Union Pacific Big Boy: The Behemoth Train that Tamed the Rockies

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[michaelloth]

As a 13 year old I stood in front of 4017 in Green Bay, WI. and asked the tour guide at the train museum if the Big Boy would ever run again. The answer was, "No". In July of 2019 as a 57 year old, I stood in Clyman, WI. and watched 4014 steam under the old coal tower that still stands there. My eyes were watering. It is a beautiful Locomotive. It also helped win WWll by burning coal and saving diesel for the war over seas. I thank Union Pacific for restoring one of these locomotives. It was always a dream of mine to see one operate.

[dalegarringer]

As a boy living on a farm in rural Iowa, I remember the steam locomotives hurtling past carrying passengers and freight. You could hear them coming, then the ground shaking as they approached the lower field bound by the tracks. I would find an excuse for me and my dog, Brownie an Australian Sheepdog, to get close and marvel. Not certain if Brownie appreciated it as he would answer the train's whistle with his own howls. Everything is gone now; Brownie, the farm, the trains, even the rails. It's just me (old man) and my memories.

[maxwilson]

10:33 "Freight transportation is rarely something that gets the pulse going"
Clearly, you've never met a railfan.

[johnhanes]

My grandfather was a boilermaker in Cheyenne. He was skinney enough to crawl inside the boilers to buck the rivets. He lost most of his hearing, ear protection was stuffing cotton in the ears. He retired in the late forties or early 50's. The smile on his face when we took him to a locomotive display was heartwarming. What an era to have grown up in. Steam locomotives are amazing.

[ccubsfan]

Idk what's more astonishing, the fact that this weighs as much as 2 747s or that there's a plane half the weight of this flying.

[davidrubin]

One thing many might not know but the Society that looked after the Big Boy in retirement did such a fantastic job of maintaining her (keeping her wheels and joints oiled) that when the head of UP's Steam restoration shops, Ed Dickens was interviewed and asked what shape she was in when the the UP crew started to work on her, he said something to the effect that they were all shocked at how she was in SUCH GOOD SHAPE! Kudos to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society for helping the Big Boy to come back to life!

[AugustusOakstar]

My grandfather was a BigBoy engineer, he said it was the Saturn V of its day: 604 tons of weight, 1.3 million pounds on 16 driving wheels. All during WW2 carrying goods over the continental divide. They helped win the war in "spades".

[dorsk]

When you think about trains, you don't picture a diesel-electric or a high speed one. You think of ones like this. With all moving parts on the outside, billowing smoke, chug a-chug a (steam whistle). That's what makes these things timeless.

[utah]

Being 70 and living square in the Big Boy's environment, the Intermountain West, I have had the privilege of seeing the Big Boy Engine both as a very impressed small child and last year as 4014 visited my city.

[wilfredoyogui]

The Big Boy 4012 is being restored at the Steamtown Historical Museum at Scranton...we are working on it very hard so it can be in display very soon.

[That_Guy]

Finally got to see Bog Boy 4014 this afternoon; first time in my memory that I can ever recall seeing a functioning steam locomotive. Needless to say... it was absolutely awe-inspiring.
The thing that took me aback the most was the sheer amount and force of the heat radiating off of him in all directions, regardless of wind direction. The ground-shaking was another crazy cool experience, especially when he went directly underneath a bridge I was standing on.

It's really cool to see just how many people turned out all along the route to see him, and also the dozens and dozens of cars that followed him on the nearby roads everywhere. I saw him in the middle of Kansas, and the sheer volume of people that turned up to witness and follow him astounded me, and I was born and raised in this area. I've never seen such crowds before, and 4014 caused a traffic jam EVERYWHERE he went!

The energy in the air at these gatherings was something very unique. Everyone was very respectful and courteous not only to the railroad staff, 4014, but also to each other. The air was alive with energy, people were non-stop gaping at the behemoth iron machine, and were all very excited. I've never even seen such enthusiasm from people at air shows with old planes. There's just something about the world's largest steam locomotive running I guess, especially after he sat for the better part of half a century!

AMAZING experience, I'm so happy I got to see him on tour this year. I missed him on his first tour in 2019, but I didn't this time!

[OkieVet]

I'm not a big train person, but I got to see this Big Boy come roaring by, and my lord it is a sight to behold. These sheer power of those beasts is unmistakable. It does leave all who see in awe and wonder. If you get the chance to see one, go. I promise you won't regret it.

[codebasher]

Standing close to one of these things under steam is something you'll never forget. Those puppies are truly amazing!

[magnumfrank]

Simon, I realize the cultural differences across the pond, but in 2019, the tour of the restored Big Boy was Huge news as the engine went up to Minneapolis, came down to Chicago, went south into Texas and went as far as the west coast breaking all attendence estimates. In West Chicago, I met fans from Japan and from Europe. Union Pacific also engineered a solution so that the engine is an oil burner and patented the design.

[DarkSyster]

And just recently, BigBoy 4014 pushed a stalled diesel freight train out of Bryce, Nebraska.

[MarshFlyFightWin]

Another big locomotive you could do is the Gas Turbine 8, 500hp engine, which was a jet powered locomotive.

[jackcoker]

We did it boys. We got him to cover the big boy. Thank you.

[indridcold]

This behemoth has no dynamic braking. The brakes were only the steam actuated clasp brakes. When one sees this big guy on the rails, there is usually a diesel locomotive after the water car. That locomotive is not there to help pull the train. It is there to provide dynamic braking and generate power for the cars. The later steam locomotives do have steam driven generators on them but used a considerable amount of steam to drive the small generators.

[jerredwayne]

This thing came through my town on the rail line across the street from my house. Me and my family watched it go by sitting about 30ft from the rails. It shook the ground and sounded like thunder as it went by. Its an awsome peice of American industrial might.

[rajyashkirat]

Not mentioned is why these locomotives need to be so heavy. That’s in order to generate sufficient traction between the wheels and rail to actually transfer all that power successfully.

In the case of locomotives, heavier is actually better for tractive effort