Union Pacific 844 - .02 Ghosts of the Northern

Union Pacific 844 was built in December 1944 and was operated in revenue service until 1959. She was the last steam locomotive built for the Union Pacific Railroad.

Designed for passenger service, 844 headed up express trains along Union Pacific's mainline until diesels began to take root in 1957. She continued her useful life with fast freights in Nebraska until 1959, when she was placed in storage.

Unlike her sisters, 844 was never retired and was rebuilt in 1960. While she has not had an excursion run since 2019, 844 continues to be the face of Union Pacific's Heritage Fleet, earning the nickname "The Living Legend" from railfans. Her home is Cheyenne, Wyoming near the iconic Sherman Hill.

The Northern Type steam locomotive was a triumph of American steam railroading. First introduced in 1926, these beasts roamed the coastlines and mountain passes of the nation’s busiest routes until as late as 1963.

They were fast, strong, reliable, versatile, and were very popular with passengers. The locomotives were characterized by their eight 80-inch diameter driving wheels and four supporting wheels on each end of the massive boiler.

They were called by many names: “Greenbrier”, “Dixie”, “Niagara”, and “Potomac,” just to name a few, but their most common name was “Northern”, and so they are commonly known today.

Many were preserved after retirement and one even remains active on the locomotive roster of a Class I railroad to this day. These engines are like ghosts of the rails. Specters, haunting the line, crying out after a bygone era, the like of which had never been seen before, nor ever will be seen again.

Music By Peter Iverson
Unpublished work copyright (c) 2022 by Peter Ian Iverson

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