Today's historic steam excursion used Union Pacific's Challenger and its outstanding fleet of Streamliner and Domeliner passenger cars. The Union Pacific has placed much effort and pride into it's excursion program and it's reflected in the class operation and equipment they have on-hand. The Union Pacific has successfully raised the bar to recognize that its corporate history is something to be valued and leveraged as it moves forward to face the challenges of the future. For more information about UP's steam program, check out http://www.upsteam.com. The photo shows UP 3985 at Gorham.

The excursion train left the former Missouri Pacific Ewing Avenue shops and proceeded east across the McCarthur Bridge over the Mississippi. Then, it turned southeast for a run down the west bank of "Big Muddy" along the Chester Subdivision. This route was originally the St. Louis Valley Railway and built 1901-1903. The route was conceived as a better grade, water-level route that could avoid the more rugged Iron Mountain line through the Ozarks of Arkansas and Texas.

Along the way south on a beautiful, but warm June day, our train made a photo run-by stop at Chester. A photo run-by, for non-rail fans, is an opportunity for passengers to detrain and take pictures of the train in action. After the passengers are off, the train first backs up, and then pounds forward gaining momentum until it goes at track speed past the photo location. All the while the engineer is blowing the whistle, two-longs, a short, and a long, in repeated rapid succession of mournful wails. At Chester, our excursion passengers were treated to back-to-back photo run-bys, to the delight of all participants. The photo on the left shows the participants in the photo run-bys at Chester.

Along the way the snack and souvenir cars were of course open in order to make the day still more enjoyable and memorable. On the train all passengers received a detailed route guide for the trip, describing sites and points of interest along the way. In addition, each passenger received a box lunch and beverage. The consist of the all Union Pacific train was as follows:

The trip to Gorham last about 3.5 hours and covered a distance of about 84 miles. After the train was turned on the wye, it was serviced for the return departure about 1:30, arriving back in St. Louis on-time. Busses then returned all passengers back to the Convention Hotel.

On the return there was an additional photo run-by at Valmeyer (pictured on right). Valmeyer the town was flooded out in 1993 by the Mississippi. Subsequently all but a few of the homes were relocated/rebuilt by the government a couple miles farther away from the river. This left just a couple buildings in the original location.

Today's trip offered something for all ages. For example, Conner Shulby (left below), age 7.5 months, was "experiencing" his first train trip with his dad. Mr. Jim Bistline (right below), a former Vice President of the Southern Railway, was also enjoying himself, as did seemingly everyone aboard both the coach ((top center)) and dome (bottom center) sections of the train.

On one of the more interesting notes of the day, Jeffrey, Christopher, and Collin (pictured to the right) traveled to Gorham from Huntsville, Alabama to just to see the train. Of course Dad and Mom were along making it truly a family event.

Southbound, five miles south of Flinton, IL