This year has been the best year I can remember of the free UP steam show for those of us fortunate enough to live near Cheyenne. As always, I give thanks and more thanks to our good neighbor, Uncle Pete.

I was noticing that some of the heritage fleet cars have been named in honor of some members of the steam crew, such as Art Lackman, Joe Jordon, and Lyn Nystrom. What seems odd to me is that there does not appear to be one named for Steve Lee (not even Lincoln Penn), even though there are still cars in the fleet which are numbered, but not named. Am I missing something ??? No doubt one of many folks on this forum with more knowledge of UP equipment or naming practices can enlighten me.

No matter how they determine their car names, I'd bet my pension that they're going to name one for Ed Dickens, Jr....

VIVA UP 4014 !!!!

Steve Lee deserves one more than dickens jr does imo. He’s the one who helped start it all, with the Challenger Restoration. It’d be nice to see one in his honor since he is no longer apart of the crew, but Ed is still apart of it. Ed should get one when he retires.

Traditionally, it's considered to be in poor taste, if not bad luck, to name something after a person while they are still alive.

Not that anyone follows any form decorum these days.

Steve Lee wasn't even involved with the Challenger restoration.

People like John Boehner, Tim Grotheer, Lynn Nystrom, Craig Ringgenberg, Don Ringstad, Bob Krieger, Bill Haley, Bob Fryml, "Swede" Nath, and other members of the 3985 Committee composed of Union Pacific retirees and employee volunteers brought her back to life with permission of brass like President Kenefick.

Steve Lee was a road foreman and the only involvement I've ever heard of with the 3985 during the restoration was when he was briefly involved in her break-in runs. He didn't become the operating officer of the Heritage Program until 1982, followed by becoming the road foreman of the whole shebang in 1988.

The 3985's trip back to life started in October 1978 with the initial inspiration and concluded with the handover to the UP steam program in March 1981, with the 3985 Committee ceasing to be responsible for the now restored engine as per their agreement with Union Pacific.

A little Off Topic:

I knew Don Ringstad, not very long after the 3985 was finished he was killed by a drunk driver.

A few years later his Mother donated a Steam Locomotive Bell to the local MADD chapter.

A couple of us spent most of a day and most of a package of scotch-bright polishing it up on a lathe.

The MADD chapter rings it in their yearly memorial service where they read off the names of people killed by drunk drivers.

Don had worked on several locomotive restoration projects, and had worked for the Black Hills Central.

They even installed a memorial plaque to him inside the cab. Hopefully it's still there.

For the record, Steve was on the first trip the Challenger took at the completion of the restoration. I have a picture of him and Bob K. and Lynn N. with the rest of the crew hanging in my office. Steve himself wrote a note on the back of the picture listing everyone in the picture. I believe Don R. is in the picture too.

Steve and the crew generally named the cars and I believe, did so without direct UP Permission. Same with the water cars. Steve himself gave me the names of the cars and directed me to paint them. The cars are named for past noted crew members, some still with us, others no longer with us.

- John E. Rimmasch

From my smart phone mistakes and all...