More UP 844

After spending 8 hours chasing the UP 844 this past Sunday, you might think that we had our fill of this steam engine. But you would be wrong…

Eric and I spent 13 hours on the road this past Tuesday as the UP 844 made the Houston-Bloomington leg of the Valley Eagle Tour. We left the house about 0700, picked the train up in downtown and followed it all the way to Bloomington. After arrival there, we spent another 4 hours hanging out at the depot as the locals came out in force to see the spectacle of mainline steam in 2010.

We were able to capture some video, but the edit of that footage was put on a back-burner because it was time for my annual torture session. Yes, the dreaded Form 1040.

Meanwhile, a few stills from Bloomington.

The "Valley Eagle" in a rare moment of solitude, Bloomington, Texas on April 13, 2010

I used the Canon 5D’s B&W mode for the first time for this shot. I really like the look that the in-camera processing gives to the image. It’s hard to describe, but the image seems almost buttery-smooth compared to the normal B&W conversion made in Photoshop.

The 844, in a perfect rods-down pose, at Bloomington, Texas on April 13, 2010.

The 844 is returning to Cheyenne, making the Olmito to Bloomington run today. We plan on getting out to meet it tomorrow as it runs from Bloomington to Houston.