Thread: Went to see Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy today

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Mom and I took Rita for a road trip today, 2 1/2 hours one way to see Union Pacific's recently restored 4014 Big Boy. It's the largest operating steam locomotive in the world and it's taking a bunch of passengers on a joy ride through the Midwest this summer. What an awesome train this is, all the restored passenger cars really set it off too. Rita behaved pretty good the whole way. I was thankful for awesome brakes in it because anything less we may have T-boned a turning tractor and wagon that was not paying attention ( we should have painted it a brighter color ).I did find out the fuel pump is dying or the filter is plugged, it started spitting and sputtering about 8 miles from home. I plugged a gauge in and the fuel pressure dies off after a bit and then it croaks.

I would love to have an opportunity to see that!

I followed the restoration for the last couple of years (lot of videos on You Tube). Love the frontal picture of it !!!!!!

That bell is a dead ringer for the train bell I have that came from the family farm. It's probably larger but it hard to get a sense of scale has the locomotive it so big. Mine is off an 1880 4-4-0. (I don't mean to make bad puns...... but sometimes it just happens ).


Bell 1 by M Patterson, on Flickr



Trains used to be a huge deal. I remember mom telling the story of how she and her family went down to the train station in Dixon Illinois in the 1930s to watch the first streamliner go thru town (it just passed thru it wasn't scheduled to stop). Apparently almost the whole town took off to turn out and see it go by.



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Little girls love horsies…………..little boys love trains.

That's some good stuff there Seth.

Had no idea there were train fans here. I love them. My basement is full of them.

In 1962 I boarded a train in Dayton, Ohio bound for Los Angeles. It went through Chicago to St. Louis where a dining car and club car were added and on to Kansas City. I had a seat at the top of the stairs leading into the club car and that's where I spent most of my time, in the club car. Kansas, with all of their dry counties, was a PITA. Other than that it was a great trip.

Good grief, is there anything you don't have Mike? ��

Originally Posted by cffisher

Had no idea there were train fans here. I love them. My basement is full of them.

Is southern Pacific still around? it seems like be in BNSF is pretty dominant around here.

2 years ago they had a steam meat in Owosso Mi. that's where I took the pictures so I'd say its still around

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

Is southern Pacific still around? it seems like be in BNSF is pretty dominant around here.

I think you'll find that the Southern Pacific morphed into the Southern Pacific Transportation Company, and now operates under the Union Pacific banner in name only. The company stayed autonomous, but took the UP name. All of the mergers, acquisitions, name changes etc got really tangled in the '90's, and I could be wrong.

I seldom do anything within the scope of logical reason and calculated

Very cool! years ago when I got my stationary engineer's license my instructor was a huge train aficionado and we did some really cool field trips during the steam engine part of the class.

Those old riveted boilers were amazing and made to hold up for many, many years. Check this video out, one of my favorite steam equipment restorations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug6hmnUvTps

Crikey!
That was most impressive, thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks.

I had seen that video some years ago, still enjoy seeing it.

My company runs the last riveted power plant boiler in massachusetts. mass maritime college sends students there to study when it is in operation.