Union Pacific BIG BOY heading to Chicago...All Aboard

Cheese

Cheese

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To celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's completion, the UP has set up a tour schedule for their newly rebuilt BIG BOY 4014 locomotive. This has been a 3 year restoration project.

This is the largest steam locomotive ever built and the only one that's in operating condition. It weighs 600 TONS, has a top speed of 80 MPH and was built by ALCO in 1941. Only 25 of these monsters were produced. It was originally coal fired but has been converted to fuel oil.

It just left St Paul this morning and is heading for Wisconsin and then to Chicago where it will be on display for 2 days. Then it will head towards Iowa and slowly make its way back home to Cheyenne Wyoming. 
https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_4014

Here's a picture of the behemoth.

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And here's a shot of how long this thing really is.

[attachimg=2]

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[attachimg=4]
 

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[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - thanks for sharing.

That helper unit 3025 is very dear to my heart. That is one of our first built SD70ACe-T4 locomotives. It meets the latest EPA emissions standards.
 
Hey Cheese, we you able to see it in St. Paul?  That is an awesome piece of machinery and industrial history.  To see and hear that big boy moving down the track would be a sight.
 
Mike Goetzke said:
[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - thanks for sharing.

That helper unit 3025 is very dear to my heart. That is one of our first built SD70ACe-T4 locomotives. It meets the latest EPA emissions standards.
Click to expand...

So Mike, does that helper push all along the journey or is it throttled up just enough to pull the consist behind it?

I assume it is used when dynamic braking is needed.
 
Scott in Bend said:
Hey Cheese, we you able to see it in St. Paul?  That is an awesome piece of machinery and industrial history.  To see and hear that big boy moving down the track would be a sight.
Click to expand...

Ya Scott, those photos were taken last evening as she was parked at the St. Paul Union Depot...pretty impressive.

Funny thing was, I was doing yard work yesterday afternoon when I heard a steam train somewhere in the distance. There's Canadian Pacific trackage behind our house so I ran inside to grab a camera. Well the train never showed up and I could still hear it, but it was getting further away. That led me to wonder what steam train it was and where it was going? 

That's when I read it was the Big Boy and it was heading for St. Paul. By the time I cleaned up, grabbed a camera and some lenses, made the trek to the Union Depot (a 10 minute trip), fought the traffic and found a parking spot, the Big Boy was already parked and was shut down.  [sad] [crying] [sad]
 
Amazing! Imagine taking a ride on it from start to finish.
I remember watching and being fascinated by steam trains when I was a kid, sometimes the driver or fire man would give a wave as they were pulling out.
I wonder if they were kinder to the environment, sure the steam power was but,the fuel they burned probably not so good?

The wood burning models were probably the most planet friendly.
What a beast!
 
I wish they were coming to the east coast, I would travel to see it.

My uncle worked for UP all his life. Ran away from home at 16 from
his families farm in Ohio and jumped on a train heading west and
never looked back. He passed away about 15 years ago but I know
he would have loved to see one of the Big Boys running again.

Here's the schedule:
https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

Tracking map:
https://www.up.com/forms/steam-trace.cfm
 
[member=60461]Bob D.[/member] There are 8 Big Boys left 4014 is the only operational one. 4012 is on display at Steamtown in Scranton PA. That is the only one east of the Mississippi.

There’s also one at the national transportation museum in St Louis MO

Ron
 
Cheese said:
Mike Goetzke said:
[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - thanks for sharing.

That helper unit 3025 is very dear to my heart. That is one of our first built SD70ACe-T4 locomotives. It meets the latest EPA emissions standards.
Click to expand...

So Mike, does that helper push all along the journey or is it throttled up just enough to pull the consist behind it?

I assume it is used when dynamic braking is needed.
Click to expand...

[member=44099]Cheese[/member] - I'm not a locomotive expert (I'm an engine guy) but believe the steam engine does most of the work and the 3025 helps when needed for power and braking.
 
rvieceli said:
[member=60461]Bob D.[/member] There are 8 Big Boys left 4014 is the only operational one. 4012 is on display at Steamtown in Scranton PA. That is the only one east of the Mississippi.

There’s also one at the national transportation museum in St Louis MO

Ron
Click to expand...

Thanks, Steamtown is not too far away. It would be worth the trip in another year or two when the grandsons are a little older.
 
This is pretty funny. As the 4014 enters Duluth, a steam train on a siding decides to "spread it's feathers" and then the 4014 responds...
 
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