Hundreds of train lovers gathered Friday afternoon in downtown Colfax anxiously watching for Union Pacific’s historic steam locomotive, No. 844.
For more than an hour, folks lining the tracks turned their heads in unison as whistles blew and the railroad crossing arms came down on South Auburn Street.
Each time it turned out to be a false alarm. Two very long freight trains passed through as well as the east and westbound Amtraks, which stopped for passengers.
Finally, the “living legend” locomotive arrived at 1:20 p.m. and the crowd moved as one down to the Dinky Way crossing. For nearly 15 minutes, people were able to snap photos and marvel at the enormous engine, along with several historic passenger cars, as it sat on the tracks.
“This is what trains do for Colfax,” said Jim Wood, a spokesman for the Placer Sierra Railroad Heritage Society. “There were 5 to 10 times more people in Colfax than there were in Truckee.”
In fact, the historic event became an opportunity for neighbors and friends to visit. Some brought picnics and sat on the lawn near the museum. Several children in the crowd were sporting engineer hats.
“This was a big deal for Colfax,” noted one onlooker.
As the crowd dispersed, Wood and a group of other train buffs got into their cars to follow the train down the hill. They were on Interstate 80 passing Weimar Crossroads at the same time as the historic train.
“They must have let the whole school out,” Wood said. “The (Weimar Hills School) kids were all lined up at the fence watching.”
The 844 will be in Roseville’s UP Yard for the city’s Centennial celebration this weekend. It will be on public display from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
It will then head out for other special celebrations, including Western Pacific’s Centennial in Portola and the 140th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike in Ogden, Utah.
The 844 will return to Roseville and will be on public display from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 25 trough April 29.
The last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific Railroad, it was delivered in 1944. A high-speed passenger engine, it pulled such widely known trains as the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.
When diesel-electric locomotives took over all passenger train duties, No. 844 was placed in freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. It was saved from being scrapped in 1960 and held for special service.
No. 844 was returned to service in 2005 after one of the most extensive steam locomotive overhauls in the United States since the 1950s. The work began in 2000 and affected its running gear, pumps, piping, valves and springs. Along with replacement of its firebox and extensive boiler work, the cab interior was refurbished.

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Give us your best shot
What: Best photos of Union Pacific's 844 in Colfax
When: Entries due by April 30
Where: Deliver to Colfax Area Chamber Office, 99 Railroad St. or via e-mail to railcar@colfaxarea.com
Reward: $25 goes to best shot of train with Colfax landmarks in background. Best photo will be used to promote September's Railroad Days celebration.