# UP 844



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Just a reminder for my fellow Arizonians...

UP 844 is in Lordsburg NM right now, she'll be headed to Tucson tomorrow, spend a day and then head out.
Charge your cameras!

John


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Thanks John, 

batteries done, I have been watching the daily progress, not too many pics posted anywhere tho? 

Plan on meeting 844 at the N.M. / AZ. border and following from there to your area, by the Cienega bridges!!! WWwo, woooooo!! 

You be there? 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I'm planning on being at Trestles early, I think that's the original name because they're bridges now.... The mural on the town water tank depicts a train on a trestle. 
Then scoot back to Vail where she has scheduled stop. That'll be the extent of my chase.... 
I remember seeing steam in the desert in the 50s, we always counted the cars... '200 cars and 1 loco!' is etched into my grayer matter... 
I'll be wearing a sad old sweat bleached ball cap with Laguna Beach and a woody on the front, that should give you a chance to get away before your ears get bent listening to tales of the tall persuation. 

John


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Ya right! 

I'll be hiding in a "something new - something blue" little car most of the day! ha 

You could miss me I'm sooo tall, same RR ball cap as yourself, and My wife will be my ride along!! 

Vail, ugh! I could extend my trip a bit further!!! 

No stops in Dragoon , just a fly by..... 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Well Dirk I looked for you... but the crowd was much more than I expected. I felt kinda smug for getting there early and backing my pick'em up truck into place for my pics... As train time neared I looked back up the hill and there were cars parked everywhere.
UP made it easy on us there at Cieniga Bridges, they sent an eastbound through a half hour ealier on the lower track, all eyes turned to the upper level.
Was a good crowd, the Railroad Dicks came, looked around and left. One gent had an old glassplate camera complete with a black hood.




























She was cruising at 65, blowin' steam off at her safety. According to the old RR photogs I captured the Classic pose, 3/4 and rods down, not bad for dumb luck!








She was gone too fast, faster than I could pivot and shoot ... successfully... So I went to Vail where I found her stopped and people everywhere. I stayed on the road figuring I'd get a shot on the other side of town. The in town shots are through my windshield....



























She's highballin' out of town, stretching her legs at 70 mph...

I'm glad I went and if it's near you go and see her.

Happy Rails
John


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

John, What crowd? maybe you mean the 100-200 people and parking lot full of cars, I did get there, Could not "find" your hat in the sea of hats tho, LOL!!! I parked up the road on the hill overlooking the bridge, nice view. Your shots look great BTW!!!!, My camera "overloaded"( shut down) at the moment the loco hit the bridge! I was just a little ticked...Got it going again and got a couple before it went into the hills. 

Beautiful day for this event and train run. Wife and I got several miles into N.M. and waited for UP 844 to show her plume!!!! I took about 90 pics from there to Willcox. For the day it was over 175 pics!!! Great stuff coming off the bridge and over the San Pedro river, heading into Benson! Got my shots just below my property too! 

As an extra effort, I was also able to measure several cars for future models, UP 809 - Aux tender, UP 9336 - box car.. 

It will take some time to go thru all these pics tho, before I can post 'em ! 

We should meet some time when there are not so many people in the same place - John!! 

Maybe I could find your hat then!!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I was the hat sitting on the cab roof, white Dakota, 2nd from left, in the lower lot less thab 20' from the lower line. Mebbe I'm in your pics... probably explains the cam snafu! 

I thought that there would be maybe 20 fans there..... there were that many when I got there at 10:30 for a 12:15 show ... and the energizer bunnies just kept coming..... 

I guess meeting at the Worlds Fair is out..... 
We'll try somewhere else then. 

John


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

John; 

Great photos. Thanks for posting. It is really hard to get good photos, as a LOT of other folks are trying to do the same thing. I had a friend who would take an old wooden stepladder with him when he chased and photographed steam excrusions. You may be a step above him by using the cab of your truck. 

Ironically, I was on our local NRHS Chapter's fall excursion last Saturday (11/05/11) serving as a car host for Coach 3 in our train. I was so busy that I only had time to take two photos. I could not get the locomotives (3 GE Genesis models) as they were too far away on our 15 car train, and there was a sizable crowd of passengers and spectators between myself and the locomotives. I really can't complain, since serving as a car host allows me to ride fare free. 

Best, 
David Meashey


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Great shots John.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Thanks guys, 
I've got a freebie tripod, so it's kinda short, I had set up my shots with it on the floor of the bed. I preframed my shots and even had the pan set to follow the train, but as folks kept coming, too many heads crept into my plans. I ended up standing on the tops of the bed walls and using the tri as a monopod 
None of these shots are cropped, just shrunk for MLS. I really wanted to get her splitting the signals but it was too hard to judge speed at that angle. She was too fast and my camera slow to get a secong try. 
It took about 20 minutes to travel the hundred feet across the tracks because of the crowd. 
I'm glad you enjoyed sharing a great day. 
John


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Soooooooooo John, 
Did you get to see the second passenger train in 4 days blow thru our sector? It passed thru this morning around 10:30 ish, heading to Benson, and beyond??? 

UP 4349, SD70M was on point, about 15 cars, no obs on the rear? Not moving slow at all... WE barely caught it outside town ( Benson ) after we left our property!! 
Quite the surprise to see lots of 'lellow cars again, not as bright in the rain tho!. On Thursday the train was incredibly colorful with the clear blue skies and yellow cars - plus red and orange on black, colorful indeed!!!! 

What do ya' think it was ? 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

OK all - I just got this from UP -"The passenger cars you saw will be joining 844 in celebration of Arizona's centennial year." 

So does that mean we just did not get to see the "whole train"?? last Thursday... 

Where do we go now for the real deal?? eheh 

That would be over 20 cars!!! wwwwwoooooooooooooo oooooo 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I went down to see it today.

Was surprised to meet some people I knew.

I thought the connecting rods were painted. But they are polished. and smooth. 

I thought the cylinders would have been a lot larger.

Come to think of it I think I saw this one at the Train Station in Portland OR a few years back when I lived there. 

JJ


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

The additional cars will be added tomorrow in Picacho, AZ. 

844 arrives about 10:15 am, and will get serviced, and add cars and head West about 11:15 am...... 

JJ - did you see the Daylight in Portland?? 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

yea, I remember chasing that loco 40 years ago on my 10 speed bike with black and white film camera 
That engine hasn't aged at all. Unlike,,,,


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dirk, 
When my point man doesn't tell me until after the fact..... naw didn't see it, I can only hear the rr from my place. 

I'm guessing that the 2nd section plus the Heritage unit they drag around would have been too much weight. Mountain grades and curves would have slowed her down too much and may have created congestion in the regular freight runs. From Piachio it's all downhill and after Yuma they're going north past the Salton Sea which is near sea level. Also turning it in Phoenix may have had limitations on length.... 

JJ, 
Her cylinders are right for high pressure steam, low pressure cylinders are fatter. 844 was the last steamer built fo UP, she has 'modern' appliances. Boiler pressure of 300 puonds. 
I believe most side rods were polished metal, unless they rusted. Many were fluted to reduce weight, paint would add weight where they didn't want it. 

Happy Rails 
John


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Great shots, John.....









Thanks so much for sharing them....


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Oooouch! If I'd known I had been "promoted" to pointman....lol 
IF,... I was pointman I would need a phone number to call ya!, ahead of time!!!! 
Alas..... I know Stan has not properly introduced us yet,... 
And since I don't have your number, it is rather difficult to be a pointman!!!!! 

But, maybe another time John! 

No for the updates, I went thru my Wife's phone pics for yesterday. Made a list of all the car numbers or car names! Went to Utah Rails.com and filled in the missing blanks. I now have a complete list of the cars being added to 844. And there are 15 cars, plus the 7 makes for a train of 22 cars - tomorrow! 

Seems the schedule has changed. Now UP will move 844 from Phoenix on Tuesday. It will be in Picacho, AZ from 1 pm till 2 pm for service and add the cars. Then head to Yuma by evening!! 

All aboard folks!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Dirk,
What are you planning with 'proper introduction'?







Nevermind.... lol
Ya coulda done sent me a personal message, over there under my country geezer pic 'Send Message' goes right to my email inbox.
Made more sense to me to dump it on you....Being upstream you was on the point.

Have you found a pic ot two to share with us yet?









Happy Rails

John


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

While you and I do allll this laughing and horsing around, LOL.... 

The "rub" comes from my "leaving" behind my property and computer, ... while we went to town!!!! 

Sooons as I get back - I was all over this thing tho, but alas - a bit late I know - I know!!!!! 

Go see it again tomorrow John!!! it will still be 'lellow I'm sure!!!! 

I got about 240 to go thru, plus the ones from Sunday... BUT,... ( another Rub ) I need to build a new 'puter first, unless I keen fin' a thumb drive for this here 'ol puter, it's only a 1.0 US..be and they's hard to fin' any more....I do not have roooom to download the camera now.... :~{ got to remove some old to make room for some new!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

That's why if I had your number, I could have called on the road!!! 

Dirk - DMS Ry.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

A couple of images sent to me by a friend in Phoenix during the 844 visit....

On the way in....










An awesome Panoramic image...


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the pics guys. I also remember years ago chasing this loco to get some pics. Boy that brings back some memories. Later RJD


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Stan;

Love the photo, BUT don't you think they'll bad order the whole train for being warped like that?









Just kidding,
David Meashey


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Is there any significance to the Letter X before 844 on the number boards? 

JJ


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

This also was at the display when I went down there


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## steam5 (Jun 22, 2008)

Posted By John J on 17 Nov 2011 10:52 AM 
Is there any significance to the Letter X before 844 on the number boards? 

JJ 
I think the X indicates the following number is the locomotive number, not the train number. Someone please correctly me if I'm wrong as I'm only going from memory.

Alan


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ; 

Wow! A copper chopper! 

Thanks, 
David Meashey


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

X for extra train like UP.844. Later RJD


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