645 posted:Hot Water posted:To be clear, the Union Pacific has NEVER "turned down" the SP 4449 group from ANY operations on UP. The main fact is, the SP 4449 group has NEVER asked the UP to "operate 4449 on their lines! There really isn't any suitable locations on the former SP lines in Oregon to operate one day excursions to anyway.Thank you for setting me straight on the facts regarding 4449 potentially operating on the UP - thought it was asked at least once after UP took over the Espee.
I did meet Mr. Ed Dickens once very briefly a few years ago and subject of SP 4449 and other non-UP steam operating on UP came up. Mr. Dickens told me at that time only UP owned and maintained steam is permitted to operate on UP trackage.
Well, that may be HIS "policy" but prior to the retirement of Steve Lee, the UP actually ASKED our group (SP 4449) on two different occasions to join their 844 in operations. The first time, back in 1999, was the dedication of the J. R. Davis Yard in Roseville (which was eventually delayed enough so that just UP 844 and 3985 handled the big event), and the second time was for the double header operation in 2007 out of Tacoma, Washington.
