OMAHA, Neb.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct 5, 2026--
After a six-year hiatus, Union Pacific's Living Legend No. 844 is returning to the rails. The legendary steam locomotive will join Big Boy No. 4014 for Union Pacific's historic holiday tour this November, marking the first public appearance for No. 844 since the pair traveled together in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike in Utah.
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The two steam locomotives will run as a “double header” during a fundraising excursion from Greeley to Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 21 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which will include a donation from Union Pacific’s Community Ties Giving Program. The steam duo will then be on public display later that day at Denver’s Union Station, with Santa Claus and his elves in the terminal handing out limited-edition gifts. Admission is free and open to the public.
While Big Boy No. 4014 recently captivated millions during a coast-to-coast journey commemorating America's 250th anniversary, the return of No. 844 marks the long-awaited comeback of the railroad's famed high-speed passenger locomotive. Built in 1944, No. 844 hauled some of Union Pacific's most recognizable passenger trains, including the Overland Limited, Los Angeles Limited, Portland Rose and Challenger.
No. 844 is the last steam locomotive built for Union Pacific in 1944 and is the only Class I North American steam locomotive never permanently retired from service. When diesel locomotives assumed passenger service duties, No. 844 was reassigned to freight service in Nebraska between 1957 and 1959. Unlike nearly every other steam locomotive of its era, No. 844 escaped scrapping in 1960 and was retained by Union Pacific for special service.
Tickets for the holiday fundraising tour and a ride in vintage passenger cars pulled by Big Boy and No. 844 go on sale to patrons of the Union Pacific Railroad Museum on Oct. 16. Any remaining tickets will be available to the general public on Oct. 19. While the tickets are for adults only and part of the fundraiser benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation, families are invited to Denver’s Union Station to view the locomotives.
Union Pacific reminds all rail fans to keep safety top of mind and stay 25 feet back from the tracks when taking pictures or viewing these historic locomotives. That means never taking a photo or video while standing on the tracks or ballast and never climbing on railroad equipment.
Media can find photos, a Big Boy infographic, fact sheets and more at https://www.up.com/media/media-kit.
ABOUT UNION PACIFIC
Union Pacific (NYSE: UNP) delivers the goods families and businesses use every day with safe, reliable and efficient service. Operating in 23 western states, the company connects its customers and communities to the global economy. Trains are the most environmentally responsible way to move freight, helping Union Pacific protect future generations. More information about Union Pacific is available at www.up.com.
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Union Pacific’s No. 844 at the 2019 Great Race to Promontory celebration in Ogden, Utah.
NEW YORK (AP) — Pennsylvania has surpassed 1,000 measles cases this year, state health officials said Monday, making it the largest state outbreak in more than three decades.
The U.S. is enduring its worst year for measles since 1991, with nearly 3,900 reported cases, according to the CDC. The nation has seen eight reported measles-associated deaths in the past two years — more than the combined total of reported deaths over the previous three decades.
Since the beginning of last year, large outbreaks have been reported in several states, including Texas and Utah, as well as South Carolina, which had the largest with 997 cases reported.
The governor of New York on Monday declared a disaster emergency because of measles cases in neighboring states and in rural areas of New York. The executive order extends the pool of people who can administer measles vaccines to include paramedics, midwives and others, and allows nurses to join doctors in ordering testing. The state has more than 100 cases this year.
Health officials say Pennsylvania’s current outbreak started in April, west of Philadelphia. There have been 1,004 cases, including 198 hospitalizations and five deaths, state officials said.
Health experts attribute such outbreaks to low vaccination rates.
It's been decades since a U.S. state has seen an outbreak surpass 1,000 cases, stretching back to a multiyear outbreak in New York City in the early 1990s that infected more than 4,500 people.
The nation eliminated the domestic spread of measles in 2000 by maintaining high vaccination rates, but those rates have fallen in recent years to below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.
In November, international health officials will meet to determine if the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status.
Measles is highly contagious. It spreads when people who have it breathe, cough or sneeze, and through contaminated surfaces. It also can linger in the air for two hours. Up to 9 out of 10 people who are susceptible will get the virus if exposed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. measles infections have been surging in recent years, as fewer kids get routine vaccines due to parental waivers, healthcare access issues and rampant disinformation.
Pennsylvania and New York are not the only states with a growing problem. Another is Ohio, with more than 200 cases this year. Like in Pennsylvania, some of the hardest-hit Ohio counties have significant Amish populations, which tend to have lower vaccination rates.
Meanwhile, CDC officials have quietly begun to acknowledge measles-associated deaths in Pennsylvania.
State officials in August announced that two unvaccinated residents died after being infected with measles.
The announcement quickly came under fire as a clash erupted between vaccine-promoting Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a Trump administration appointee with a history of raising alarms about established vaccines.
Since then, Pennsylvania has reported three additional deaths.
But for weeks, the CDC — which Kennedy oversees — did not count any deaths on its measles data dashboard, instead saying it was seeking more information. That changed two weeks ago, when one death was finally counted, and again last week when a second was added to the agency's tally.
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FILE - A nurse, prepares a combination measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for a patient at a pediatrics clinic in Easley, S.C., March 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)
