UP 3985

The TRAIN the TRAIN!!

This morning at ~8am the historic Union Pacific 3985 Steam Locomotive rolled down the tracks from Cheyenne to Denver. My wife, kids and I all stood track side and watched this historic event go down.

Here is a quote from Union Pacific about this event.
"We are proud No. 3985 will pull the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Circus train on September 28. History will be made that day when No. 3985 will pull a 65-car train that is more than 6,000 tons and nearly 6,100 feet long, the most for a steam locomotive in the 21st century," said Dick Hartman, Union Pacific's director of public affairs for Colorado and Wyoming."

Here is some facts about the train.

Union Pacific's No. 3985, an articulated locomotive with a "hinged" frame to allow it to negotiate curves, is 122 feet long. It weighs more than one million pounds, has six-foot diameter drive wheels and can reach a top speed of 70 miles per hour. No. 3985 was built in 1943 for fast freight service and was retired in 1959. In 1981, it was restored to running condition by UP employee volunteers for special service. This is the first trip for the locomotive after undergoing maintenance work during the last two years. The Challenger is based in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Our kids really like to see these big trains with the big steam trails rolling down the tracks.  They get so excited to see them.  These pictures don't do justice to the size of this locomotive, but if you look at the wheels they are just a tad big smaller then me!!  Yikes that thing is big.

KOZMO

KOZMO WE LOVE YOU!!

Today our 12 year old lab was diagnosed with Cancer, this cancer attacks his joints and will start to affect his lungs and kidneys so not sure how much time we have left.  As just a pup he learned family love by going everywhere with the family and even being kept a secret in an apartment complex that didn't allow dogs.  It wasn't long and we moved to the country Kozmo started to show his skill.  Kozmo learned to retrieve 2 birds over water before age 1, he was also diagnosed with shoulder problems shortly after that that ended his long term  hunting capabilities. Sure he's still retrieved a few birds for me but at age 5 we transitioned him into training his replacement a female lab that was gun shy.

While this was a challenge I think she learned many things from Kozmo and as a direct result is a great retriever and is very good around kids.  Kozmo is an excellent dog that still wags his tail with excitement, when the tail stops we will know he gave it his all and the end is near.

For today we focus on the joy he has brought to this family and hope for more, we know his journey is short but treasuring the moments still left.  If anyone says Todd you are soft or "It's only a dog" has never owned a lovable lab that will do anything for his owner.  And if you feel Im soft for loving a dog so be it but this dog would take a bullet for me and gladly do it even at age 12.

Here is to a great DOG!!