the 844

Union Pacific had a contest and the STL route won. We were excited to see the Steam engine and headed to Dupo, IL as t came through. Too bad it wasn't disclosed that it would not actually stop for us to climb on it that day. It honestly came into Dupo, stopped for 2 minutes, and then left. Lucas was excited to see it but wanted to get closer and touch it. We will have to take a trip to the Museum of Transportation so he can see some trains up close.

The History of LIVING LEGEND NO. 844

THE LAST OF THE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

Many people know the engine as the No. 8444, since an extra '4' was added to its number in 1962 to distinguish it from a diesel numbered in the 800 series. The steam engine regained its rightful number in June 1989, after the diesel was retired.

Steam Locomotive No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad. It was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as theOverland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose andChallenger.

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.

Hailed as Union Pacific's "Living Legend," the engine is widely known among railroad enthusiasts for its excursion runs, especially over Union Pacific's fabled crossing of Sherman Hill between Cheyenne and Laramie, Wyoming.