No. 844 built up steam pressure and moved back and forth just outside the shop, blowing out dirt and scale from the cylinder cocks. Ahead is additional work, installation of the jacketing and lagging, and a test run in advance of the July 23 Denver Post Frontier Days Special between Denver and Cheyenne.
No. 844, the last new steam locomotive built for the UP in 1944 and categorized as “never retired” since 1962, has been out of service since 2013. After working to fix a problem with over-rolled tubes, the crew decided to complete a 1,472-day inspection on the locomotive. After opening up the engine, additional work was necessary, and in between all of this, UP acquired Big Boy No. 4014 and gave the Cheyenne shop a makeover.
Trains will cover No. 844’s return to service in a special issue, “Big Steam is Back,” as well as 10 other large locomotives running this year.
Welcome back to the rails #844 my friend can’t wait to see you again.
Overrolled tubes. Sounds like whoever made the boiler tubes fabricated them but stressed them so much rolling them into the proper form that either the tube walls were to thin or they had micro fractures.
Did the Denver – Cheyenne run with 844 and 6936 in 2013, wonderful day out. Look forward to doing it again, long way from the UK but well worth it.
Hooray!!! Welcome back.