Courtesy Photo­Image

Historic steam locomotive No. 844 is making its way to the Grand Island for the Nebraska State Fair -- the fifth leg of the UP 150 Express, a tour celebrating Union Pacific’s 150th anniversary.

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No. 844 is traveling 13,000 miles through 15 states as part of Union Pacific’s 150th anniversary celebration.

The tour makes its next stop at the Nebraska State Fair, where it is on display Sept. 1–3.

Then it will travel to Boone, Iowa for display during Pufferbilly Days, Sept. 7 – Sept. 8. It will be displayed for three hours in Ames, Iowa on Sept. 9 and return west, stopping in North Platte for Rail Fest on Sept. 14–16.

While on display, visitors can step inside Union Pacific’s vintage Promontory baggage car that has been transformed into a state-of-the-art traveling museum.

The exhibit takes visitors back in time, using interactive touch screen technology to illustrate how Union Pacific supported communities as they were established along the way as the transcontinental railroad was built.

The experience culminates with the modern Union Pacific Railroad, which transports goods to American businesses and consumers use every day.

The exhibit closely replicates the full-scale Building America exhibit that opened this year at the Union Pacific Railroad Museum in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

“We are happy to celebrate our past and look forward to continuing to meet America’s freight transportation needs,” said Robert W. Turner, senior vice president - Corporate Relations for Union Pacific.

Known as the Living Legend, No. 844 is scheduled to make overnight stops with stationary displays along the route before arriving back in Cheyenne on Sept. 17.

Arrival and departure times for the steam train can be found at www.upsteam.com. Website visitors can follow No. 844 on a GPS system map that updates its location every five minutes. GPS updates are also available at http://twitter.com/UP_Steam.

UP Steam App

Union Pacific allows smart device users to track its legendary No. 844 steam engine with the touch of a screen.

The UP Steam app offers real-time GPS location, up-to-the-minute schedules, and sends an alert when the locomotive is within 50 miles, among other features. The free app can be downloaded at Apple’s App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod users.