Two giants of railroading’s heyday will be at the front of the 14th annual Denver Post Train to Cheyenne Frontier Days on Saturday.
Union Pacific steamers 844 and 3985, the latter the largest steam locomotive still in operation, will pull 17 1950s-era passenger cars. It will be the first time since 1999 that the two have been together on a public excursion.
The appearance of the two locomotives is expected to draw hundreds of spectators to Union Station today and Saturday and hundreds more on U.S. 85 along the route to Cheyenne.
The 844, the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific for high-speed passenger service in 1944, was recently rebuilt. No. 3985 was built in 1943, one of 105 Challenger-class locomotives.
The 715 passengers on the sold-out special will have breakfast en route to Cheyenne, watch the gala parade, attend a catered barbecue and watch the “Daddy of ‘Em All” rodeo before reboarding the train for a light supper and the trip home.
Among the guests on this year’s train will be Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and gubernatorial candidates Rutt Bridges, Marc Holtzman and Bill Ritter.
The Denver Post trips to Frontier Days were begun in 1908, were discontinued in 1970 and became an annual rite of summer again starting with the paper’s 100th anniversary in 1992.
The special leaves Union Station at 7 a.m. Saturday and is to return about 9 p.m.
