Do we know the identifies and/or heritage of the passenger cars included in this donation?

It is said to be four 1950s coach cars, a diner-Lounge car, and a baggage car.

quote
"...and the fastest, the Living Legend UP 844..."

I like the "american way of understatement". Here is the real fastest operating steamer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DR_18_201

Avoiding the snide commentary in this thread not worthy of response, here is real news from the Silvis organization itself:
https://rrhma.com/up-donation/

The donation looks like a smart move by UP. The collection is transferred to a non-profit where UP may have access to the equipment later should an opportunity arise. Meanwhile RRHMA has responsibility for care and fundraising.

Wesley

Only the donation of the only running Centennial came as a big surprise to me. Like many foamers, I would have loved to have seen that loco doubleheading with 4014.
Yeah, it makes sense. They've clearly done a great job with 261 and more so, the coaches they have. If they did all the work, UP could come back and lease/rent stuff if they really need to.
All that said, restoring both these steam locomotives would be a massive job. I wish them all the luck in the world, and dearly hope that both steam again sometime soon.

I might also add the donation of these equipment pieces also frees up what could be potentially valuable "real estate" on the roundhouse property. Who's to say the now empty stalls could be used for properly storing new parts for the heritage fleet?

I was out there in 2010 and spent a great deal of time around the collection. IIRC, 5511's problem is the wheel base, nothing more. Wasn't it supposed to go to Argentina and the deal fell through, allowing it to escape the torch? In 2010, I was told 5511 was in line for possible restoration, since there'd never be a Big Boy. Never is quite an over estimation.
The DD40X was serviceable and had recently been used. Outdoors was at least one C&NW F7A and a Rio Grande "B" unit. 838 was being used as a parts source, but her boiler was said to be excellent and might be used if called upon.
Now what I've written is long out of date, so let's slow down until the equipment is moved. Lots of people want to see 3985 restored, and people have money for things they want. U.P. has its hands full, and God bless them for their willingness to carry the steam torch. Another organization might get the independent support necessary to restore these two elegant engines.

I agree, it is amazing the UP is the only C1 RR fielding a legit steam program.

Can you imagine if the other C1 put the effort/money into steam that UP does...wow

I always wonder before they donate the 3985 the UP could cosmetically restore 3985 pull it out of the roundhouse put it on display with 4014 and 844 and have a photo shoot with all three of them just like NS did with 611, 1218, and 2156 in 2015. The UP could do a double headed photo shoot with 4014 and 3985 up Sherman Hill with the 4014 hauling the dead 3985 and a freight train up Sherman Hill. I think the UP could have done that in 2019. Why can't the UP do that before donating 3985. Have all the steamers in the roundhouse except 838 to do a photo shoot outside the roundhouse and have a Steve Lerro shoot. It would be a greatd PR and a once in a lifetime opportunities to do so.

Might this generous donation be in response to a corporate push to trim excess and monetize assets? We are seeing this all over the railroad networks, in every department (and I'm sure in other corporate businesses too).

Thankfully, the UP has kept the steam program alive thus far and boasts their proud heritage, but for how long? All it takes is for enough BOD members or shareholders to realize that parading a steam locomotive across the country has little value to their current company needs, nor does it pay for itself. To save face, in the coming years, I expect that you will see some sort of non-profit agency take over ownership of the rest of the heritage equipment, and perhaps even form around the facilities at Cheyenne, if UP allows it. Though I love steam as much as anyone else, we live in a different world today. Quarterly reports and PSR drive every decision that railroads are making. Employees aren't happy, shareholders are smiling and nothing is off the table. Look at how NS just spun off their corporate archives.

No, I wouldn’t look too much into it like that. If that were the case the UP wouldn’t have a program at all, despite the publicity it brings.

I just see it as an opportunity by the UP to finally give some pieces some much needed closure: pieces that in all likelihood would’ve never run again had the UP simply held onto them. It’s just the equivalent of finally taking a box or two out of the garage.

6936 wasn’t going to operate again under the UP banner due to PTC.

3985 wasn’t going to be restored because of the costs of keeping up 2 major steam locomotives (I believe that much of the “condition” rumors, while there’s probably some truth to them, are mostly an excuse to justify the retirement when in reality, it’s about money and resources).

And 5511? That thing has been sitting around Cheyenne taking up space for over 60 years: it’s a neat looking locomotive from a unique era (post WW1 but pre Lima Super Power era) and of unique wheel arrangement (more big boys survive than American built 2-10-2’s in the US), but clearly there’s never been a real concerted effort into even publicly displaying it somewhere, much less operating it.

People probably said the same thing when they got rid of other steamers like 4466 in the 70’s, tore down parts of the roundhouse in the early 80’s, de accessioned 1243 in the early 90’s. I simply see it as finally giving opportunity for these to be useful somewhere else.

I have a friend that works for the UP in the steam program. The estimated cost for UP to do the overhaul for the 3985 to their new standards was more than what the 4014 cost. Why they needed to replace every single staybolt as most noncertified materials in her. They found noncertified material in the boiler pressure vessel and the firebox needs to be rebuilt also. Why the same crap that happened with 844 over the years happened to 3985 work was done without someone being held accountable for it. They found lines ending in spots that caused rusting in spots other areas well let's just say that when they started her 1472 inspection all those years ago they realized that 844 was going to faster to redo than 3985 when they where told that they needed to get 4014 ready to run by 2019 and have another steam engine with her. My friend is amazed that 3985 had not had a boiler failure from what he found in her. My friend is retired Navy high pressure steam boilerman and he was scared of what he found. He called it almost criminal what they did.

Are the passenger cars also out at Cheyenne, or are there spares in Council Bluffs that don't currently travel with the Heritage Fleets.

The condition of the Challenger can be summed up with this photo:



Yes... you're seeing that right. The hammer was connected via cable to the inside of the cab with a sign "when dynamo quits, pull HARD".

Under the current climate, the donation is a smart and responsible move. UP had plenty on their plates with the current program of 833/4014 and the rest of their heritage equipment, never mind the time and money that would be needed to expand it to 3985. RHMA will be a good caretaker of the donated equipment, and with their acquisition of the Silvis complex, they have the space for it.

I will be surprised if we see the 3985 in steam in the next decade. It is a MASSIVE project, even if the funding were already in place. Ed Dickens has said numerous times it would require a frame-up overhaul akin to what they did with 844 and 4014. It will be a fantastic project to follow, I'm excited for the RHMA's possibilities that have opened up in the last six months alone, and what Sivlis could be when all of this equipment is there and the complex has been developed to suit. What a time to be alive.

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