AMERICANIA one of it's BEST

UNION PACIFIC STEAM

LOCOMOTIVE THE 844

FORMERLY THE 8444

THE 844 UNION PACIFIC STEAM ENGINE IS A PIECE OF AMERICANA THAT MY HUSBAND AND MYSELF ARE TOTALLY ENAMORED WITH.  WE FIRST CHASED THIS TRAIN AS A PAIR OF YOUNG NEWLYWEDS.  WHY CHASE THE TRAIN?   IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE TO RIDE IT.  YOU HAVE TO BE VERY LUCKY TO DO THAT, BECAUSE IT ONLY RUNS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.   THE TRAIN WAS ON IT'S WAY BACK FROM DISPLAY AT THE NEW ORLEANS WORLDS FAIR

ON A SNOWY JANUARY  29TH  1985  in this photo.  

 

It was called the 8444 back then because there was a diesel at that time with the 800 series number, when it retired they took the original 844 number back.


WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO THE IN-LAWS April 9th TO VISIT IN ARKANSAS AND AS WE WERE PASSING THROUGH VINITA, OKLAHOMA the HUSBAND LOOKED BACK AND SAW PEOPLE BY THE TRACKS WITH TRIPODS....HE SAID TO ME "HEY THEY HAVE TRIPODS SET UP ON THE TRACKS, AND I KNOW THEY ARE NOT PHOTOGRAPHING THE COAL TRAIN!"  HE WENT ON DOWN THE ROAD AND I SAID "TURN AROUND, LETS GO BACK AND WAIT"  COULD IT BE....A STEAM ENGINE IS PASSING THROUGH TOWN?  YES, IT WAS AND IT WAS OUR FAVORITE THE 844!  
WHAT LUCK IS THAT!!! 

I stepped onto the tracks to cross over to the other side and took this shot on the tracks.  The train was going fairly slow since they were entering town.  The crew love to hang out the windows and wave at all the Paparazzi!  

We got home and I checked out the 844 Web Site and saw it was on it's way to Harlingen , Texas for the Southern Texas Heritage Tour and would be back through Oklahoma on the 24th on it's way back home in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  
We would start following it in Nowata, Oklahoma and go north on highway 169 into Coffeyville, Kansas where it was to overnight.

 I decided I would video it while my husband shot stills.....this is how it went

The Video and explination on what happened in Nowata here. 


We jumped back in the truck and arrived in Coffeyville.

The on train Gift Shop was open

naturally husband had to have the T Shirt

THE UNION PACIFIC 844 

and here we are 25 years ago at the same location with the same train. 

I HAVE ALWAYS LOVED THE WAY THE STEAM OF THE LOCOMOTIVE SURROUNDED MY HUSBAND IN THIS SHOT I TOOK OF HIM.  HE IS STANDING SQUARE IN FRONT OF THE LOCOMOTIVE AS IT STOPPED ON THE TRACKS AT COFFEYVILLE, KANSAS.

THE SOUND OF THE LOCOMOTIVE SIGHING AND COUGHING AND TALKING IS THE MOST AMAZING THING!  IT GIVES YOU GOOSE BUMPS, IT IS LIKE IT HAS A LIFE OF IT'S OWN. 

WE JUST LOVE THE ROMANCE OF THE TIME PAST WITH THESE OLD GIANTS.  

I know, I know, a lot has happened in the last 25 years and unfortunately you have to call it 
LIFE experience...  
notice I did not put my NOW photo there
LOL!!!!!
It's my blog and I can do what I want to!!!

THE JOURNEY OF FRIENDSHIP

We loaded the Denali for our weekend trip to Amarillo, Texas, we were on a mission along with our good friends the Mocks. We had a special delivery to make and we were meeting half way more or less to make the drop off.

Along the way we stopped in El Reno, Oklahoma on Route 66 for an early lunch at world famous Sid's Diner.

The food and hamburgers are really good and worth the stop!

Here are Bill, Carolyn and K. T. outside of Sid's Diner there in El Reno, Oklahoma

They serve breakfast there too if you are by early.

Here we are looking at all the memorabilia at Sid's and enjoying the company of each other.

The owner came and visited with us, he was a really nice man and told us he named

it in honor of his Daddy.

We got back in the car to head on down the road with our precious cargo.

are you wondering what we are delivering yet?

It is Gillie!

She is the best traveler that I have ever saw! She caused no problems and was just happy to be with us going on a big adventure.

So we are in Texas now and almost to Amarillo

......the wind is blowing and stirring all the dust south of us for miles

Amarillo and the panhandle are notorious for that.

We got to Amarillo by 3PM and checked into the motel. I got in touch with Gillie's

soon to be new family.

It is hard to give up such a sweet face as this!

Bill playing with her in our room.

I think at times Bill and I wanted to grab her and bolt out of there and take her back home....

Ross and Carolyn are the sensible ones of the 4..........

okay, so we have soft hearts and get attached but that is a good trait right?

We know Gillie is going to be happier with a family of kids, dogs and cats to play with instead of old people!

Funny how logic has nothing to do with the heart!

This little girl captured my heart in the month she has been around, but that wasn't hard .

She is one of the cutiest and smartest dogs I have been around at such a young age. She does something once and she has it down.

Here Gillie and I are waiting in anticipation to meet her new mommy and daddy!

I think I hear someone knocking on the door Gillie!

Are you ready to meet your new family?

I think I am......

It is none other than Train Wreck and her Cowboy all the way from Arizona to adopt Gillie!

Now you have figured out why she was named Gillie awhile back!

The Gillespies are her new family!

I am going to miss my little sweetie pie, but I know she is going to have a great home with a great set of family and friends to play with. The Gillespie children adored her and Trent will take her to work with him and give her lots of attention along with the proper training and discipline.

It was so amazing how 6 adults could get so involved in the life of a little puppy that no one apparently seemed to want at the start of her little life and dumped her. We all worked to provide a good start for the little princess and she did not suffer any self esteem problems with being abandoned by her original home, we all made sure of that! She will always be in our hearts but

now she has lots of people who love her and will make sure she is always loved.

Here she is the next day after she was dumped playing in the yard at Mock's.

Who could do that to such a cute puppy?

Train Wrecks Cowboy wanted her and voiced it from the 1st post I did on her. At first I thought they were just kidding, but they were not , they were serious as a TrainWreck! I just knew in my heart they were going to be the best family for her, she would be in the country and have lots of love.

Bill thought I was nuts finding her a home in Arizona, but we all prevailed and it happened!

The Mocks are true champions of the little animals who need a home.

Mocks spend more time and money helping out abandoned animals that any 2 people I know. When you live in the county like they do you are a dumping ground for people who don't have a conscience. This is odd because this is the first puppy they have found. Usually it is cats and kittens that wind up at their house.

I feel truly blessed to have been a part of helping the

innocent little Gillie find a home, and double blessed there wonderful people

like the Gillespie's in the world.

We believe an angel sat on this little girl so we would meet Train Wreck and her Cowboy, because without Gillie we would still be strangers.

We felt a bond and a friendship the minute the knock came on the door of our motel room.

and Gillie took to them like a duck on water.

LOVE YOU GUYS!

you will never

know how much it meant to all four of us that you will love Gillie

like we do.

We are proud to call you our friends

P.S. we expect to see her on holidays! :)