Union Pacific FEF Series

The Union Pacific FEF Series (FEF meaning, "four-eight-four") consists of forty-five 4-8-4 "Northern" steam locomotive types built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) between 1937 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad until 1959.
The 45 locomotives were the last steam locomotives built for the Union Pacific. They represented the apex of dual-service steam locomotive development; funds and research were being concentrated into the development of diesel-electric locomotives. Designed to burn coal, they were converted to run on oil in 1946. They pulled a variety of passenger trains, such as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger, until diesel-electric locomotives took over passenger service. Many FEF Series locomotives were later reassigned to freight service during the last few years of their careers.
Four FEF Series locomotives survive today, including No. 844, which remains in operational condition and now runs in excursion service. Today, the 844 is one of the Union Pacific's oldest serving locomotives and the only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad.
==Origins==
During the late 1930s, theds started to exceed the limits of the 4-8-2 that were the mainstay of the UP passenger operations. One day, in 1937, with UP President William Jeffer's business car in the rear, a "7000" Class 4-8-2 demonstrated the lack of steaming power inherent in the type. Even when the train was waiting for rescue, a telegram was sent to ALCO in Schenectady seeking something better. The result was a superb class of 45 locomotives that could run at 100 mph and produce between 4,000 and 5,000 drawbar horsepower. They also ran about 14,000 miles a month.
==Models==
The FEF Series consisted of three classes of steam locomotives: FEF-1, FEF-2, and FEF-3. 
Table of orders and numbers
Class	Quantity	Manufacturer 	Alco
Order
No.	Serial Nos.	Year built	UP No. 	Notes
FEF-1	20 	American Locomotive Company	S-1769	68808-68827	1937 	800–819	Converted to oil fuel in 1945-1946.
FEF-2	15 	American Locomotive Company	S-1811	69161-69175	1939 	820–834	Converted to oil fuel in 1945-1946.
FEF-3	10 	American Locomotive Company	S-1937	72782-72791	1944 	835–844	Converted to oil fuel in 1945-1946. No. 844 in excursion service since 1960; renumbered to 8444 from 1962 to 1989.
===FEF-1===
The first twenty locomotives, numbered 800–819, were delivered by ALCO in 1937. The "800"s as a whole followed – like Northumbrian 108 years earlier – the simplest possible arrangement of only having two outside cylinders. Fitting ALCO's lateral motion devices to the leading coupled wheels eased the negotiation of curves. Complicated accessories often spoiled the basic simplicity of so many US locomotives, but UP resisted most of them, resulting in an elegant, uncluttered appearance. Despite frequently moving at speeds over 100 mph (161 km/h), the forces and stresses on the coupling and connecting rods were kept within acceptable limits. There were thus excellent results, and there were many reports of the class reaching the design limit of 110 mph (177 km/h).
===FEF-2===
The second batch of fifteen was delivered in 1939. These had several improvements, including larger cylinders, better tractive effort, smoke deflectors on the sides of the smokebox, and the driving wheel diameter was increased by three inches. The greatest change, however, was the provision of a fourteen wheeled "pedestal" or "centipede" tender, in place of the twelve wheeled ones of the first twenty locomotives. Thus, the first locomotives became known as "FEF-1," while these were known as "FEF-2."
===FEF-3===
Except for the use of some substitute materials, the final batch of ten were nearly identical to the FEF-2. After World War II, coal supplies were affected by a series of strikes. In order to safeguard operations, UP converted the 800s to oil burning, and a 6,000 US gallons (23,000 l; 5,000 imp gal) tank was fitted in the bunker space. Otherwise, few modifications were needed to ensure years of mainline service. These were the last steam locomotives delivered for the UP. Like many of the "late era" steam locomotives, their final design was cut short by the advent of diesel locomotives, the new monarchs of the rails. A former manager of the Union Pacific Steam Program once commented on the FEF series, saying that "although it is stated that the UP FEF Series were designed to safely operate at 120 mph (190 km/h), no one really knows how fast the final 4-8-4 could go, the last FEF-3 was actually never retired."
==Surviving examples==
Four FEF Series locomotives survive. Two, No. 814 (FEF-1) and No. 833 (FEF-2), are on static display. A third, No. 844 (FEF-3), has remained operational and is currently used in excursion service. There is also a fourth locomotive, No. 838 (FEF-3); however it is solely used as a source of spare parts for No. 844.
Surviving FEF locomotives
Type 	Number	Image	Date built 	Serial number	Location 	Notes
FEF-1	814 	150px	September 1937	68822 	RailsWest Railroad Museum, Council Bluffs, Iowa	
FEF-2	833 	 	October 1939 	69174 	Utah State Railroad Museum, Ogden, Utah 	Originally on display at Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City, Utah.
FEF-3	838 	 	December 1944 	72785 	Union Pacific Railroad, Cheyenne, Wyoming 	Source of spare parts for 844.
FEF-3	844 	 	December 1944 	72791 	Union Pacific Railroad, Cheyenne, Wyoming 	The only steam locomotive never retired by a North American Class I railroad.
Also nicknamed "The Living Legend" because of it never being retired.
==See also==
*Union Pacific Challenger
*Union Pacific Big Boy
=== See Also (Surviving FEF Series) ===
*Union Pacific #844
*Union Pacific #838
*Union Pacific #833
*Union Pacific #814
==External links==
*Union Pacific Northerns at steamlocomotive.com maintained by Wes Barris
==Gallery==
* Gallery
Category:Union Pacific locomotives
Category:United States
Category:4-8-4 steam locomotives
Category:4-8-4 locomotives
Category:American locomotives
Category:American steam locomotives
Category:ALCO locomotives
Category:Passenger locomotives
Category:Tender locomotives
Category:Steam locomotives
Category:Locomotives
Category:Eight-coupled locomotives
Category:Standard gauge locomotives
Category:4 foot 8 1⁄2 inch gauge
Category:Union Pacific FEF Series
Category:Standard gauge locomotives of the United States