Union Pacific will run the Challenger 3985 to Portland starting the end of August. This is going to afford a lot of people the opportunity to see her. She will be on display at various locations along the way including Ogden, UT, Portola, CA at the Portola RR Museum, probably with the WP heritage unit, Roseville, CA, Eugene, OR and Portland. She will travel the Feather River Canyon route on the way west, and will go back east on the Columbia River Gorge line alonside I-84. She will also be displayed at Boise, ID eastbound. The full schedule is at http://www.upsteam.com/
Perhaps in Idaho she'll get lost, and wander up to Silver Bow. Then maybe I could get a couple guys together, and go chase her! Guess I'll be looking for you fellows to post up some views! Boxcab E50
Gee... I have a shot of UP 3994... it is an ex-SP unit,,,,, an SD70, I believe,, Not talking about the same class here... Harold
Which means she'll leave Cheyenne the 24th or 25th.........wonder if she's headed up the new track over Sherman via Harriman....... ......may be able to chase her as far as Laramie, via harriman and Hermosa. What's the departure date from Cheyenne???
Sending her to Portland sounds like a great way to have Steam ops re-enforce the whole PR thing with the Fallen flags paint scheme. Having 3985 in Brooklyn next to the 4449 sounds like Great PR for them.
I don't get off work until 7:15 or so in the morning. If 3985 hasn't left yet (or if the DS is doing his/her usual delay job), I should be able to join in the chase that day, at least as far as Laramie (via Speer/Borie, Granite, Buford and the Hermosa/Tie Siding area). What's the estimated time of departure? PS- this should be a rarity- a guy in scrubs chasing a steam engine. It'll look like I'm still wearing my PJs.....
Bob, you gotta get someone to take a photo of that, you in scrubs with a camera, shooting the 3985. Heck, it would win a contest.
Steam excursions never come through my town anymore. Last time there was one was when when 4449 went through '91. I want to be able to get a shot of a steam locomotive going over the trestle over the Sacramento River. This is a pretty big trestle too, close to a mile long. There is also a double deck highway/raiload trestle over Shasta Lake. The highway is on top of the tracks with the trains coming out of a tunnel on one end. So all the cars and trucks on I-5 get smoked out.
Creston Jct, WY, about 40 miles west of Rawlins: (quite literally, in the middle of NOWHERE!) Stay tuned, I'll be posting many more shots int he coming days!
West end of Hermosa siding, one mile from the booming community of Tie Siding, WY (population 3, if you include the dog): Met up with Hemi at this spot, which is 15-20 miles highway south and railroad east of Laramie.
I didn't laugh TOO hard.... Rock Springs, WY, under overcast skies (sigh...). This is about as close as the engine would get, without cutting off the smokebox: