On the branch at Yoder, Wyoming. It looked and sounded good then, but was not getting the long-term care it is now receiving.

http://abpr.railfan.net/abprphoto.cgi?d ... Jun_68.jpg

Yoder is on the branch that turns north at Egbert Wy off of the Overland main about 25 miles east of Archer Hill.......................................Wooly

I was on that trip. I was 17 at the time. A guy was standing in the vestibule with me timing mileposts, and we supposedly hit 90 on the way b back to Cheyenne. They took the engine off at Cheyenne and ran with diesels back to Denver. Somehow, my dad had the truck camper at Cheyenne, as I remember we got off there. We wandered into the engine facility, and my brother and I were photographing all the "Saved" engines in there, including 4023, 3985, 5511, 833, etc, when a RR cop ran us out of there. I remember everyone complaining of the steep price for the UP trip, which was $50.00. That included meals, and some complained that the dining car menu was beans and franks. Funny the things you remember. My first encounter with the 800!!

Steamingly,
Greg Scholl

Greg where did that trip originate & go to. Reason for asking is they had a challenger trip in July of 2003 that was supposed to go to Yoder & on over to South Morrill Ne & turn there & return but went instead to Laramie & return. TIA......................................Wooly

The trip started in Denver and went to Yoder via Cheyenne. We turned gingerly on the wye up there. I just checked this in a book, called "Fifty years of UP Steam Excursions" by Lloyd Stagner. The trip date was 6/1/68` The book is quite nice, soft cover, and chronicles through 2003.

One thing I remember vividly, was hanging my head out the vestibule on the way up there from Denver, and not having to worry about cinders, that I was so used to in the east. You just got a light spray of steam for the most part. That year we did the 8444 trip then headed to Durango, following freights on the D&RGW for three straight days. That was the end of an era!

Greg Scholl

My first 8444 trip was in Fall, 1970. As I recall the Rocky Club ran a Spring trip and the Intermountain Chapter a Fall trip every year. We went Denver to Julesburg via the City of Denver route both ways.

At the first movie runpast, after the engine went by, I hunched my shoulders, pulled down my Reading Ramble cap and waited for the hail of cinders. I looked around and saw that nobody else was doing that. Oil burner.

Intermountain Chapter's ex-Q office car was on the back and I reeled off the return miles at 79 per standing on the veranda.