Don't see the video here yet so here's the bigboy running under it's own power

[C855B]

You tube has some videos of her running today around the yard with an Ace for a load

[Joetrain59]

Fantastic. Doesn't UP already have a Big Boy running? Or has it been a Challenger running trips for years past?
 Love that hooter!
 Joe D

[C855B]

Fantastic. Doesn't UP already have a Big Boy running? Or has it been a Challenger running trips for years past? ...

Challenger, 3985. Last time I saw it, it was sitting all forlorn in the southernmost bay of the Cheyenne roundhouse. Since the Big Boy was basically a "stretch" version of the 4-6-6-4, the restoration staff borrowed a few parts from it to hasten the 4014 effort. The intent is to replace with freshly-rebuilt parts after the Big Boy project is wrapped-up.

[Englewood]

Rumor around here has it that 4014 will take a set of smooth sides down to Greenly and back tomorrow as final preparations for the trip to Ogden.

I saw that on an official site.

[Trainmaster247]

Rumor around here has it that 4014 will take a set of smooth sides down to Greenly and back tomorrow as final preparations for the trip to Ogden.

Looks like it did happen lot's of good videos on the tube already

[C855B]

Looks like it did happen lot's of good videos on the tube already

Yup. One particular drone vid carried the disclaimer, "All of this footage was 100% legal. All FAA laws were followed and none of the footage was shot within the restricted airspace which covers most of Cheyenne WY."

Which elicits an interesting point - I anticipate a number of drone incidents from folks less inclined to follow the rules. My thinking recalls 4449's '75-'76 run through California, where pacing misbehavior became so problematic that the highway patrol started closing roads in anticipation.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Meanwhile... they're closing Global III in Rochelle.
https://www.mystateline.com/news/rochelle-looks-for-answers-on-news-union-pacific-could-be-leaving-town/1971785438

Again, it's the "whenever there's a big PR thing, look out for what else they're up to".

[Doug G.]

Funny how a machine can cause such emotion, ain't it.

Doug

[Sharky_McSharknose]

Now in glorious 4K. Note the period-correct graffiti on the smokebox door!

[learmoia]

I was curious what it said, but I figured it was shop notes.

Edit: ok, in HD I can clearly see it says Big Boy.

Also I have not noticed any notable steam around the rear set of cylenders but plenty around the front..  So I'm curious if that is prototypical, or if they have it set up as a 4-8-4

.. Disreguard.. this video seems to show everything works as designed.

~Ian

[StarCruiser]

Funny how a machine can cause such emotion, ain't it.

Doug

Yep but, these are effectively living machines!

Every steamer is unique - even if it's one of a series of "mass produced" engines. No two were ever identical. Any engineer from that age knew there was a learning curve to master any given locomotive.

Steam ships were also known to be like that as well. 175 Fletcher class destroyers were built in World War II and not one was identical.

[Doug G.]

Speaking of that, I wonder if there are any engineers still alive who ran the Big Boys. I know it's a long shot.

Doug

[Tom L]

When I lived in Laramie Wyoming, my neighbor was a retired UP engineer from the transition era. His name was was Clayton M. Stehman. He was in his mid 80's then and passed away about 15 years ago. I would sit in his back yard, we would have a Scotch and I would bug him for stories about running trains over Sherman Hill in the steam days.

 It was interesting to me that he always referred the various engines by class series number, not wheel arrangement or nicknames. He had a model of a Big Boy locomotive in his living room that was about 6 feet long and very exact, all the piping, gauges, etc. After he died, I think it ended up in one of the waiting rooms in Ivinson Hospital in Laramie. Not sure if it's still there or what.

Whenever I see pictures of big steam on Sherman Hill, I look to see if it's Clayton at the controls but the engineer is always too obscure to make out.

He once told me that if he hadn't needed to eat, he would have done it for free.

His seniority date (as Fireman) was 9-22-1942, he retired in the mid 1970s.


Tom L
Wellington CO

[Doug G.]

Thanks for the wonderful story, Tom.

I keep thinking, these new guys who have restored this beautiful locomotive and are troubleshooting it, are learning things the old guys already knew, long ago, and took for granted.

Still, ALCO would be very proud of these guys.

Doug

[Joetrain59]

Meanwhile, there's a Big Boy just sitting outside at Steamtown, in Scranton, PA.
 It was repainted a few years ago.
 Joe D