Steam Train Union Pacific 844 a Rare Steam Only Run! 

The raw elegance of such brute power thundering down the tracks is a magnificent thing, is it not? A beautiful machine.

I betcha dollars to doughnuts that engineer was dreaming of this run since he was knee high to an oil can.I know I have.

This is quite possibly my favorite video on all of RU-vid, and I can't count how many times I've watched it. The segment from 6:23 to 7:07 is absolutely the most perfect-quality clip (for both audio -and- video) of a steam train that I have seen thus far. I was fortunate enough to ride a steam train in England, but the steam engines there PALE in comparison to the sheer size, sound, and power these American brutes have! The steam train I saw in England gave a single, fairly wimpy-sounding "toot" when it switched directions. Meanwhile, UP 844's whistle has a very nice, forceful, "Get the *HELL* out of my way!!" sound to it. :3

Steam only! Just as it should be! :)

Can you imagine having that steam whistle/valve as your alarm clock.Your boss won't have to worry about you being late to work!

It looks a lot better without the diesel helper.

funny how the bigger locomotives got, the more compact and cylindrical they became - to fit through tunnels, obviously, no jutting smokestacks could be used

It makes me quiver, it's just so awesome what our predecessors accomplished!

NS started their steam program up again.

he is truly one of the most fantastic steam locomotives in the steam program.

Wow what a beast! The crap we got today is a molecule compared to this huge loco!

I once heard they only tow a diesel/electric locomotive to aid in (dynamic) braking and production of electric power. The steam loco still provides 100% of the motive power.....just what i heard.

I remember when the 844 went by my house, one of my favorite memories.

Three tenders are because there are fewer places to take on fuel than when steam reigned supreme! In other words, fewer places to fill up means you have to take a bigger lunch with you! :) As far as water is concerned, in the old days, they used to have watering pans that locomotives could pick up water "On the fly." Those are all gone now.

The clip at 6:09 is one of the most impactful, passionate examples of steam railroading I’ve ever seen. Expertly captures and deserved to be preserved forever

It's one of the finest steam locomotive ever produce...

Look a-yonder comin' Comin' down that railroad track Hey, look a-yonder comin' Comin' down that railroad track...

Also, I found out there are two Union Pacific locomotives numbered 844. The steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific and diesel locomotive owned by Nevada Southern.

Love your videos, Skip. Steam train chasing is on my bucket list!

Wow another awesome train video. Thank you SteamUP I am loving these so much. Love from Eastern Cape, South Africa

Now, this is what people want to see. A steam engine without a diesel behind it. (I know that the diesel is only there for dynamic breaking. And that it’s only in neutral)

Beautiful Sounding Whistle and Awesome Built Locomotive 💗❤💗❤👏🚂 in the UK we have some Great legends of Steam But this is Awesome .The Sound enough was enough to leave a lump in my Throat ❤💗❤💗❤💗

1:18 's horn blast made me chuckle for some reason

The only time I was able to see her was when I was 6 years old. I was in kindergarten in Ogalala, Ne our teacher took us down to the tracks and let us watch her roll by. I'm 18 now about to turn 19 in September and I want to go back to ogallala just to see her once more if she still does those occasional trips. I'm in iowa now and I miss Ogallala, Ne so much. I miss hearing the Pacific union trains horn at night, its calming and helped me sleep. I lived on prarie drive in ogallala and I havent been back to ogallala since early 2013. It been too long

The 3rd to last shot is so beautiful. The way 844 “clears her throat” and sings all the way to the crossing is just so beautiful. 844 to me just represents everything that was ever good about American and our industrial might. How American would always build it bigger and better and never settle.

Please remember, everyone, the trailed diesel engine is not there to assist with thurst. It is there for dynamic braking and to supply electricity to the train. The steamers had a small steam turbine generator that used some of the steam supply from the boiler. This, of course, effected economy. The steam generator is also not as good as the enormous generation provided by the diesel-electric locomotive. On short trains, and trains not requiring electricity, or little electricity, the steamer will stop good enough without the diesel locomotive dynamic braking. When a diesel is seen trailing a steam engine, the steamer is still providing all locomotion.

I am in love with Skip's vids and have been for a while now. Having recently looked at a couple of other chasers again, I am sorely reminded of just how wonderful Skip's camera work truly is! Keep 'em coming, my good fellow...we will never get enough!!!!

What an honor it must be to engineer these ol ladies!

Love watching these beautiful big steamers at speed, top video

Adding a hi def camera to the front of the locomotive would be a great safety upgrade.The engineer and fireman would have lcd monitor to look at instead of craning their necks to see in front of the locomotive.

Nice catch. I've seen the rare steam only run, to. I saw it pull into Kansas City Union Station. I didn't have my camera with me, though.

I really liked the speed shots of the 844 blowing through the road crossings. You get a sense of the speed and power. AWESOME!

That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen... This comment cannot relay the amount of awesomeness in this engine. Absolutely Beautiful!

What an “AMAZING TRAIN” … We are in awe of this powerful steam train and LIKE all YOUR wonderful VIDEOS! Thank You so very much! Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Two TurboGenerators on top of the boiler - the two "drums" with steam exhaust stacks just ahead of the cab, visible in the close-ups. IIRC they're 65V DC at a KW or two each - for the headlight, cab lights, two-way radios and Stuff. For power tools or A/C you need a generator - they are in the Tool Cars (converted Baggage Cars) in the back. (Note: Electrician, not a Foamer.) 844 must be Sleeve Bearing, they're greasing the journals with "Crater" stick grease. Manual grease gun.

I just love how these kind of trains "breathe." All the little jets of steam and noises make it a very cool thing to watch.

Can you imagine being a kid in the early 1800's and seeing one of these for the first time? Must have been epic!

Thanks yet again Skip! Awesome stuff as always!!!!!

Thanks for watching and FYI the ground shakes when it flys by at 60mph

I am glad at least a few of these fantastic machines are kept up and used occasionally.

Absolutely beautiful. They don't make 'em like that anymore.

Great video,,thanks for making it!!!

This answers my curiosity about the other video showing this train racing through the countryside with no diesel. Very cool.

Very cool to see her pulling by herself, no them steam locamotives are not weak or slow. Very cool stuff, I love Union Pacific.

What an angry sounding beast.! Lovely to hear and see

That is so cool, i have always wanted to take a ride on a steam locomotive, they were already gone and replaced with diesels before i was even born..

Thank you for uploading this! my mom and i enjoyed watching

what a beautiful beast and the whistle sound is so daunting.

When your horn goes off it touches my heart the ghostly sound of it yup

Top shelf video and subject matter!

that big, black,greasy, smokey son of a gun is one of the most beautiful things that I have ever seen. I would love to get my hands on it, just to wipe down the drivers.

Hi Skip, UK viewer and UP fan here! I have been watching and enjoying your clips for years now but never commented before, and should have done. Particularly enjoy your pacing shots which are some of the very best around, and loving the flyby shots in this clip too. I've never managed to see UP locos in steam personally (visited Cheyenne's museum last year, though!) so youtube is the next best thing and your clips are the best UP footage on the site by far. Thanks again, Tim

Fantastic as always - steam fan heaven can't get much better!!

She is a beauty. I don’t see trains as horses, I see them as dragons! Man couldn’t find dragons, so he built their own. Our iron clad dragons are preserved so we may use them again one day.

Went over to see it downtown Austin, but the drivers had been flattened. Great to see your quality uploads of the 844! *****

Amazing video as always Skip. My 21 month old son and I watch your videos almost everyday! Thanks much from Buffalo, NY.

Union Pacific takes no prisoners, get the heck out of her way.

I "SHARED" it on my FB page - to me this is a MUST view video for all of us that love steam trains especially nice video without the diesel helper. Thanks

My goodness, what a beautiful locomotive. You're lucky you get to see her so often! I hope the UP never ends its steam program like NS and Chessie did.

Amazing - enjoyed this so much!

Your last shot is probably the coolest! Thanks for posting.

An awesome video, Skip! I LOVE the 844!! I really enjoy all your videos of the 844, but this one is especially great!! Long live the UP 844!!!!

Love to see that steam rolling out !! She’s a beauty !! 👍🏻👍🏻

I'm fortunate to see this thing every year going through Colorado for Cheyenne frontier days

Love watching 844 and 3985. Looking forward to watching the test runs of 4014. Union Pacific's triple play! Bring it on!!

And these trains are maded on paper no highly advanced computer simulations is used to develop this beast. And 3:24 look at that magnificent charm telling magnitude of a long story.

The diesel is there for two reasons: dynamic breaking and to help supply power to the trailing cars. It is only engaged in an emergency. The 844 has enough power on her own to out tow several diesel power units.

Great video! I always enjoy a start up. Thanks for posting!

Unfortunately, Ive never seen a steam loco in person, but I always knew they were big. But seeing those workers next to the drive wheels really put it in perspective for me. They are A LOT more massive than I thought.

Thanks for Watching, And the comments as they Steam me UP to make another Video.

A thing of total beauty and its living and breathing....wonderful..

They look best without the flag on the Oil Tank, and just the old UNION PACIFIC script...

A mind dose to watch this steam gent a US pride and pride of engineers

Superbe machine maintenue en excellent état de marche depuis sa construction.A pleine puissance,on ne peut plus compter le nombre de tours de roue par seconde!!

I'm willing to bet one of her supply wagons is now equipped with the same modern communications and track safety equipment that the diesels carry, making her capable of running without a diesel so long as that wagon is included in her train. Steamers typically have a diesel in tow to operate said safety equipment as well as providing assistance if the steam engine runs into trouble.

whah!!! quelle machine !!! superbe travail de restauration .

This a great looking ALCo Steamer for old eyes. This one sure make me miss the old Baldwin Steamers I use to Throttle Jerk. A 5 star film :-)

when i was 10 i remember going out west whith family,we would stop along union pacific tracks for lunch lots of trains passed by,all steam,ill never forget..

The smoke rolling out at 4:00 is so awesome!

My son and I love watching the UP 844 before he goes to sleep every night

What a beast! That shot you took looking from the back gives a real idea of the massive size of the crank pin and big end bearing, certainly dwarfs our stuff here in Britain. Not that I'm saying it's better, but....

Love the old horn, so haunting gives me goosebumps

Follow the link and You can drop by the shops this weekend in Cheyenne and discuss your concerns with the crew at the Cheyenne Steam shops. Also get a ticket to Ride 844 back to Cheyenne July 22, 2012 after the CFD rodeo trip dome seats are just 110 USD best deal in America for a mainline steam excursions usually they do excellent runbys on the Terry Buffalo Ranch

Very nice video work. Thanks

Great to see 844 without a helper.

Beautiful Steam beast

That’s how all the surviving UP steam engines should really work, no diesels.

i need that whistle as a horn in my car lol 😍💪🏾

Honestly glad to see her without the stupid diesel electrics with her. It makes it more majestic and like a flash from the past

I love its whistle! It sounds like a fog horn!

Please just don't quit!

Wish she would go up the Orgen Short line but maybe next year, we do get the E9s and it was been a long time so its not a bad thing. Looks like she is running like a top after the scare in Texas. And as always good job skip.

Really nice! Thank you!

Another good one SkipW..great action shots, Keep em comin' Kind Regards John. UK

Wow what an awesome job you did making this video. The camera work was very steady and the shot of you running beside the 844 was priceless, you then finished it up with a great ending. Well done my friend, well done indeed. I will be picking up this Locomotive with the same number 844 in a HO scale very soon.

Good to hear from you again! Have Fun this summer

Superb ... Amazing machine... excellent video

What an awesome engine..She lives, she breathes.....

i just love the new whistle that they fitted

Comment - Nicely done. Great start up, greasing, and the opening part where he comes in to stop,. You din['t post the speed but otherwise, lovely. Good pacing.