Posted 4 years ago
AnythingOb…
(1778 items)
This set is nothing "old" at all -- in fact a souvenir item still probably available at the 'gift shop car' of any odd place where the UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD currently runs its fleet of fully restored vintage STEAM POWERED locomotives, usually pulling some variation of something they call their "Heritage Train (s)", a likewise vintage (if not quite as old as the locos) string of various passenger and/or museum display cars.
https://www.up.com/heritage/fleet/
I am momentarily unsure why loco #3985 doesn't seem to appear on the UP website, to my recollection it was the first (of what I thought were now three?) steam locos that UP rebuilt and preserved -- the others being #'s 844 and (BIG BOY) 4014, the most recently restored and returned to active duty. Maybe #3985 is currently undergoing a 're-restoration' or something, I don't know -- I do believe I've seen all three in person here (where UP has a large presence, though their 'steam shops' are in Cheyenne WY) within the last decade or so, most recently #4014, and in fact rode behind #844 once in one of those "Heritage Trains".
Anyway, they're typical glass shakers about 1-1/2" square and 4" tall, with applied (glued?) logos on their fronts. Both are marked "MADE IN CHINA" with a little roundish logo I can't really make out on their bottoms -- again no doubt something totally common nowadays whatever kind of logo (or not) might be attached to them.
Sadly 3985 has been retired. Apparently it is need of a complete rebuild and UP is not up to operating 3 large steam locomotives. But never say never as Big Boy was sitting in Pomona for 50 years without running.