Arizona and New Mexico Centennial Steam Train trip

Trains Magazine General Discussion
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Union Pacific will run locomotive 844 to help celebrate the statehood centennials for New Mexico and Arizona. The locomotive has been converted to burn oil, and both the oil and the water for steam are included in the train’s support cars.

New Mexico’s centennial is in January, 2012, and Arizona’s centennial is February 14, 2012.

The locomotive and its associated support cars will arrive in Tucson on November 10, 2011, and will be in Tucson all day on the 11th. It will leave Tucson on the 12th. I’m not certain of the complete routing for this trip.

In conjunction with the Arizona Centennial Commission and the Transportation Museum in Tucson, the Postal History Foundation is sponsoring commemorative philatelic covers. The illustrative cachet on these covers will show a photo of the locomotive, taken from the UP website. The “Centennial Steam Train Station” cancel on the covers is specially designed for the date.

Interested collectors may order covers from the Postal History Foundation, Attention: Alex, 920 North First Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719. Please include a SASE and $2 per cover. These covers will be available for some time after the November 11 date for your convenience.

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First of all, PostalHistory: ][#welcome]

The Postal Covers will be a real bonus for those of us who won’t be able to get over there to the Southwest.

What strikes me as unusual is that the UP will rail their fuel out there ( At least the several times I have seen the 3985 and 844 refueled, it has been with tanker trucks, maybe they have found a new way to cut some costs(?). Most of the time the water comes straight from local fire plugs, and/or boosed in pressure by an assist from a local FD Pumper)

I should be interesting to see it acomplished by spotting the 844 near the rail tankers. Think of it another opportunity to take pictures.

Thanks, for posting this here.