Union Pacific is preparing to run its only steam excursions of the year, the Cheyenne Frontier Days special and a subsequent trip, after a deadhead move on Monday to bring its passenger trainset to Cheyenne, Wyo. Tickets remain available for the Sunday, July 22, trip from Denver to Cheyenne.
Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 will deliver the train to Denver on Thursday in advance of Saturday’s Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days Special. On Thursday, the train will depart Cheyenne at 9:30 a.m., with planned stops in Greeley, Colo. (11-11:15 a.m. at the 10th Street crossing) and Adams City, Colo. (12:25-12:40 p.m. at East 69th street and Fairfax Drive). Arrival in Denver is planned for 2:15 p.m., but there is no public access.
On Saturday, the train will depart Denver at 6:30 a.m., with a scheduled stop in Greeley (8:45-9 a.m. at the 8th Street crossing) and arrival at the Cheyenne Depot Museum at 10:15 a.m. At 10:25 a.m., the train will depart to be turned on the wye at Speer, Wyo., with arrival there scheduled for 11 a.m. and departure at 11:25 a.m. It will return to Cheyenne at 11:45 a.m. and leave for Denver at 5 p.m.
Sunday’s trip, the Union Pacific Museum Special, is a one-way move from Denver to Cheyenne, departing at Denver at 1 p.m. and arriving in Cheyenne at 5:45 p.m., with a stop in Greeley (3:45-4 p.m., at the 8th Street crossing). Information and tickets are available here.
These are the only steam events for 2018 as the UP steam crew focuses on preparing Big Boy No. 4014 for events next year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the first transcontinental railroad.
Monday’s deadhead move for the passenger cars — 19 cars, including seven domes — was pulled by the railroad’s salute to the armed forces unit, No. 1943, Spirit of the Union Pacific. More on that locomotive is available here.
ROGER COLE the passenger cars are stored are stored at Council Bluff Yard in Omaha. The rest are stored on Tracks 3 and 4 inside the Steam Shop backshop next to #844 with the rest stored outside.
I noticed there prices for the upcoming steam trips, I know now why they still have there steam program.
Union Pacific has been running main line steam excursions consistently since the 1950s. There is no other railroad in the U.S.A. that compares. Thank You Union Pacific!
Mr. Subscriber, UP doesn’t have to run these trains at all. Scrap prices on all that equipment alone would add several thousand dollars to the bottom line of the company, let alone the cost of the logistics of providing these trips for us to enjoy. I agree that the schedule is slim this year, and unless one lives in Cheyenne it’s a pretty rare sight, but let’s all please try to avoid the slippery slope of “taking it for granted”.
I withdraw my previous questions. I did some research and found my answers. It is strictly a power car riding on 6 wheel trucks with sufficient electrical power to handle an entire train without help, eliminating the need for a second power car mid train. It was added to the heritage fleet a few years ago, I’m surprised I have never noticed it before. The second car in this photo is an observation car.
I have never seen a photo of that first passenger car before. It is apparently some type of power car and though I am not positive, it looks like it has EMD style powered trucks. Is this correct and then does it have controls? Also, the second car has windows on the end. Is this an end observation car or another control car?
Where is the passenger fleet normally stored when not in use?
Trains Subscriber
The crew that is restoring the Big Boy are the same people that run the steam program excursion. So if they’re off running somewhere running 844 then that means they are NOT in Cheyenne working on getting 4014 ready for next year. As much as you want your cake and to eat it too, in this case I’d rather them do the annual Cheyenne Frontier Days trip with 844 and spend the rest of the time working on 4014, then I would having them do 4 or 5 different trips across the UP system(with there inherent ferry moves) and not have 4014 ready for the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike.
Union Pacific gives me a headache trying to figure out there very brief steam excursions. Makes me wonder if there going to run the Big Boy one way once a year, yeah that’s good idea.
Roger
The cars are stored in Council Bluffs, Iowa.