Union Pacific steam locomotive
Every operating steam locomotive you see: Union Pacific No. 4014, Canadian Pacific No. 2816, NKP No. 756, Reading & Northern No. 2102, and many others all have one thing in common. They are always clean. It does not matter how large or small they are, how old they are, or what part of the country they run in, they are always looking pristine.
For every organization and railroad that operates these majestic machines, they are a source of pride. And for the individuals that work on and operate these locomotives, keeping them clean is an essential part of that pride.
On a Friday morning in September 2012, I had the opportunity to observe Union Pacific 4-8-4 No. 844 getting a bath. It had arrived in Sacramento the day before for the 150th Anniversary celebration at the California State Railroad Museum. An incident on Thursday kept her from crossing the diamond over the UP main and marooned her for the night near the old Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Locomotive Works.
As a volunteer with the California State Railroad Museum’s Maintenance of Way at the time, I had access to the shop complex. I parked next to the shops on that Friday morning and found the 844 tied down on the transfer table lead next to the boiler shop with the Union Pacific steam crew beginning to wash the engineer’s side of the tender. The engine was under steam and the fireman’s side was already clean and ready for the day ahead. A blue flag hung at the engineer’s window exclaiming to any personnel in the cab that crew members were working, obvious as it was. Water was coming from a hose attached to a fire hydrant on the corner of the building.
The crew member with the water hose would first rinse down a section and then a couple of crew members sprayed a soap mixture from blue pressurized canisters that were the size of fire extinguishers. Next, the remaining crew came in with scrub brushes on long extendable poles. After that portion had been scrubbed, the water flowed back over to rinse away the soap.
As the crew moved forward, from the rear of the tender to the cab, the boiler, and finally the smoke deflectors, the crew worked diligently not to miss a single spot. They laughed and joked about as they worked. Anyone watching could tell that this team has done this song and dance many times before. Everyone had their role and played their part with precision. With the last bit of the soap rinsed off the deflectors, the steam crew looked up at their engine and all smiled. The UP steam locomotive gleamed under the afternoon sun.
They gathered up the brushes and soap canisters, rolled up the hose, and took everything back towards the tool car. It did not matter that this was the 10th, 50th, or 100th time of washing the locomotive — it was done like this every time. I imagine every steam locomotive has a crew just like this, one that takes pride in their engine shining brightly for the world to see.
Very interesting and educational article, and excellent photos. Thaniks for sharing.