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Post by harborbelt70 on Oct 28, 2022 22:30:06 GMT
I looked for news of this on the Real Trains thread here and elsewhere and in the absence of anything informative decided to post this here.
According to an email circular dated a couple of days ago from the UP Steam Club, two iconic UP engines are going to an Illinois museum I am not very familiar with (the "Railroading Heritage of Midwest America") - unless it is what I know as the Illinois Railroad Museum. Either way this is kind of a big deal. The engines are (among others and some passenger cars) the #3985 Challenger and the #6936 "Centennial" DDA40X. Apparently this donation was announced earlier this year but I missed it; current details are given here: www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm
My guess is that UP did not want responsibility for these icons. UP will however keep the #4014 Big Boy and #844 FEF-3 and intends to run them. As long as the others are preserved somewhere I think I am happy.
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Post by firewood on Oct 29, 2022 4:41:44 GMT
I recall a LOT of opinions flying around on various forums when 3985 went back to the shop and UP's efforts went to the Big Boy. (... and I won't add to any controversies here đ)
I agree with you - at least there's a preservation effort under way. That's good to know. The huge operation, maintenance and insurance expenses of heritage equipment is an growing monster that isn't going away.
Dave
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Post by ptc on Oct 29, 2022 13:15:16 GMT
Excellent place to send them.
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Post by harborbelt70 on Oct 29, 2022 14:48:24 GMT
I guess that it's a matter of survival of these engines if UP is limiting its Heritage/Excursion operations going forward. Personally I don't know much about the museum these engines and rolling stock are headed for; it was founded in 1991 and is separate from the longer established Illinois Railway Museum. The thing that encourages me is that it appears to specialize in restoration and intends to restore the engines being moved there to operating condition. #3985 will need a lot of restoration because to the extent that I understand the #4014 rebuild, a tender and a lot of other parts were scavenged from #3985 in connection with the conversion of #4014 to oil-fired power.
The Railroading Heritage of Midwest America institution appears to have a limited amount of engines/cars although it has taken on a vast former Rock Island facility in Silvis, Illinois, which includes a crane-equipped locomotive shops facility. The plans for restoration of the UP donation seem pretty ambitious to me but you can only wish them luck.
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Post by quietman on Nov 7, 2022 4:18:57 GMT
UP Steam did an analysis of restoring the Challenger. After the rebuild of the Big Boy, the issues the Challenger had and the limited revenue they could get made them decide to not overhaul her.
I wish they would have mothballed the FEF-3 and kept the Challenger and Big Boy running instead, but articulateds take a lot more money and effort to keep on the road. So they only kept one. And they only have so many people to work on these wonderful machines. So I respect their decision.
Makes sense, the Big Boy is more legendary than the Challenger.
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Post by thebigcrabcake on Nov 7, 2022 12:26:31 GMT
UP Steam did an analysis of restoring the Challenger. After the rebuild of the Big Boy, the issues the Challenger had and the limited revenue they could get made them decide to not overhaul her. I wish they would have mothballed the FEF-3 and kept the Challenger and Big Boy running instead, but articulateds take a lot more money and effort to keep on the road. So they only kept one. And they only have so many people to work on these wonderful machines. So I respect their decision. Makes sense, the Big Boy is more legendary than the Challenger. Itâs too bad they had to choose but I agree, the Big Boy is the marquee locomotive.
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 7, 2022 13:20:34 GMT
I wish they would have mothballed the FEF-3 and kept the Challenger and Big Boy running instead, but articulateds take a lot more money and effort to keep on the road. So they only kept one. And they only have so many people to work on these wonderful machines. So I respect their decision.
I notice that they have also sent some of the former Heritage Fleet passenger cars to Illinois although the only one I recognize is a coach.
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 7, 2022 15:48:33 GMT
I just had in a notice from the Illinois museum (âRRHMAâ) that on 20 November thereâs a viewing scheduled of the three main UP engines being transported there. I missed this before, somehow, but one of them is UP #5511, a 2-10-2 steamer with a Santa Fe tender. Itâs described as being in âexcellent cosmetic conditionâ but does not seem to have been run since 1962.
The event is paid admission (âdonationâ) and I have not read as far as seeing what the cost is.
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 13, 2022 8:36:48 GMT
At about 1:30 into this video you can start to see all of the UP engines being transferred to Illinois plus a few other units (a former Amtrak E9 B unit and a C&NW F3) going there too. I understand this video was taken after the transport train departed Cheyenne. The news from the Illinois museum is that Challenger #3985 will be restored to operating condition first followed by #5511 Santa Fe 2-10-2.
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Post by ptc on Nov 13, 2022 16:34:46 GMT
All good news, Andy. Thanks for the update and the video, just excellent.
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Post by harborbelt70 on Nov 22, 2022 17:10:23 GMT
Iâm not sure how long the trip actually took but the UP engines have now reached the RRHMA restorers/museum facility at Silvis, Illinois - just across the Mississippi from Davenport, Iowa and upriver of Rock Island itself. If nothing else the video gives an idea of the sheer size of the old Rock Island shops and of the two steamers now housed there.
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Post by Adam on Nov 22, 2022 19:23:30 GMT
Very cool. What a site!
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Post by ptc on Nov 23, 2022 0:21:37 GMT
Wonderful video, Andy. Good place to restore this engine.
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