Don’t have to [accommodate SP 4449]? Yes they do! They’re a common carrier and are required to take freight that’s transfered [sic] to them.
No. UP only has to take freight that meets interchange standards. I’m about 95% sure that a steam locomotive would not meet interchange standards. For one, as I recall, 4449 is not all roller bearings, and if so, that alone would disqualify it from meeting freight interchange standards. Also, if the locomotive had steam up, that would probably fail interchange standards. And regardless of bearing type, if it didn’t have steam up, it would either not get lubrication to the cylinders (very bad) or else you would have to remove the rods. There are probably other issues too.
Also, there’s a big difference between hauling something as freight (presumably cold, in the middle of some freight train) versus letting it run under its own power (which is what 4449 typically does).
Bingo!!! Now if the 4449 group wanted to put the engine on a flat car, and PAY transportation as a high/wide load then the UP would be obligated for it. I would be willing to bet that the UP donated transportation costs on this move.
The #4449 is owned by the city of protland and the preservation group who runs her. UP has no right to do ANYTHING to this locomotive, and has no authority to change it’s apperance or current construction.
UP does own the track though, and if they wanted to they can block the #4449 in it’s shed. They could also, although it would be a PR nightmare, “steal” the #4449 by buttonholing it on some desolate siding and redflaging it. I’m not sure it would actually be legal or not, but they could lock it up somewhere and keep anybody from getting to it, if it was holed up in the right place.
On paper UP has to ship any car that meets FRA and ICC standards, but in practice they can pull enough tricks to do anything they want. Right now UP has a limited embargo on all passenger cars coming to Phoenix on their rails. I don’t know the exact arrangment, but they won’t switch passenger cars in Tucson onto Amtrak trains, and they will only bring passenger cars to Phoenix on UP through freights. UP is also loggerheading Amtrak on serving Phoenix. It seems they just don’t want passenger equipment here.
The UP owns the SP reporting marks, however. It is well whithin its rights to have the 4449 use different reporting marks or number if it is using SP reporting marks.