Legendary Union Pacific Railroad Steam Locomotive to Pull Cheyenne Frontier Days Special Train
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No. 844
Omaha, Neb., July 13, 2011 – Union Pacific Railroad's legendary steam locomotive No. 844 will pull a special train for "Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days," as well as a fundraising special for the Cheyenne Depot Museum between Cheyenne, Wyo., and Denver, Colo. The excursions will celebrate railroad history and the heritage of Union Pacific.
In order to get in position to pull this year's Frontier Days special train, No. 844 will move to Denver from its base in Cheyenne, Wyo., on Thursday, July 21. The 20th annual "Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days Special" will make a round trip on Saturday, July 23, between Denver and Cheyenne.
Special trains have carried passengers to Frontier Days activities as far back as 1908. The trains operated each year for invited guests until 1970, with a time out for World War II. In 1992, the Frontier Days special train was resumed as a public event. The 21-car passenger train is sold out for this year's trip.
"We are proud to continue to be a part the Frontier Days celebration by pulling such a historic passenger special with the legendary steam locomotive No. 844 along the northern Colorado Front range," said Dick Hartman, Union Pacific's director – public affairs in Colorado and Wyoming.
A special train sponsored by the Cheyenne Depot Museumwill be pulled by No. 844 on Sunday, July 24 from Denver to Cheyenne. A limited number of tickets still are available for this fundraising public excursion. Ticket information can be found on the Cheyenne Depot Museum website.
The schedules for the special trains are:
| Thursday, July 21 Position move to Denver |
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| Depart | 9:30 a.m. MDT | Cheyenne, Wyo. | UP Rail Yard |
| Arrive | 1:30 p.m. | Denver, Colo. | Next to Coors Field North Parking Lot 33rd and Blake Streets |
| Friday, July 22 No Public Display |
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| Train Preparation | |||
| Saturday, July 23 | |||
| Depart |
7:00 a.m. MDT |
Denver, Colo. |
Next to Coors Field North Parking Lot 33rd and Blake Streets |
| Arrive Depart |
10:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m. |
Cheyenne, Wyo. | Depot Museum - 121 W. 15th St. |
| Arrive | 8:30 p.m. | Denver, Colo. | Next to Coors Field North Parking Lot 33rd and Blake Streets |
| Sunday, July 24 Cheyenne Depot Museum Excursion |
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| Depart |
1:00 p.m. MDT | Denver, Colo. |
Next to Coors Field North Parking Lot 33rd and Blake Streets |
| Arrive | 6:00 p.m. | Cheyenne, Wyo. | Depot Museum - 121 W. 15th St. |
Website visitors will be able to access route maps with varying amounts of detail. The GPS system will update the map every five minutes showing No. 844's location. GPS updates are also available on Twitter at twitter.com/UP_Steam.
About Steam Locomotive No. 844
Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1945. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger. When diesels took over all of the passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.
The engine has run hundreds of thousands of miles as Union Pacific's ambassador of goodwill. It has made appearances at Expo '74 in Spokane, the 1981 opening of the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento, the 1984 World's Fair in New Orleans and the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989. During the 1990s, No. 844 pulled numerous Denver Post Cheyenne Frontier Days specials and visited several Oklahoma cities during the Oklahoma Centennial in 2007. In 2010, No. 844 traveled to Harlingen, Texas, and Milliken, Colo., to be a part of those communities' heritage celebrations. Earlier this year the locomotive traveled 2,500-miles pulling the Little Rock Express Tour special as well as being on public display during the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
About Union Pacific
Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the country. Union Pacific serves many of the fastest-growing U.S. population centers and provides Americans with a fuel-efficient, environmentally responsible and safe mode of freight transportation. Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and Intermodal. The railroad emphasizes excellent customer service and offers competitive routes from all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways. Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North America's premier rail franchise.
Contact: Mark Davis, 402-544-5459 or mwdavis@up.com
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