Long steam locomotive runs

[timz]

They say SFe 4-8-4s did run thru LA-KC, but probably just via Amarillo-- so not on the Chief.

None of us fans knows how many long runs continued to be regular practice after the RRs tried them. SP wanted to run its first 4-8-2s 800+ miles LA to El Paso starting around 1924, and maybe they did-- but we don't have any idea whether it turned out to be worthwhile and they kept it up. Kratville says UP planned to run its 4-8-4s Omaha (Council Bluffs?) to Ogden or Salt Lake or Huntington or someplace, but I get the impression they usually ended up changing at Cheyenne. Was that just because the 4-8-4 shop was in Cheyenne? If so, why did they first plan to run thru?

So we've all read about proposed long runs, but I don't know of any books that will tell us how many lasted.

[Firelock76]

Hi DeLuxe!  Go to the "Trains" magazine website, once there select "Forum", in the "Forum" select "Steam and Preservation".  The steam long distance discussion is there.

[De Luxe]

I didn´t find anything after typing longest steam run into the search bar...

[daveklepper]

There was an earlier thread that had some or all of the information you want.    Check it out on the search button/

[De Luxe]

Hello everybody,

I would like to know a little bit more about long steam locomotive runs. I know that the Santa Fe 4-8-4´s hold the record for the longest steam runs between Kansas City and Los Angeles on the Chief. Northern Pacific´s 4-8-4´s also did a long run between St. Paul and Livingston on the North Coast Limited. But what about other western roads like Great Northern, Milwaukee, Union Pacific, Burlington, Rock Island or Southern Pacific? How long were their longest steam locomotive runs and on which trains? I don´t know anything else about that.