(The following story by Gordon Dickson appeared on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram website on April 7, 2010.)
FORT WORTH, Texas — Railroad fans will get a chance to take a close look at a majestic piece of history.
On Friday, locomotive No. 844, the last steam engine built for Union Pacific Railroad, will pull into Fort Worth.
The high-speed passenger engine, originally delivered in 1944, is touring the U.S. from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Brownsville to celebrate the company’s heritage.
During its heyday — before diesel-fired locomotives took over — No. 844 pulled popular trains such as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.
The locomotive is expected to depart from Denton about 1:30 p.m. Friday, traveling south through Keller, Haltom City and north Fort Worth on the UP main line. It is scheduled to arrive about 4 p.m. at the UP rail yard near Rogers and Mopac roads, then depart at 8 a.m. Saturday bound for Ennis.