Hey everyone, I'm going through some home videos of my fathers and converting them to digital format for restoration and eventual DVD output, and perhaps to sell as well. One tape has about 20 minutes of excellent footage of UP 844 in Greyhound, I believe traveling through Iowa, sometime between 1991 and 1993. Would anyone happen to know details about such a trip, or point me towards a resource with the details of past excursions? Any help will be much appreciated (and given credit)!
If it helps, the consist is: UP 844 Greyhound, Aux Water Tender, Toolcar/Boxcar, Baggage car "_______ Art Lock___ " (I cant make out the blanks), A car with a baggage door above the front trucks and windows along the rest. 309? 209? centered on the side, Baggage "Western Lodge" Coach "Columbine" Baggage "Western Star" Coach "Portland Rose" Coach "Sunshine Special" (Or possible Sunrise) Dome "City of Portland" Diner/Tavern? (Windows along front half, two non-baggage doors spaced on the second half) "City of Los Angeles" Coach "Texas Eagle" Coach (with a door off center between the windows) "Sun Valley"? Coach "Challenger" Power car? (Smooth Side with a baggage door, huge vent, one window, and one non-baggage door) #207? 307? Sleeper? Last has about half the number of windows as a coach. "CaBarton"
To further aid in the hunt for info, I've uploaded a preview clip. [video=youtube;IWrwYoaMW3k]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWrwYoaMW3k[/video]
I remember seeing an ad at the end of one of my VHS tapes, which showed that paint scheme with its train heading somewhere. But I cannot recall which tape. That scheme came out in late 1987- How long did it carry the gray color?
Mark, I am trying to get in touch with Bob Krieger, retired UP steam engineer, to see if he can answer your question. If anything comes of it you'll see it here. :tb-biggrin:
Excellent Fitz! Thank you! I'm finding it quite difficult to find any information on the gray scheme. About 85% of search results omit the greyhound part (it was called greyhound, wasn't it?), and those that don't refer to the Lionel model! :/
mark, I've heard Greyhound, but the more common one is "two tone grey", a la Pullman or Southern Pacific. (Maybe a railfan title that got adopted) Heavyweight scheme, used on some lightweight cars and UP Pool lightweights, but the vast majority of UP cars turned up Armor Yellow. One poster on the Kalmbach forum said he found a picture of an FEF in "greyhound", but that's it. I find two hits on the Los Angheles Union Station trip, the engien is also coming up as 8444 which was during the time when UP had an 844 diesel on the roster, that might help you too, Like you though, I can find pics, but nothing that says where. And these trips were all before I was born, so I'm no help there, either. The baggage car with windows is probably a crew-dorm/power car. They may have one on each end, but I thought they usually put them at the front. UP Business fleet, if you feel the urge to go diving through coach info>>>http://www.uprr.com/aboutup/special_trains/historical_equipment/index.shtml The photo file for this says "St. Louis, June 1990". Clsoe, but no cigar I see. +-
Thanks for the additional help Morgan! I'm certain this trip is between 1991 and 1993. The first label on the tape is Amtrak 1991, corresponding to some opening footage of Amtrak trains (pulled by the grande F40PH!). A few cuts after the 844 run, my father announces "1993 ski trip" at Copper Mountain. It's definitely labeled 844 as well. Fitz, could either of these guys be Bob Krieger himself? How very strange! That site lists Columbine and Challenger as dome cars, however in the video above, both are clearly NOT domes! Might I have stumbled upon some ultra rare footage here?
Ha! Case in point. Google "Union Pacific 844 Greyhound" and the VERY FIRST TWO results you get is the video I uploaded yesterday, and this thread!
I'm glad you can read those on the video, cause all I see is "red smear". "That site" is the Union pacific website, so I trust it to be accurate as of the last time they updated that page. It is possible though that there have been two Columbines and two Challengers, I don't know. EDIT: (<--- )BINGO! I think i got it. This from a Trainorders.com page. will need to verify info. (Serch term: 844 1991 excursion) So there's your magic date at least, now to figgur out where they went.
Well I do have the uncompressed footage, plus about 20 minutes worth to find the best view of the car names. (It took about 20 minutes of analysis to compose the list I made in post 2) Yeah, I would have assumed they would have noted if a car was previously of different type or name. Here's their description for the "Challenger" car. Acquired as a dome 2-4 years before this video which shows it as a coach? I'm baffled. The same goes for the "Columbine" car.
Alright alright, you can stop smirking, I apparently found this and tossed it intot he bottom fo the last page at the same time you made your last reply. So i'll repost it here. Found your date, assuming this gentleman's info is correct. So now we have the when, we need the where.
Sorry I'm late. That could be Bob K behind who I am pretty sure is Steve Lee. When UP arrived at Sacramento for Railfair 91, 844 was in the Greyhound paint scheme. My photos are pretty bad. Haven't heard anything from Bob. :tb-sad:
Bob Kreiger reported that the Greyhound paint was applied in 1990. The 8444 became the (original) 844 in July 1989. In 1996 after overhaul, 844 returned to basic black. Bob didn't send me any answer about a midwest excursion in the time period you asked about. Sorry. :tb-sad:
1990? That sure contradicts a lot of information I have seen. Which showed 8444 having it by late 1987. Here is a 1989 view in gray: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=171152&nseq=0&showcomments=true And then: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1985984 You may not be able to see the above linked photo full size if not a meber there, but I have seen it elsewhere on the web. Here and elsewhere shows the same date in 1987... And then there is this on Jim Harrawood's site: http://utahrails.net/up/greyhounds-railfan.php Date again given as 1987. ????? I'm confused. Boxcab E50
Looks like you have proof there, Ken. I just reported what Bob passed along to me. I have no personal knowledge of when the Greyhound scheme was applied, but I did witness it in 1991. :tb-sad:
