# Visit to Union Pacific's Steam Shop 02/16/18



## Maxum (Apr 10, 2017)

I very fortunately live an hour away from Cheyenne, Wyoming where Union Pacific houses their heritage fleet of locomotives. Their passenger cars are stored in Council Bluffs, Iowa. My tour included both the steam shop and roundhouse. For those that are not familiar with their facility or collection, they have a large amount of vintage equipment that is unrestored in addition to their well know restored equipment. Much of the unrestored equipment comes from railroads they have bought out over the years including Chicago & Northwestern, Southern Pacific and some from UP's past. 

Bigboy 4014 is scheduled to steam up in 2019. 844 is fully operational after a multi year "frame up" thorough restoration and was covered up during my visit. 3985 is in need of major boiler repairs and has been "taken off the roster" per UP Steam Program manager Ed Dickens. Ed says he hopes to tackle 3985 after 4014 is running. The workmanship on 4014 was impressive and the attention to detail on the front engine was incredible, especially all the lube lines.

All the vintage diesels, DD40X Centennial and the ABA set of E9's are operational. Steam locomotive 838 is, and has been for years, slowly being cannibalized for parts for 844. Steam locomotive 5511 is complete for the most part, but just stored. No one seems to know why this locomotive has survived as it is not suitable for use on UP's system due to it's slow speed (under 40mph during normal use). 5511's piston rods were cut many years ago. Sorry if a couple of my pictures are not the greatest as I had to take them while I was walking in order to not have people standing in front of me. If you ever get the chance to tour their facility, do it.


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

WOW!

Thank you for posting the pictures and all the information. I enjoyed both!

As most on here know, I'm a huge UP steam era fan. 

I've always wondered the same about 5511, how it's survived all these years. The TTT class was a workhorse for UP and I find it fitting it still graces the Steam Shop. 

A visit to Cheyenne is on my bucket list. The history and all those huge locomotives...Yeah, pretty awesome to say the least.


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## Maxum (Apr 10, 2017)

86TA355SR said:


> WOW!
> I've always wondered the same about 5511, how it's survived all these years. The TTT class was a workhorse for UP and I find it fitting it still graces the Steam Shop.
> 
> A visit to Cheyenne is on my bucket list. The history and all those huge locomotives...Yeah, pretty awesome to say the least.


I've always thought 5511 was a good looking locomotive. If you haven't seen it, Union Pacific made a film in the late 1950's called "Last of the Giants". In the film (made in and around Cheyenne) you can see 5511 (5:15 mark) and 3985 (9:40 mark) being operated back in the day. 






In the last 15 or so years I've gotten to go traipsing around the steam shop and round house a bunch of times. My dad used to have a friend that was a UP engineer and he'd take us around on his days off. The steam crew was/is very friendly and would invite us to crawl around the cabs. On one visit engineer Lynn Nystrom (he passed away a few years ago) was moving the E9's around and invited my dad up for a cab ride. Unfortunately I stayed home sick that day. Bummer! Both my dad an I continue to marvel how rail fan friendly the UP steam program is and how remarkable it is that they allow the general public in their shops.


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## 86TA355SR (Feb 27, 2015)

THAT video was one of the first I found on YT! Probably watched it a couple of hundred times, literally!

Thanks for sharing, others can enjoy it too!


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## Norton (Nov 5, 2015)

Thank you for the pics. We stopped in Cheyenne a few years ago on one of our cross country trips. We did get to tour the passenger station and saw the Big Boy in the park but the engine house wasn't open to visitors at the time.
That same trip we stopped at North Platte for the Bailey Yard, and the DD40x and Challenger in the park. Mind blowing to see all of the engines they have both at the yard and on the road. We were traveling US 30 which pretty much is in eyesight of the mainline from Idaho to Iowa.

Pete


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

Neat photos. I visited the shop during a LCCA convention in Denver. The club took the UP Executive train from Denver to Cheyenne for the shop tour. I was one of the lucky ones to get a dome seat, the view was great on the trip up to Cheyenne.

Bill


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2018)

Excellent report. Thanks for the information.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Oh Wow!! Thank you.

Aren't big machines fantastic?


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## Bryan Moran (Jan 15, 2017)

Well I will have to put that on the list. I am in the Buick Club and their National Meet is in Denver area this year and it's likely our family summer trip.

Dad and I went to Bailey Yard this past summer. Really neat but the guide - a retired U.P. engineer - was bitter at the U.P. and little good to say about the modern management team. 

I will definitely see if I can get into this rebuild facility which I also had no idea existed. We lived in Cheyenne for 3 years.


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

I'd love to see an overall shot of that building. It must me gigantic.


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## Maxum (Apr 10, 2017)

Spence said:


> I'd love to see an overall shot of that building. It must me gigantic.


Actually the steam shop and the round house are a fraction of the size they used to be. 

The steam shop in the foreground with the round house as they appear today










Yard as it appeared on my visit










This photo was taken somewhere between the 1950's-1970's when part of the roundhouse had already been taken down. Seeing as I can see turbines and no steam engines, I would guess this was taken in the 1960's.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Great pictures, that looks like a fun visit!


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

Thank you for the photos. :thumbsup:


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## Stoshu (Jun 20, 2015)

It's just amazing how big and complicated that steam engine is... Thanks for the pictures...


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## Fabforrest (Aug 31, 2015)

Would love to see some aerial shots of this complex from the heyday of steam.


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