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Trains News Wire EXCLUSIVE: With Big Boy in the house, UP steam crew turns to No. 844 and the shop
Pretty amazing that the new leader now heads a program that has, for the first time in history, no operating steam locomotives. Hopefully, taking the program to the next level doesn’t mean the three steam locomotives will be stuffed and mounted in some museum.
“Trains continues to fall for the BS that Ed spews.”
Dew wut?
Trains continues to fall for the BS that Ed spews.
@ Ed Rogers- The UP Steam program has gone downhill since he took over. The boiler and tender issues with 844 are his doing since he changed the water treatment and blow down procedures. It wasn’t “broke” but he thought he was smarter then everyone else and changed it. Interesting what’s going to happen when the harassment lawsuits against Ed get to court.
The photo of the interior of the UP steam shop looks more like the interior of the Three Gorges power plant in China. Nothing looks like railroad.
Why is UP going “back to basics” when they are "heading to the next level? Seems to me the basics were successful decades ago. Water quality for steam engines is nothing new. It was an issue as long as steamers pulled trains.
Why spend ANY time on 4014 until 844 is serviced? It seems to me 844 spent 1472 days preparing for inspection just SITTING in the steam shop. Running a steam loco in place in the shop? She should be ready to hit the high iron NOW!
A-waiting your appearance Milady!
Lawrence a beck. 3985 will be running. It is under going a in inspection. She will be running. ( hopefully ) by this fall. If all goes well she will then run for a little bit longer. After that she will under go a full length rebuild for 5 year over hual. So that way she will be brand new. It sounds like up will use all three locomotives.
Ed, get something operational soon. Do you need Steve Lee’s
phone number?
I wonder if 3985 will run again.
Awesome work UP keep up the good work keeping steam alive.
Ed missed his calling. Anybody that can spin the truth that well should be working in Washington D.C. The old boiler treatment worked just fine for decades, and all was well until Ed changed it. It’s amazing that the previous steam crew kept TWO steam engines running nearly all the time with the shop the way it was and without the overhead cranes, and Ed can’t keep ANY running, and all of those new tools will be nice. Too bad there isn’t anybody left in the steam shop that knows how to USE any of them…
I lack to knowledge to say one way or the other but when you have a good number of people who are experts and used to be with the program saying that Mr. Dickens is the cause of so many issues, from improper blowdown and water treatment to personally (in the cab, hands on the controls) having flattened 844’s drivers causing expensive repairs, and personnel-related lawsuits to boot, you’d think TRAINS would at the very least give some coverage to this rather than just giving Mr. Dickens a platform to say what he wants without a word to the contrary. Is TRAINS a journalistic entity or a UP / Dickens press agent?
Lies
ya’all think Mr, Ed is a great leader? Read the complaints in the pending lawsuits against both he and the UP…kinda scary and begs the question as to who/why he seems under protection of higher ups in Omaha. When a baseball goes bad, they fire the manager, not the team.
Ed is superior to Steve Lee?..Uhh yeah sure. The first time in history the UP has no operational steam, the 844 has issues because of a change in the water treatment when there was nothing wrong before. The 3985 will not run this year or next or for the foreseeable future. There are no more shop tours and the program is in a big downward spiral. Very sad to see.
Mr. Newstead says: “Lawrence a beck. 3985 will be running. It is under going a in inspection. She will be running. ( hopefully ) by this fall. If all goes well she will then run for a little bit longer. After that she will under go a full length rebuild for 5 year over hual. So that way she will be brand new. It sounds like up will use all three locomotives.”
But the article says: “3985… is now stored as No. 4014 takes priority.”
If even Trains is saying that, with all the negative comments from everyone else about its coverage of Ed, I believe it.
@Vince Looks like you bought into the Ed lies also. Like has been said before the UP Steam Program was a crown jewel until Ed came along and now no steam is operable all because of one man Ed. He never takes blame for anything that has happened under his watch, it is always somebody else’s fault. Harrassement lawsuits , flattened drivers on 844, poor water treatment and blowdowns on 844, constant crew turnover. All Ed and nobody else. Don’t let him fool you
Actually, in many ways, Ed Dickens is superior to Steve Lee in the current needs of the shop. While Lee was operationally as good as they come, Dickens priority is elimination of petty on going problems that when solved will save maintenance dollars and keep the trains going longer. Taking to him during the Big Boy 4014’s “road home,” He said the water treatment program of the past was nearly non-existent and in some cases water treatment bordered on the edge of disaster. Dickens is more of proactive maintenance professional than just a “runner of trains” having actually received training by some of the best. And while Lee gave us the Heritage Fleet that has become so famous, Dickens gives UP the professional trained in steam maintenance who can take an unheard of cash infusion by a Class 1 railroad in maintaining it’s steam program and give it longevity and more up time by all engines. And who knows…2-10-2 5511 is still sitting in the shop…maybe it’s day will come too!
Ok, so, where IS Steve Lee?
Why was he promoted with great fanfare in June of 2010 only to retire silently in December? If he was so great and without fault, he should have stayed on in his capacity as Ed’s boss so he could prevent the horrors that are now claimed and perceived. IF he retired in good standing, why isn’t he making calls and using his pull to prevent all these so-called serious problems?
His absence and the circumstances under which he vanished from the scene give the claims that there were issues when Mr. Dickens took over a little more clout in my opinion. In the government agencies and corporate entities I’ve been employed by, when a promotion is followed by a fast and silent retirement, it is because the retiree was caught doing something very bad and the retirement was an alternative to very bad results.
Hey Melissa, how’s Eddie handling all this P. R.?