(The following story by George Lauby appeared on the North Platte Bulletin website on June 18, 2009.)
NORTH PLATTE, Neb. — Union Pacific’s historic steam locomotive No. 844 rolled to a stop in North Platte at 4 p.m. Thursday on its way to Omaha.
No. 844 is parked overnight along Front St. between Chestnut and Poplar. It will depart at 8 a.m. in the morning (June 19).
Motorists and can see the train, which is pulling several frieght and passenger cars, from Front St.
No. 844 is traveling to Omaha/Council Bluffs for the annual Railroad Days celebration. It will return to North Platte June 24 for another overnight stay on its way home to Cheyenne, Wyo.
No. 844 was the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad and was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.
When diesels took over all passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.
A Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) transmitter was installed on one of the rail cars that will travel with No. 844. The GPS system has been integrated with a map on UP’s Web site at www.up.com. Enter the word “Steam” in the search box on the homepage for a shortcut to the map.
Web site visitors will be able to access route maps with varying amounts of detail. The GPS system will update the map every five minutes showing No. 844’s location.
Twitter users will be able “follow” the 844 at twitter.com/up_steam. Tweets will include the 844’s latest GPS location as well as brief reports from along the route.
No. 844, also known as Union Pacific’s “Living Legend,” returned to service in 2005 after one of the most extensive steam locomotive overhauls in the United States since the 1950s.
The overhaul began in 2000 and included extensive overhauls of its running gear, pumps, piping, valves and springs, along with replacement of its firebox and extensive boiler work. Even the cab interior has been refurbished.
No. 844 has run hundreds of thousands of miles for UP’s Heritage program. It has made appearances at Expo ’74 in Spokane, the 1981 opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989. It is based in Cheyenne, Wyoming.