My son and I drove spent the day following Union Pacific No. 844 up the Feather River Canyon yesterday. We started at Oroville at 8 a.m. and ended later in the afternoon when the train pulled into Portola.
This photograph is my best of the day. I like the classic pose of the 1940s-era 4-8-4 Northern pulling past a jubilant group of railfans at the Camp Layman Road grade crossing on the Middle Fork of the Feather River.
The UP 844 was the last steam locomotive built and delivered to the Union Pacific Railroad. With a 4-8-4 wheel arrangement, the locomotive was used in fast passenger train service until the 1957. It spent its last days in active service pulling freight trains.
The Union Pacific saved the engine from the scrapper's torch in 1960. It now tours the country as a living legacy to the days of steam. The locomotive was built by the American Locomotive Company and carries a construction number of 72791.
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Camp Layman Road crossing
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1 comment:
Great picture! I got to see the 844 in Roseville on the first weekend, and I watched her fly through Elmira (near Vacaville) at track speed. I pretty much choked at the moment of truth, though and only got two usable photos. I can only imagine the crowds in the Canyon when she went through.
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