Steamin' through the Blues

UP AND OVER: Snaking its way into picturesque, quiet landscapes, the 844 leaves the lower farmlands east of Pendleton and begins its ascent into the Blue Mountains. (The Observer/CHRIS BAXTER).

- Bill Rautenstrauch

- The Observer

ABOARD No. 844 — Heralded by a piercing whistle and clouds of smoke, history came rolling through Northeast Oregon Thursday.

Number 844, the last steam engine ever built for Union Pacific Railroad, huffed and puffed and chugged its way from Hinkle, near Hermiston, to La Grande on its way to its home in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Hauling a tender, a dormitory car, a souvenir car and a string of passenger cars, she performed like the champion she is. Plenty of people attested to that.

"It's got a powerful engine and a smooth take-off," said six-year-old Chandler Barto, one of about 90 passengers who rode the special train on the Hinkle-to-La Grande segment.

On the first leg, over the flats between Hinkle and Pendleton, the engineer pulled out the stops — though not quite all the way.

The train ran about 60 mph and it seemed effortless. The truth was, the engine, built during World War II, had plenty of go-power left to give.

"It can cruise right along at 79," said Conductor Reed Jackson of Fort Collins, Colorado.

No. 844, known to many as Union Pacific's "Living Legend," returned to service in 2005 after one of the most extensive steam locomotive overhauls in the United States since the 1950s.

The work began in 2000 and affected the running gear, pumps, piping, valves, and springs, along with replacement of its firebox and extensive boiler work.

Jackson, the Union Pacific's one and only passenger train conductor, expressed abiding faith in the overhaul.

"The engine's running like a Swiss watch," he said. "That's probably the number one factor in the success of a tour like this. A breakdown could wreak havoc with the scheduling."

No. 844 was the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad and was delivered in 1944.

A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.

When diesel-electric locomotives took over all passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.

Sine then, it has run hundreds of thousands of miles for UP's Heritage program.

"We have a proud past and we all hope to keep the heritage alive," said Jackson.

Early this month, No. 844 set out from its home base in Cheyenne on a Heritage tour through Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The tour marked the first time a Heritage train has traveled north of Portland.

On May 7, the train made an overnight stop in La Grande, drawing, as it has elsewhere, hundreds of adoring fans.

Among them was Dale Mammen, La Grand attorney and businessman. He struck up a conversation with Mary Nystrom, a Heritage program volunteer concessions coordinator.

Mammen wondered whether it would be possible for locals to ride the train on its return trip later in the month. Nystrom put Mammen in touch with Charles Clark, a UP representative based in Boise.

"The ride developed from there," Mammen said. "First, UP said they'd provide sweet rolls, coffee and juice. Then they threw in sack lunches, and they also decided to pay for the buses to get Union and Umatilla County people to the train and back home again."

Passengers were mainly community leaders from both the public and private sectors. They included city councilors, county commissioners and business people.

They were shuttled from La Grande and Pendleton to the UP's yard at Hinkle. There, they cheerfully obeyed Jackson when he hollered his trademark "All Aboard!"

The observation car at the end of the train, with its huge windows, filled up fast. So did the dome car, with its elevated seating.

People who didn't get the coveted spaces took seats elsewhere on the train. There was plenty of room for everybody, and nobody seemed unhappy.

"This is fantastic," said Gary Duberow, a representative of Forest Capital Products. "There's so much space to move around and talk to people, and the ride's really relaxing."

Steve Adams, a member of the Wallowa-Union Railroad's board of directors, hardly sat down at all. He stood on a platform between cars and watched scenery fly by.

Asking him to compare this ride with the WURR's trips down the Wallowa River canyon was like asking him to compare apples and oranges. The Wallowa River excursions are meant to be slowly savored, he said.

"They're both beautiful, but on our line I'd rather be going 10 miles an hour," he said.

La Grande City Councilor Mary Ann Miesner was on board with her husband, Arlan. Mary Ann said she was the only councilor free to take the trip that day. It was too bad, she added, that more couldn't come.

"The hospitality's been great and the trip's been wonderful," she said.

No. 844 rolled on, past Rieth, past Pendleton, past Mission on the Umatilla reservation, sounding its whistle at the crossings. All along the route, people came out to see the train, take pictures of it and wave to the crew and passengers.

Four-legged critters were less enthusiastic. They objected to the noise. A horse was seen to kick up its heels and bolt away. A flock of sheep stood on the crest of a hill and stared in dumb-struck wonder. A herd of cows stampeded across a pasture in blind panic.

As for 844, the hardest work lay ahead. The engine slowed dramatically as it began the steep ascent of the Blue Mountains. Its rhythmic

chuffing grew louder; great clouds of black smoke drifted back over the cars.

But there was never any question the train would make it up the grade. It passed through Meacham, honked its horn for the waiting crowd of well-wishers. In fine form, it chugged through the tiny communities of Kamela, Five Points Creek and Perry.

Then , finally, it pulled into La Grande, the day's work done.

It was time for the crew to replenish fuel and water supplies, do the day-to-day maintenance and take a rest before pushing on toward Cheyenne Friday.

And time also for the passengers to get back to their lives, taking their memories with them.

"I'm tickled at the way it came out," said Mammen. "I'm just happy this many people got the chance to experience it."