What exactly happened to the UP steam department

[train2]

I have not kept up with the UP steam department in a number of years. Over the last 12 months or so on another train order based web site I have seen quite a discussion of the current state of affairs of the UP steam program and its current leader. Somehow I missed the beginning of this: anyone able to play a little catch up? Was the current head, Dickens I believe is his name, the replacement for Steve Lee from day one or a subsequent department head? Is Dickens in any way an enthusiast or just some manager that was handed this department to run? Are thing as bad as that other web site leads us to believe? Are fans just stirring the pot? I could see some departments go through cycles could this just be UPs down time? Or is the person incompetent?

[Backshophoss]

With 4014(the Big Boy) under restoration at Cheyenne, most of the staff is working on it,they may not be running as much
as they normally do.
The UP website has a section dedicated to the steam/diesel historical fleet,you should look there for updates on
any trips,trip reports and plans.
All the passenger cars used on the steam trips are kept at Council Bluffs Ia along with the Biz car fleet,
and are maintained there.

[train2]

It seems the steam program, according to careful watchers, is in disarray, the department head is not competent, etc, etc, etc. No company web site is going to address issues such as these. Seems there is no steam running at all and has not for a while, and likely won't run in the near tern future.

Just trying to sort out fact from fiction? That other web site is a bit to involved to be objective. Unless it is the truth. Sill looking for some clarification.

[Backshophoss]

With all the track work projects happening across UP,money for the Heritage/Steam programs may be tight for now.
Both programs are wards of the Corporation,not the Operations Division,and subject to "in house politics"
at corporate level.

[Backshophoss]

Along with the 4014 restoration,the steam shop at Cheyenne needed some renovation as well,included in that
is a installation of 250 ton overhead crane and removal of a drop ceiling put in when the shop was converted
to handle Diesel locos.

[Backshophoss]

During an inspection of UP 844,some of the last restoration repairs were found to be failing in the boiler
requiring a total boiler rebuild ahead of the planned FRA mandated rebuild date, reportly back in service in Sept '15
UP 3985 reportly has some form of boiler sheet failure,after UP 4011's restoration is done in 2019,3985 will shopped for a total rebuild.
This is from people that were at Cheyenne for RR days there in early June of this year.

[Wayside]

Big Boy update:

http://www.up.com/aboutup/community/ins ... 5-2017.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;