844 Mars Light removed? (Confirmed, it's gone)

Well that certainly is a different look

Not exactly, Chis. In 1955, 844 was up-graded with the Worthington Type S Feedwater System. So, if someone wants to "back date" the 844 to her "as delivered" appearance, they will have to remove the Worthington System and re-install the original Sellers Exhaust Steam Injector system. Oh, and don't forget that 844 was a coal burner in that photo of her in 1944!

And what was the reason to convert them to oil?  Were more western locomotives converted to oil than those that ran in the east? - a question by my young nephew.

One man's coffee is another man's tea......but I really like the NKP Berks and equivalents without the Mars Light.  They look cleaner/less cluttered, IMHO.

However, I think the 844 looks better WITH her Mars light.  Granted, it may just be that I'm used to seeing her that way.  Personally, I think that her large boiler front just seems to absorb the Mars light better.  Maybe it's just the way the red light contrasts with the grey/graphite boiler front?

Again, just my opinion......

iirc It was because of the hot cinders that started fires in the dry areas of the west.

Ahh your right...I knew about her being delivered as a coal burner but forgot about the upgrade to the Worthington system.  Thanks for the clarification.  It is amazing how different the FEF's looked when delivered.

Chris

Nope! All the UP FEF class 4-8-4s were converted to oil burning, fairly quickly in 1945, for two main reasons:

1) An impending coal miner's strike!

2) The exhaust gasses from an oil burner were easier to filter out of the new air conditioning systems on the new streamlined passenger equipment, than the soot and coal dust from the coal burners. Wayside fires were NOT an issue back in the steam days, since all those 4-12-2s, 4-8-2s, 2-8-2s 4-6-6-4s and 4-8-8-4s, which still burned coal, kept the right-of-way pretty well "burnt clean", between Omaha and Ogden!

Thank you for the correction Hot Water.  

Now, what are those round silver things which seem to be recently attached to the boiler?

Those are stainless steel "dog food bowls" that are placed at each wash-out plug. Also, don't forget to look for all the bright polished fasteners/bolts all over the jacketing!

Talk about BLING!!!!!

OK, those SS dog food bowls just does not do justice to the look of the engine.

could spend the money to get the 3895 going!

I agree guys.  I understand everyone has their own likes and dislikes and many like her current appearance but to me with the whitewalls and all the stainless it just looks like a "trailer queen" and not an active UP FEF.  It's like pimp my locomotive......  She belongs black.... to me anyhow.  Uhhh I miss Steve Lee......

Chris

You haven't seen anything yet! Wait until they start adding more chrome to 844!

Oh boy, I can't wait to see what they do next...

More?.....Oh boy.  Whats next a chromed pilot?....  Maybe tint the cab windows and some neon lights under the boards.

Chris

How's about "spinners" on the driving wheels?

Rusty

Anybody remember the TV show about India's railways?  They had a contest to see who could do the most elaborate job of decorating a steam loco.  I wonder how 765 would look with an elephant trunk?  How about replacing the Mars light with a whirligig?

We have just installed a hydraulic suspension modification on the 765. This will enable us to make her jump up and down like some of the modded cars can do these days. 

We have also spent almost $10,000 on 42,674 multi-color LED's which will be placed under the locomotive and tender all around the frame, to give her that pimped out, all-bling glow. We have also installed a Bluetooth electronic controller that can change the color of the LED's from an iPad or iPhone.

We will announce a night photo session soon. 

Good grief!!!

Can't wait until the new UP steam manager finds out about THIS!!!!!!

The more I think about the removal of the Mars light on 844 while in Omaha confuses even more (which doesn't take much at times).  One simple question, why would it not have been removed while in Cheyenne while it is stored there prior to the trip to Omaha?  Surely this was not some spur of the moment thing I wouldn't think.  I guess they could have put it into a box and hauled it back to Cheyenne for safe keeping???  Anybody else have any thoughts, strange for sure.

Ken

I dig those dice.

The Spinners are cool,  needs a plastic Jesus on the dash though

Ed Dickens is doing a great job of keeping everyone happy around the UP Steam Program...

What's next, he's going to try to trade 3985 for a Big Boy?????

Oh. Wait.

Wonder why nobody can work for him then?

Didn't she get a new smoke box door this year?...maybe there was an issue with the mount...?

Chris

HW- 99.99999 percent of what comes out of my mouth is generally sarcastic and cynical. I get it honest though - I am a lobbyist.

While it's attached here, it's the first time I've seen a picture with the Mars light on.

I should say that it appears to be on...

That is the Denver Post, Cheyenne Frontier Days Special, and during the turning operation in Denver, and brake test, the air usually goes into emergency, thus turning on the red Mars Warning light. Once the air is recovered, the Engineer resets the Mars light.

I guess now that there is not a Mars light on 844 and when there is an emergency Ed Dickens jumps out the cab and starts running down the track waving his hands!  Sometimes we progress and sometimes we regress.

Everyone have a safe 4th.!

Ken

Rusty

Does anyone know how far (roughly) the distance is between the back edge of the headlight to the surface of the smoke box door?  

Thanks.

I guess the next time UP brings 844 to a town near you, you could go down and ask one of the crew members to measure it for you, assuming they reinstall the red Mars Warning Light.

That red light looks like a bad Photoshop job to me.

How about this video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km6-nfvRiXU

Chris

Then I suggest that you contact the Union Pacific Historical Society, and purchase the drawing/drawings for the headlight mounting on the FEF-3 class locomotives. One way or another the UPHS should be able to help you.

Will do.  Thanks very much for the suggestion.