Big Boy Locomotive Came to Nor Cal.

[UncleDave]

Union Pacific's 4014 4-8-8-4 the mighty " Big Boy"

We chased it around for a day or so and had great fun.

What a beast. I can only imagine this thing hitting 103 on the open prairie.

It was 107 in Oroville that day, but we snuck down to get a shot of it over the bridge and when it pulled into the station.

With a plaque on the side stating it was made by THE AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY, and flags in front it couldn't be any more patriotic.

The sound - glorious is the only word I can use. Even sitting still it was like a thoroughbred making fluttering noise like a living creature.

 

[4WD]

She’s rolling some coal !

 

[Toy4x4]

It's a bucket list item for me to see one of these in action! I had heard this was going on tour and hoped it would come through Flagstaff. Nope.
A couple years ago on a road trip, coming down to Denver through Cheyanne, I wanted to stop and see #4004, but just as I got to town, there was a huge downpour so I kept going.
But while in Denver, my friend and I went to the rail museum there and saw #4005. I never really grasped how HUGE those things are!

 

[MolaKule]

It is impressive. It came through Iowa a few years ago and you could hear the creaking of the rails two miles before it arrived.

 

[Lubener]

I remember one coming through town pulling a few passenger cars about ten years ago.. As it was approaching , you could see the plume of smoke for several miles. It made quite an impression.

 

[Kira]

In picture #1, I wonder why the forward third of the boiler has a different paint finish.

 

[Boomer]

I THINK THE COLOR IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE THAT IS THE SMOKEBOX WHERE THE COAL SMOKE AND EXHAUSTING STEM MIX AND ARE VENTED THROUGH THE STACK TO THE ATMOSPHERE. PROBABLY HAS TO DO WITH THE HIGH TEMPERATURES THERE.

 

[PF52]

She’s rolling some coal !

It burns oil.

 

[4WD]

It burns oil.

I know that - it was converted … Rolling coal is just slang for the smoke like the bro dozers make … They don’t burn coal either …

 

[SaberOne]

Sata Fe's 4014 4-8-8-4 the mighty " Big Boy"

We chased it around for a day or so and had great fun.

What a beast. I can only imagine this thing hitting 103 on the open prairie.

It was 107 in Oroville that day, but we snuck down to get a shot of it over the bridge and when it pulled into the station.

With a plaque on the side stating it was made by THE AMERICAN LOCOMOTIVE COMPANY, and flags in front it couldn't be any more patriotic.

The sound - glorious is the only word I can use. Even sitting still it was like a thoroughbred making fluttering noise like a living creature.

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What guy doesn’t love trains, but your avatar was very distracting.

 

[Chris142]

My wife loves Choo Choo trains. Last time it came through here she spent the day trying to catch it and failed lol.

 

[Big E]

Sata Fe's 4014 4-8-8-4 the mighty " Big Boy"

Union Pacific.

 

[UncleDave]

You are correct 4014 belongs to UP.

Between the museum and the rolling stock I swapped owners inadvertently in my title.

I think Santa Fe's is a 4-8-4 - not a Big Boy, but still mighty.

 

[UncleDave]

What guy doesn’t love trains, but your avatar was very distracting.

The marinized Viper engine in my boat - it's quite a nice piece itself.

 

[Big E]

Have to give UP credit for maintaining a steam program, and actually letting this beast out in this litigious/Wall Street controlled corporate age we live in.

 

[UncleDave]

Have to give UP credit for maintaining a steam program, and actually letting this beast out in this litigious/Wall Street controlled corporate age we live in.

Agreed. This effort is commendable.

If I could go back and change my opening thread I would.

 

[alarmguy]

Agreed. This effort is commendable.

If I could go back and change my opening thread I would.

We did something similar I think in the last 10 years up in the Smoky Mountains someplace. Not on the same scale I think. That one is massive.

 

[UncleDave]

Have to give UP credit for maintaining a steam program, and actually letting this beast out in this litigious/Wall Street controlled corporate age we live in.

Corrected! Thanks.

 

[Tman220]

I remember one coming through town pulling a few passenger cars about ten years ago.. As it was approaching , you could see the plume of smoke for several miles. It made quite an impression.

10 years ago... if it was a UP steamer would have been either the 3985 Challenger 4-6-6-4 or the 884 a higher speed 4-8-4 configuration. Both are incredibly impressive in their own right. The 884 with it's 80" drivers is incredible to see in real life as well.

The 4014 has only been restored since 2019

 

[TMoto]

Saw 4014 when it toured through Colorado a few years back. Took the family out East of Denver to see it running, what a beast!

It has an interesting story. I think it's based out of Cheyenne, WY and was bought from a museum in Pomona, CA to restore. I've seen two others, one at the Forney Museum in Denver and another can be seen from I-80 in Omaha. The Forney Museum is interesting besides trains, they have all sorts of old vehicles on display.