Union Pacific FEF-3 4-8-4 Northern type steam locomotive, by Smokebox

[plicpriest1]

Well youtube and any free videos is always the best! I just got these videos because the looked great. I honestly recomend them to anybody who loves steam and wants to learn more about it. Sure they are a little dated, but worth the buy!

Of course getting them to Europe might cost an arm and a leg, but perhaps somebody is selling them there!

Still though I absolutely cannot wait for this 4-8-4 to be released! Its looking great!

Brian

[UP3985]

I guess if you want to be technical about it, those videos are only up to date as of 2011. Changes were made to the loco during the winter of 2011/2012 by the new manager that are not prototypical and really only preserve the loco's clean, fresh, brand new look. Look at pics from November 2011 compared to all the pics from last years 150th excursions. The loco is much cleaner and stays that way for longer. The Wilson blowdown separator system was re piped to spray under the cab and not on top of the boiler and cab.

Whitewalls were added as a special addition for the 50th anniversary of the 844's being placed into excursion service (last run of 2010). Steve Lee, the previous manager retired and the new manager has stepped up and made many changes. From 1996 to 2010, the 844 had the all black scheme. On the last 2010 excursion, the whitewalls were added. In 2011, the whitewalls remained and the 844 got new side rods (from my sources, the rods were made too tight and that's what caused a burned out bearing on the Little Rock Express.) In September 2011, the whistle was changed to the 3985's for the eastbound run to North Platte's Railfest. During that Railfest, the current whistle off a Big Boy was installed and has remained ever since. New boiler jacketing was made over that following winter along with the chrome things.

If you are interested in this stuff, then I highly recommend subscribing to the forum Trainorders and sifting through the old threads on the 844 and the UP Steam program. It's not all pretty either.

[mrennie]

I guess if you want to be technical about it, those videos are only up to date as of 2011. Changes were made to the loco during the winter of 2011/2012 by the new manager that are not prototypical and really only preserve the loco's clean, fresh, brand new look. Look at pics from November 2011 compared to all the pics from last years 150th excursions. The loco is much cleaner and stays that way for longer. The Wilson blowdown separator system was re piped to spray under the cab and not on top of the boiler and cab.

Whitewalls were added as a special addition for the 50th anniversary of the 844's being placed into excursion service (last run of 2010). Steve Lee, the previous manager retired and the new manager has stepped up and made many changes. From 1996 to 2010, the 844 had the all black scheme. On the last 2010 excursion, the whitewalls were added. In 2011, the whitewalls remained and the 844 got new side rods (from my sources, the rods were made too tight and that's what caused a burned out bearing on the Little Rock Express.) In September 2011, the whistle was changed to the 3985's for the eastbound run to North Platte's Railfest. During that Railfest, the current whistle off a Big Boy was installed and has remained ever since. New boiler jacketing was made over that following winter along with the chrome things.

If you are interested in this stuff, then I highly recommend subscribing to the forum Trainorders and sifting through the old threads on the 844 and the UP Steam program. It's not all pretty either.

This is very useful and interesting info. I had already come to realise that by working from a catalogue of photos that were taken in different years, I'm inevitably going to end up with some things from one time period mixed with others from another period. For example, I put the chrome bits on because I saw them in a lot of close-up photos, the piping is where it is in the best photos I could find, the whistle is the Hancock 3-Chime because that's the one I see in the few close-up photos I have, and so on. I also have to be careful with the engineering drawings because they are copies of the originals from circa 1944. To alleviate the potential for anachronisms, what I intend to do is to provide as many alternatives as time allows. Removing the chrome is easy - it's just a simple modification to a couple of texture files - but I doubt if I'll have time to offer the Big Boy whistle as an option. I will provide a version without the Mars light, and I hope to do a 1944 version without wind wings, placed down below instead of on top of the boiler, different cowcatchers, etc. First I want to get one version finished though.

I really do need to subscribe to trainorders. I hope to pick the brains of the people there who know a lot about UP844, especially those who work on maintaining and operating the loco.

[UP3985]

What I recommend doing (if I could be so bold) is to make the base version (chrome painted or not) true to the state of the 844 from the time it went from the greyhound scheme back to black in 1996 up to the end of 2011 before any major changes were made. The way you are going now (as I see it anyhow) is toward the 2012 state of things. I have often wanted to take the 844 "back to 2010" in the aspect of pretty much everything. Now don't get me wrong, some changes have been improvements and will be applicable anywhere (like new boiler jacketing)

If you are needing photos, I have plenty from 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Here are 2 in that order of the Fireman's side firebox. (I couldn't get the 3rd one to upload... )

[UP3985]

Here's 2011

[mrennie]

What I recommend doing (if I could be so bold) is to make the base version (chrome painted or not) true to the state of the 844 from the time it went from the greyhound scheme back to black in 1996 up to the end of 2011 before any major changes were made. The way you are going now (as I see it anyhow) is toward the 2012 state of things. I have often wanted to take the 844 "back to 2010" in the aspect of pretty much everything. Now don't get me wrong, some changes have been improvements and will be applicable anywhere (like new boiler jacketing)

If you are needing photos, I have plenty from 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Here are 2 in that order of the Fireman's side firebox. (I couldn't get the 3rd one to upload... )

It's a good idea. I'll start by changing the fireman's side of the firebox (shouldn't take long).

[UP3985]

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=167540

Here's a general closeup of the Engineers side.

[BNSF650]

844 would be great to have for RW

[mrennie]

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=167540

Here's a general closeup of the Engineers side.

That's interesting - I have several photos of the engineer's side and I can see subtle differences in each of them. It's clear that the piping, especially the blowdown separator, has been modified recently. In the new piping, there are more union rings and bend reinforcements.

11697854.jpg

ScreenShot014.jpg

I'll do my best to make everything consistent.

[BNSF650]

Are you also doing the fuel tenders and Boxcar?

[mrennie]

Are you also doing the fuel tenders and Boxcar?

I won't have time to do the auxiliary. It'll take me a long time just to do the loco's own tender. However, if there's enough interest/demand, I was thinking I might do them, and perhaps the observation cars, as another pack, at a later date. We'll have to see.

[buzz456]

There is a yellow UP tender already out there.

UPtender.jpg

[mrennie]

There is a yellow UP tender already out there.

UPtender.jpg

Yep

I'll make sure my tender is able to hook up to that one.

[mrennie]

Several people have asked about a version without the chrome, striping and white-walling.

Here's a taste of what it will look like:

2013-10-13_00002.jpg

2013-10-13_00003.jpg

I like it It looks more beefy.

[UP3985]

A note about those pilot wheels again: The centers are indeed white. I agree! it looks much more masculine!
***BUT it does still look nice without them!