An interesting photo taken in January of 1967:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.p ... 07&nseq=87

Shown in service at the Monolith Portland Cement operation (Laramie Valley RR) in Laramie, Wyoming, ex-UP 0-6-0 #4455 remained in service until 1970. Located today in the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden, Colorado, she reportedly has lost the interesting vanderbilt tender shown for a slope back tender. Anyone know what happened to this tender and why the switch was made? Also, reports are that when 4455 was in service for Union Pacific, she may have been regularly assigned in switching service at Denver's Union Station.

Are there any photos of her as she appears today at Golden?

Les

Don't you mean "Last UP steamer in regular revenue service besides 844/'8444'"? <:-)

My guess is that 844 hasn't generated any revenue since the early 60s.:-)

What a fantastic shot... John West is my hero!

Except when she was used to push a piggy back over a hill that was blocking the track ahead after its dismal died about 10 years ago. The engineer of the piggybacker radioed the crew on 844 after the train was safely over the hill, and asked what throttle setting they had used expecting #1-8. Steve Lee replied nonchalantly, "Notch 47."

Oh, NO............. the misspelling syndrome is either contagious or a computer virus!!!!!

[runs off to update firewall and antivirus protection.......]

That engine was just moved from its long time exile across the street from the Colorado Railroad Museum to the museum display area.

See Donald Tallman's postings on the move:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2495351 ... 1546wUnstd

I imagine that engine, and any engine run late into the diesel era, is pretty wore out.

Maybe someone at CRM can comment.

Les

In my post on RP I carefully picked the words "regular revenue service". The 844 and 3985, not to mention the 618 on the Heber and some other ex-UP engines I can't name off the top of my head all earn revenue of various kinds from time to time, but not "regularly". Or at least that would be my position, which of course could be debated endlessly.

Years ago some of us witnessed the end of "regular revenue" steam on various railroads. In my case I chased the SP 9 on its last run on the SP ng. which was generally considered the last "regular" revenue run of steam on the SP. A lot of effort went into identifying those last runs, collecting trainorders, etc. And we thought it was all over.

But of course now we (fortunately) have a lot of preserved and restored steam engines running around, and people pay to ride behind them, so they are in "revenue" service. So what's regular and what's not regular.
Who knows. I'm just happy to have an occasional steam engine to still chase or ride behind.

John West

I'm pretty sure that the UP considers the heritage equipment to be part of the their marketing and public relations efforts. In that case 844/3985 are generating revenue, just not by directly pulling freight, but through the good will they generate with the public and shippers. Of course they both do occasionally pull (or as was mentioned, push) revenue freights.

844 has never been off the roster, so I'd say she is the last "revenue" steam locomotive on the UP, especially if you go by the fact that she has in never been retired and has been in continuous service since she was delivered to the UP (except for a few years here and there for overhauls, and overhauls are part of life for a locomotive in service on a railroad, they just take longer for a steam locomotive nowadays).

I've heard the the program has to carry it's own weight, and if it ever does not appear to contribute something valuable to the railroad it would be in trouble.

Of course the original poster really means UP steam in everyday service, which is another thing entirely.

John - I agree with you that the 4455 was in "regular" revenue service for Monolith Portland Cement whereas the 844/3985/618 were NOT in regular service. Perhaps if you had used the term "last in NORMAL revenue service", there would be no disagreement.

Now, which UP engine was the last in NORMAL revenue service FOR the UP? One of the Big Boys? A Consolidation on some branch line? Or....?

Les

The last UP steamer to operate in regular revenue service was one of the 3700-series oil-fired challengers, running out of Cheyenne. At least that's what the online UP employee bulletin's "fact of the day" said. By 1960, all that was left was snow-melter service for 844 and 3710 (built 3977, now displayed in North Platte). Of course, 844 made her first excursion run later that year as well.

MH-

I got some additional info sent to me. Turns out that it was Challenger #3713 that made the last run of UP steam in normal revenue sevice on 7/23/59 between North Platte and Cheyenne. The last Big Boy had arrived in Cheyenne from Laramie just the day before! The last 0-6-0 in switching service was #4466 (a sister to #4455) which operated in the fall of 1958 at Grand Island, Nebraska. And the last branch line steam was Consolidation #428 which ran out of Grand Island in 1958. Here is a photo of the 428 at Rockville, Nebraska in October of that year:

http://photoswest.org/cgi-bin/imager?00017438+OP-17438

I believe number 428 is now at IRM where she may be undergoing a restoration to eventually return her to service.

Les

If I understand correctly, there would have been a lot more steam in 1959 but for a steel labor strike that summer.