Water Tender #814, Joe Jordan, was originally built in 1937 as one of 20 20-C tenders for a Union Pacific FEF-1 Class Alco 4-8-4, a predecessor to the FEF-3 Class, of which #844 is a part. The number 814 may be the number of the locomotive this tender was assigned to. As built, the tender could carry 25 tons of coal and 20,000 gallons of water. In 1960, Union Pacific rebuilt the tenders from the retired FEF-1 locomotives to serve as fuel tenders for the new General Electric 8500-horsepower gas-turbine locomotives. The tenders were resheathed with smooth sides, insulated and, with the coal bunker removed, could carry 24,000 gallons of Bunker-C fuel oil for a gas-turbine locomotive. The rebuilt tenders were classified as 24-C-GTE tenders. After the turbines were retired, Union Pacific retained a few of the tenders. This one ended up being used as a stationary fuel storage car in Los Angeles as #907857, along with #907856. They were brought to Cheyenne in 1988 and were put into service as water tenders for #844 and Challenger #3985, retaining their appearance as when they were fuel tenders for the turbines. Beginning in late 2005 and through the first half of 2006, this tender was rebuilt by Wasatch Railroad Contractors of Cheyenne to increase its capacity and restore it to closer to its original appearance. It returned to service in July 2006 as #814, Joe Jordan, with a capacity of 28,000 gallons of water, and its insulation and smooth covering removed. The paint scheme is not even close to historically accurate, however, though it does match the passenger cars. The tender is named for Joe Jordan, Union Pacific's last steam pipefitter, who retired from the steam shop in 1993.
Photos of the rebuilding can be seen here.
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