ( even though most folks can't accept his "telling it like it is", welcome to 2015) to name a few.

I'm sure there are several others I have missed.

I can read pages here on the forum from folks with real "knowledge" on steam locos/operation and find it facinating.

That 4 minute video is ex-cru-ci-a-ting.

These little videos that don't really show anything, just seem like they're being put up to hide the fact that indeed there isn't anything. It like UP Steam propoganda.

Good thing those locos are all oil burners, cause they certainly aren't shoveling any "coal" in that shop.

Well, since the dl has made so many, many, many false statements over the last 4 years, if he gets into a question & answer session, he will surely be "put on the spot". Statements that 844 would operate on the various Denver Post Frontier Days specials (2013, 2014, and/or 2015) or will attend the College World Series in Omaha (2014) this year, none of which came true. Then there is the current "story" about the staybolt sleeves & caps are of incorrect material, so the cab on 844 must be removed in order to effect repairs (during that process, someone cut/damaged the multi-wire cable for the complete cabe signal/train control system).

Here is a possible response from him at a Q and A session...

I'll let you know what Ed says at our RMD TCA Rocky Mountain Train Show next weekend. Last time Ed spoke for almost 2 hours. He was interrupted once in the middle by a question by Hotwater's young "Facebook friend" that runs the 3985/844 facebook page . He was promptly shutdown by Jim Marski, my friend who manages the show. After his presentation Ed and 3 members of the steam crew took questions on the side for at least 30 to 45 minutes. Ed answered most every question as did his steam crew. As president I was too close to videotape but managed to record the presentation. Maybe this time I'll give up my front row seat to Hotwater or his Facebook friend so I can film the presentation.

Sorry, but I have no idea what your talking about concerning my "Facebook friend", since I do NOT participate in ANY face booking, nor am I aware of any of my former UP Steam Crew members participating in Facebook.

However, if you do get to ask questions, ask why he believes that the staybolt sleeves & caps are of incorrect material, and what documentation does he have to support such a claim?

I guess my question to those of you that have real steam experience, does the UP steam program have the required man power with the needed skills to do the work required to restore these locomotives?

No, not any longer.

Do you think the UP board is aware of this? The steam shop is a huge investment and there is  corporate and customer pride in these steamers.

I had to watch this a few times to make sure I had herd it correctly.. From previous posts he throws out tools and other needed items.  And now has tools custom made for the upcoming work and is bragging about it?.. I understand the video was intended for people who don't know. I am not an expert and would understand tools do break or get worn out but still to order all new tools for upcoming work. The Snap On guy must love him.  But then again its not his money.  Someone please tell me I misunderstood this.

Nope you didn't misunderstand.....he's a genius.  

3985 staybolt sleeves and caps? So is this what Ed claims is not to spec with the 3985 boiler?

No, the new staybolts, sleeves, and caps that were all installed in 844, back in 2000 thru 2005, as part of her complete new firebox and boiler overhaul. After cleaning out all the file records in the Cheyenne office & library, the current manager then began telling anyone who would listen, that all that material that was used for the rebuild, specifically the staybolts, the sleeves, and the caps, were all "inferior", and thus need to be replaced. Apparently he has forgotten, or overlooked the fact, that all those same material specifications and certifications were also part of the recalculated FRA Form 4 submitted to the FRA upon completion of the work and 844 return to service.

Yeah he holds up one of the caps in the video...looks like it came off the 838 and not the 844.  The thing looks like it was beat to death by a 6 year old with a sledge hammer.

It's all about obfuscation with him. He has lead his higher-ups in Omaha down the garden path, by telling them all the things the "previous crew members" did wrong, yet surprisingly, there are now no functional steam locomotives on the UP roster, and haven't been for almost two years!

So if the new parts were built to UP drawing specs.  Weren't the previous staybolts and other parts built to the same UP drawings specs? or is  he trying to say that the specs are incorrect. 

Also dumb question for the day.  What are the binder bolts used for? Why would they have to be replaced?

As a one time fireman for the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad in New Hope PA., I had the rare opportunity, as some other people, of working with a steam mechanic named Jason Zabinski. Jason was much younger than myself, and really is the only steam mechanic I've ever met. This guy knew his way around a steam locomotive. Since New Hope only had 1 steam locomotive operating, I learned a lot from this ace, and there was nothing he wasn't willing to show or explain to you. When he got done fixing something, such as the gun (injector), it was as if a brand new one was put in (he rebuilt it).

Thank God he had his trusty hammer and went around tapping the locomotive here and there. That hammer found 9 broken staybolts on the fireman's side and he immediately took that consolidation out of survive. Felt relieved that he found them because there were several of us fireman who were subjected to this dangerous weak spot. At the same time he did an ultrasound on the boiler and found the metal around the steam dome to be a little thin and thankfully he got right on the problem.

I could go on & on about his challenges, but this is a guy I would trust my life with, for safety, when it came to maintaining a steam loco. Too bad he's not there in charge, I'm absolutely sure he would get the job done.

                                                Steam Forever

                                                    John

Oh without question...not to mention how easy it is when the higher ups know nothing about steam anyway.