Hey guys, take a look at these. What do you think?

[Harold_V]

Oh man Harold, don't get me started on the Union Pacific's FEF3 Northern Class 4-8-4 locomotive #844. Me and that locomotive have quite the history together including me at 13 years old doing a run-by at the throttle while filming a movie for Nebraska Public Television.

Lucky stiff! I can think of no higher glory! If you have any tales you'd like to share, I'm interested.

I did manage to see the 844 and 4449 double head once, only the 4449 was painted up red, white, and blue, and was the head-end power for the freedom train.

Funny you should mention that. I have the fondest of memories of seeing the Freedom Train, although only when it was at rest in the UP station in SLC, Utah. I attended the open display and was duly impressed.

On the subject of double heading, just last year both of those engines were in our area. Quite an impressive sight! Here's a shot of the two coupled.

For some reason, I missed this post until tonight. Sorry to be so late in responding.

Harold

 

[dick b]

Just to add to this discussion, the UP 844 was just featured on the History Channel in the Extreme trains program. She went from Cheyenne, WY to Denver, CO and back to haul a passenger train of rodeo buffs to the Rodeo. Gotta say I LOVE STEAM! Kinda off discussion but a nice change of pace.

 

[silversaddle1]

Hey Harold!

Here I though you were just ignoring me!

When I was 13 years old I landed the lead role in a movie produced by Nebraska Public Television. The move is called "Engine 8444" and is about a young boy who see's a steam locomotive for the first time in his young life. The movie was filmed along the U.P. main line in a small town called Carr, in Colorado. We were there filming for 11 days. The railroad treated us like kings while we were filming. We stayed in Cheyenne when not on location. One day it rained so the railroad guys came and got us and took us on a tour of all the steam facilities in Cheyenne, including a 2 hour tour and walkaround of the roundhouse! Needless to say, I was in heaven! Two days after that we got 8444 for the runby shots. We had the mainline and the train for most of the day. The only time we had to put her in the hole was to allow the Amtrak train to pass. Other than that, it was all ours! The president of the UP was on the train. Everyone who was acting got a cab ride during a run-by. When my turn came up, I got to sit in the engineer's seat and run the loco! 13 years old!!! Now granted, it was a slow run-by, about 30 mph, but it was about 3 miles of total glory for me. It was a day I will remember for the rest of my life. By mid afternoon the word had spread about the 8444 doing run-bys for hours in Carr and the railfans started showing up. The director of the movie was starting to get uptight as he didn't want them in the shots, so the railroad asked them to move down the line, and I think they even loaded them up in a passenger car to move them. It was quite a day. I am trying to get a good quality copy of the movie so we can burn a disc. My VHS copy is about shot! If I get a new copy, I'll send you a disc of it!

Here's a pic of her I shot in 1982 while she was going to the River City Round-up in Omaha. This pic was taken 6 blocks from the house I grew up in.

Scott

[IMG:800:616]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/silversaddle1/84441982.jpg[/img]

 

[Harold_V]

Scott,

Finally, what I can call free time to respond.

Sorry to have put this on the back burner, but I must put off-topic matters last in line----and I've been inundated with PM's and the other forum of late. It's hell being so popular!

That's a wonderful story-----one that should serve you for the rest of your life, and certainly not to be duplicated by anyone else.

Funny----I'm old enough to remember steam. My folks lived only about a block from the mainline D&RG railroad in Midvale, Utah, and a UP spur was about a mile to the east. There was a small spur that ran between the two, which was behind the family home, maybe 100 yards away. I have the fondest of memories standing by engines as they sat idle on the siding at the mainline, or the spur. It all seems much like a dream now.

For those that have never experienced a steam loco, they are as close as an object can come to being alive, yet still be a machine. When they are equipped with steam driven air compressors, there's a pulsing of sorts that gives one the impression of a monster breathing. Frankly, there's nothing like it today, and we're all poorer for the loss.

I don't give a damn how fast the drive-by was----how many people do you know that can claim to have pulled a handle on a steam loco------let alone one of the largest to have ever been built? How I envy you your experience!

You said

My VHS copy is about shot! If I get a new copy, I'll send you a disc of it!

I would cherish such a gift! Please do so if you find it possible, and by all means, sign your name -----for it would be a cherished keepsake.

I'd be happy to cover the cost of duplication and shipping.

Thanks for such an enlightening report.

Harold