Union Pacific releases app for tracking its steam locomotives

The Union Pacific Railroad is a company that honors its past. The carrier keeps a number of historic railcars and locomotives in operation, including a couple of steam locomotives that act as traveling "ambassadors" for the Omaha, Neb.-based carrier. But it also knows how to blend old technology with new, as evidenced by the release of UP Steam, a free app for fans of historic rail equipment.

The UP Steam app is available at Apple's App Store in iTunes for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. Features include:

• Real-time GPS location of Union Pacific's steam locomotives
• Schedules for Union Pacific steam excursions
• Notification if a UP steam train is scheduled to be within 50 miles of the user's current location
• Photos, videos, descriptions, and history of UP steam locomotives
• Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare functionality

The app also includes an "About Union Pacific" section describing the company's operations.