Friends of the Rail Forum

Union Pacific 4-8-4 No 844 is in Houston this weekend
I had to meet my wife at the airport so missed the arrival and the complex series of shunts to get her and her train at the station and facing the right direction for departure so I had to content myself with a visit to the public open day.
As it was free and a nice day the crowds were large and prevented any photos of the complete loco so I had to do a series of detail shots and go out on Monday for some action shots on the line North west from Houston.
2012-10-27 UP 844 General view of the right hand side looking forward
2012-10-27 UP 844 Right rear loco bogie showing high tech speedometer connections
2012-10-27 UP 844 Right hand injectors under cab and MU connection for assisting diesel
2012-10-27 UP 844 14 wheel tender arranged as a 4-10-0
2012-10-27 UP 844 Auxiliary water tank
2012-10-27 UP 844 Auxiliary water tank 6 wheel bogie
2012-10-27 UP 844 Couplings and MU cables between tender and auxiliary tank
2012-10-27 UP 844 Couplings and MU cables between auxiliary tank and the MU assist diesel controlled from the steam loco cab
2012-10-27 UP 844 Left hand cylinder with the only trace of steam showing the loco was in steam
2012-10-27 UP 844 Front view of loco
2012-10-27 UP 844 Right side of tender
2012-10-27 UP 844 Right side of loco obscured by the crowds
2012-10-27 The assist diesel No 7947 (GE ES44AC)

One has to be blown away by the incredible size of that loco!! What fuel does it use .. oil or coal? I do not like the yellow painted auxiliary water tender though, I think should it be black. And, why the assisting diesel? Surely that steam beast is powerful enough?

I think the colour of the auxiliary tank was to match the rest of the train, especially when the diesel is not included.
The diesel is in the consist to provide dynamic braking and also in a breakdown to push the loco out of the way as this is operating on a busy mainline much of which is single track.

It is an oil burner, but I understand it was originally a coal burner.