I heard UP 844 was Originally a coal burning locomotive. Does anyone have photos to back this up?
No pictures but this says they operated for a year or so as coal burners before conversion to oil firing.
https://www.steamlocomotive.com/locobase.php?country=USA&wheel=4-8-4&railroad=up
I believe you will find that ALL the FEFs were built as coal burners, and converted in 1946. Some of the fancy arch-tube circulator tubing was taken out in the conversion, reducing the radiant heating surface.
In between the wartime restrictions and the short time between FEF-3 construction and the time the postwar conversion was made, I expect pictures of coal-burning FEF-3s to be relatively scarce.
Check out the cover of this book for sale at The Colorado Railroad Museum:
https://shop.coloradorailroadmuseum.org/Products/BuildingUnionPacific844.aspx?skuid=1002862
Click on the “Larger Photo” link on the lower left to enlarge it.
It is quite a dramatic shot. Coal in the tender, fire on the grates, smoke streaming back and rolling thunder coming right at you.
Great photo all right! Reminds me of a quote from the late Don Ball...
"This was railroading for all eternity."
I visited the Colorado Railroad Museum about 20 years ago, and in addition to being a fun place they had the most well-stocked bookstore of railroad titles I'd ever seen, anywhere, and not just western railroading, the whole country was covered. Just as amazing as the museum itself.
Presumeably it's still the same. At least I hope so.
Firelock76 Great photo all right! Reminds me of a quote from the late Don Ball... "This was railroading for all eternity." I visited the Colorado Railroad Museum about 20 years ago, and in addition to being a fun place they had the most well-stocked bookstore of railroad titles I'd ever seen, anywhere, and not just western railroading, the whole country was covered. Just as amazing as the museum itself. Presumeably it's still the same. At least I hope so.
kgbw49: (no "State" in the museum's name, that's California)
Thanks Mudchicken, if I ever get out there again I'll make the time for another visit!
Show up on a Saturday and we'll show you the place in a little different way.
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