Chasing Trains!

[ocdart]

For you rail fans out there, Union Pacific No. 4014 starts its "Headin' Home Tour" Monday, April 28, when it leaves the Colton, CA, rail yard and begins the 11-day journey to Union Pacific's restoration shop in Cheyenne, WY.
No. 4014 is one of eight surviving "Big Boy" steam engines from an original fleet of 25 that were built between 1941 and 1944 to pull heavy freight trains over the mountains of Wyoming and Utah. Built by the American Locomotive Co. in Schenectady, NY, each one was 132-feet long including the tender, weighing in at 1.2-million pounds and generating over 6300 horsepower.
Restoration of No. 4014 is scheduled to take 3-5 years. It will be fully operational when restored. I can't wait to this this monster under steam again!

You can see a detailed schedule of the trip to Cheyenne here:
http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/details.shtml


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[Frankie]

Somewhere I have a photo of my Wife standing in front of a Big Boy. I took the picture in Steamtown up in Vermont back in the mid 70's.

 

[67Dart273]

Boy that is fer sure a monster!!!

 

[67 Power Wagon]

That my friends is known as a 4-8-8-4 Union Pacific "Big Boy" the Big Boy is a name given to the wheel arrangement.......... and is one of a few that exist, and is the largest steam locomotive in the WORLD! Was only second to the C&O Railroads H-8 2-6-6-6, "Alleghany" and followed that was the DM&IR 2-8-8-4, "Yellowstone".....

These all were known as "Simple Articulated" steam locomotives......Monsters? Yeah, you might say that the 3rd in the line the Yellowstone was rated at something like 6200 to 6800 Horsepower at the cylinders!!!! The Big Boy actually bigger in size was less powerful the C&O 2-6-6-6 was thee most powerful at a whooping 7000 boiler horsepower.

 

[RustyRatRod]

I have a really RARE original picture of THAT 4014 Big Boy and the 3985 UP Challenger double headed on a train so long you cannot see the end of it. The tractive effort both of those produced would blow your mind.

 

[H20loo]

Is there one of those in Greenfield village in Michigan. What ever is there amazed the hell out of me. I was like a flea standing beside it. Those were the days when an engineer had a real job.

 

[GGs66GT]

Thanks for the link to the move.

I've got the Pentrix DVD of all the Big Boys in operation 4000 - 4024 in order.

Check out http://www.pentrex.com for train videos.

 

[/6 Matt]

I have a really RARE original picture of THAT 4014 Big Boy and the 3985 UP Challenger double headed on a train so long you cannot see the end of it. The tractive effort both of those produced would blow your mind.

I wish I seen that when I came down last October:banghead:

 

[RustyRatRod]

I sure wouldda showed you too. ;)