“Living Legend” locomotive in eastern Idaho this week

One of the last steam locomotives built by Union Pacific Railroad will make a run through eastern Idaho this week. Number 844 was delivered in 1944. It was a high-speed passenger engine that pulled some widely known trains known as the “Overload Unlimited”, “Los Angeles Limited”, the “Portland Rose”, and “the Challenger”. According to the railroad, the 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959, when diesel locomotives took over passenger train duties. Union Pacific calls the locomotive “Living Legend”. It is widely used for excursion runs. Some know it as Number 8444. An extra “4” was added to its number in 1962 to distinguish it from a diesel that was was also numbered in the 800 series. It regained its rightful number in June 1989, when the diesel engine was retired. Union Pacific said the 454 ton engine will arrive at N. Harrison Avenue and Omaha at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday. It will be on display in Pocatello from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Thursday then department for Minidoka, Idaho at 8 a.m. Friday. Prior to its Pocatello stop, the locomotive was scheduled to arrive for half-hour stops at Montpelier at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday and in Soda Springs at 2:45 p.m.