The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #91182 Message #1732466
Posted By: JohnInKansas
02-May-06 - 07:37 PM
Thread Name: Folklore for Rail Roadies: UP No 844
Subject: Folklore for Rail Roadies: UP No 844
From the Wichita (Kansas) Eagle, 02 May 2006
Old No. 844 chugs through Kansas this week The last steam locomotive ever built for Union Pacific Railroad will be in Herington from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today at the Eighth Street crossing. Union Pacific Railroad's steam locomotive No. 844 was delivered to Union Pacific in 1944. It pulled trains such as the Overland Limited and the Los Angeles limited. In 1960, it was saved from being scrapped and was refurbished for special service. The locomotive is currently on the South Central States Heritage Express Tour, which began April 27 in Cheyenne, Wyo. On Wednesday, the train leaves Herington for Pratt before leaving Kansas on Thursday for Guymon, Okla. A global positioning satellite has been installed on one of the railcars traveling with No. 844. A map on the Union Pacific Web site, www.up.com, shows visitors the train's route and is updated every five minutes. Click "media," then "news releases." Follow the link that begins "Union Pacific's Historic Steam Locomotive No. 844," then click "Follow UP 844 with GPS" in right-hand rail. — Beccy Tanner
The link given for the "GPS" map didn't seem too interesting to me, but there are several options on the preceding page: