No. 844

You routed the steam, now have you seen it?

When your votes caused the Little Rock Express route to win the Union Pacific's Route the Steam Excursion contest, we received many inquiries about when the 1940s steam engine, No. 844, would come through Missouri. This week, those fans have had a unique chance to see a piece of living history roll right up to them.

It began early this week in Kansas City, and I was able to catch a glimpse of the engine last night in Jefferson City. I have a picture of my family gathered near the front, dwarfed by the massive engine (with my son, as usual, refusing to look at the camera). I couldn't help but think of it's early routes decades ago as World War II was nearing an end and trains were so heavily relied upon for travel and goods. When people first stood next to that engine, interstates were still more than a decade away.

This morning, I watched as No. 844, with steam billowing, headed east towards St. Louis, where it arrives this afternoon and will be on display tomorrow. Many more stops are scheduled through Monday, June 6, before it crosses into Arkansas. See the schedule here.

I hope you each have a chance to glimpse those clouds of steam in person. 

A Nostalgic Ride on the Rails

I haven’t ridden on a train in a very long time, so yesterday was an awesome experience. Instead of heading to the office as usual, I boarded the Columbine car, one of several Union Pacific heritage series cars being pulled by the Challenger 3985 – a 1940s-era steam engine. It is one of only two steam engines of its kind that still runs today.

Soon we were departing for Washington, Missouri. I was awed by the site of the fog still rolling off the Missouri River as we pulled away from Jefferson City. The thick, billowing steam from the engine continuously rolled over the top of the train, helping block the bright glare of the sun on this crisp fall morning. The sway on the tracks and the clacking of the car connectors wasn’t enough to distract from the beautiful view of bluffs and trees now beginning to sport their fall colors.

Not too long into the journey, we passed over the Osage River. This is where a second train bridge will soon be built with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds awarded to MoDOT. This project will help eliminate another bottleneck that impacts the speed and velocity of today’s modern trains.

Later, we passed over the Gasconade River where UP eliminated a bottleneck two years ago by completing a second track over the Gasconade River. Then just before we got to Washington, the train correctly stopped to let the westbound Amtrak train go by.

Throughout the journey, we must have been quite a sight to see for the many people who were stopped at crossings along the way and in the quaint towns nestled by the tracks.

Although the Challenger left us behind there to travel on to Illinois, it will return to Missouri this weekend as a part of Sedalia’s sesquicentennial celebration. What a fitting tribute to a city that was shaped by railroad history. What a great way I have discovered to see Missouri!