Christine (Redraw + Bio)

With UP 844 returning to my area twice this month, this felt like the right time for a redraw.

Christine
"I hate wearing these deflectors sometimes."

Type: Steam
Class: FEF-3
Wheel Config: 4-8-4
Build Date: December 1944
Road #: 844, 8444 (1962-1990)
Railway: Union Pacific
Duties: Passenger, Fast Freight
Other Names: Living Legend

Bio: Built as Union Pacific's last steam locomotive by the American Locomotive Company, Christine holds the distinction of being the only steam locomotive on a major railroad in the United States that has never been retired from service and has remained on the UP roster since Day 1. Her bubbly, high spirited personality brings a smile to all she's around, but deep down she is very torn due to most of the parts used to keep her running during her excursion career were taken off one of her sisters! The guilt of cannibalizing her sister #838, built up so much over the years that during Railfair '99, she accidentally caused a boiler flue to burst! That was enough to convince the UP steam crew to abandon the practice and machine the parts themselves. Ironically, #838 is actually in much better shape.

Fresh from a 4 year rebuild in 2016, Christine is ready to hit the high iron once again as UP's biggest public relations ambassador. At least, it would allow her to get away from Aaron for a while. 

Relationships: The only sister Christine every really got to know was #838 (still need to name her), but this was only after they both wound up at what was left of the Cheyenne, WY roundhouse and 838 was soon used as a part source. To her surprise, 838 was actually pretty mellow about the ordeal and now peacefully enjoys her own stall in roundhouse. 

Christine consider's Erika to be her closest friend, though Christine has dropped several hints on wanting to take it a step further, but Erika has been too oblivious to them. The two first met when Erika was on the American Freedom Train and she required some wheel work. Christine then offered to ferry Erika to Cheyenne to catch up with the Freedom Train and they have been firm friends ever since. 

As far as her operating stablemates in Cheyenne are concerned, Christine absolutely adores her cousin Atheana, the mighty Challenger #3985. The two engines have been close since the steam era and have thoroughly enjoyed their excursion careers together...that is until Union Pacific announced they wanted to bring a Big Boy back to the rails and unfortunately, the one they chose was Aaron. Christine never really like Aaron and how he tends to passively put down smaller UP engines, especially Challengers. In a sense, she was shocked when Erika eventually told her they used to be a thing, but Erika regretted using him the way she did. Christine doesn't say it, but she's glad Aaron got a taste of his own medicine. 

When renumbered to 8444 in 1962, Christine approached the GP30 that carried her old one, but the poor thing was so scared that she would rip her a new one. But Christine completely understood the reasons behind the number changes and they became good friends. She hasn't seen the diesel since 1990 when she regained her old number back, but was glad to know the her friend enjoys a happy retirement in southern Nevada.