UP Big Boy #4014 - The Great Race Across the Midwest

[James Costello]

The Great Race Across the Midwest
https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm
The Big Boy No. 4014 is headed back out on the Union Pacific system beginning July 8 for a tour, taking it through Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Wyoming.



Monday, July 8
Cheyenne, Wyo.
Pine Bluffs, Wyo.
Sidney, Neb.

Tuesday, July 9
Sidney, Neb.
Julesburg, Colo.
Ogallala, Neb.
North Platte, Neb.

Wednesday, July 10
No Public Display   

Thursday, July 11
North Platte, Neb.
Lexington, Neb.
Gibbon, Neb.
Grand Island, Neb.

Friday, July 12
Grand Island, Neb.
Central City, Neb.
Columbus, Neb.
Fremont, Neb.
Omaha, Neb.

Saturday, July 13
Omaha Railroad Days - Paid Admission Required

Sunday, July 14
Omaha Railroad Days - Paid Admission Required

Monday, July 15
Union Pacific Museum Special
SOLD OUT Excursion Information

Denison, Iowa
Carroll, Iowa
Boone, Iowa

Tuesday, July 16
Boone, Iowa
Nevada, Iowa
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa

Wednesday, July 17
Mason City, Iowa
Albert Lea, Minn.
Owatonna, Minn.
Northfield, Minn.
St. Paul, Minn.

Thursday, July 18
On Display:   9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. CT   St. Paul, Minn.
St. Paul Union Depot


Friday, July 19
St. Paul, Minn.
Bruno, Minn.
Duluth, Minn.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Saturday, July 20
On Display:   Duluth, Minn.
Lake Superior Railroad Museum

Sunday, July 21
Duluth, Minn.
Superior, Wis.

Monday, July 22
Superior, Wis.
Bruno, Minn.
St. Paul, Minn.


Tuesday, July 23
St. Paul, Minn.
Baldwin, Wis.
Altoona, Wis.

Wednesday, July 24

Altoona, Wis.
Merrillan, Wis.
Warrens, Wis.
Adams, Wis.

Thursday, July 25
Adams, Wis.
Friesland, Wis.
Butler, Wis.

Friday, July 26
Butler, Wis.
West Chicago, Ill.
Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center

Saturday, July 27 – Monday, July 29
On Display - Union Pacific Larry S. Provo Training Center

Tuesday, July 30
West Chicago, Ill.
Rochelle, Ill.
Clinton, Iowa
Wheatland, Iowa
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Wednesday, July 31
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Belle Plaine, Iowa
Marshalltown, Iowa
Elkhart, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa


Thursday, August 1
On Display:   Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, August 2
Des Moines, Iowa
Boone, Iowa
Carroll, Iowa
Woodbine, Iowa
Omaha, Neb.

Saturday, August 3
On Display:   
Omaha, Neb.
Durham Museum

Sunday, August 4
Omaha, Neb.
Fremont, Neb.
Columbus, Neb.
Central City, Neb.
Grand Island, Neb.

Monday, August 5
Grand Island, Neb.
Kearney, Neb.
Cozad, Neb.
North Platte, Neb.

Tuesday, August 6
On Display:      North Platte, Neb.


Wednesday, August 7
North Platte, Neb.
Ogallala, Neb.
Chappell, Neb.
Sidney, Neb.

Thursday, August 8
Sidney, Neb.
Pine Bluffs, Wyo.
Cheyenne, Wyo.



RailGiants Train Museum Excursion
Big Boy No. 4014 will return to Southern California to lead a special passenger excursion on October 12-13, 2019. Details are still being determined. More information will be available at http://www.railgiants.org/Big-Boy-Excursion-Info.php.

[Point353]

What are the chances of 4104 ever making a return visit to its birthplace of Schenectady?

[basementcalling]

Wait, Big Boys don't run through Altoona. SPF heresy there.

[C855B]

What are the chances of 4014 ever making a return visit to its birthplace of Schenectady?

Seeing that the RRs in and out of Schenectady are CP (ex-D&H) and CSX (ex-NYC?), probably slim. For one thing, there's bad blood between the UP Heritage program and CSX. Then I have doubts whether the ex-D&H line would have heavy enough bridges to handle it.

[learmoia]

Seeing that the RRs in and out of Schenectady are CP (ex-D&H) and CSX (ex-NYC?), probably slim. For one thing, there's bad blood between the UP Heritage program and CSX. Then I have doubts whether the ex-D&H line would have heavy enough bridges to handle it.

Speaking of that.. I'm surprised that there have not been many pictures of these locomotives being transported from the factory to the connecting railroads..

And the old tale of UP was the only road to have the Big Boy because it was too big to run anywhere else... (then how did it get from the factory to the UP.?.)..

Ohh well.. It looks like it will make a few trips near me.. but I'll be working those days..

[Point353]

Seeing that the RRs in and out of Schenectady are CP (ex-D&H) and CSX (ex-NYC?), probably slim. For one thing, there's bad blood between the UP Heritage program and CSX. Then I have doubts whether the ex-D&H line would have heavy enough bridges to handle it.

D&H did have a fleet of 4-6-6-4 steam locos.

[Doug G.]

YaHoo! In Albert Lea Minnesota on July 17th! Only 20 miles away. I'll be there!

Doug

[nkalanaga]

learmoia:  A steam loco isn't that heavy "empty".  Take out the water and fuel and the axle load drops quite a bit.

[C855B]

... And the old tale of UP was the only road to have the Big Boy because it was too big to run anywhere else... (then how did it get from the factory to the UP.?.)...

Same sort of thing applied to the double diesels of the '60s - how did they get from the factory to UP? Helium in the fuel tanks? 

I have been told a tale, probably true, maybe apocryphal, that a DD35 accidentally went east of Council Bluffs on a joint through train arrangement with C&NW in the mid-'60s. It made it a little better than halfway across Iowa before a trainmaster or RFE, purely by chance, spotted it and radioed the engineer to stop the train immediately and wait for management, that locomotive cannot possibly be safe over any bridges on the line. After much hand-wringing by their engineering department and, as I was told, many calls to UP's power management and engineering staff, it was deemed "possible" to tow the loco back to home rails using idler cars, which of course was over the same railroad it had just traveled with no issues. You know that UP's guys were rolling their eyes over the incident, but a memo was quickly circulated to all interchange points that the double diesels were absolutely not to go off-line.

D&H did have a fleet of 4-6-6-4 steam locos.[/img]

Ah. Enters the realm of possibility, then.

[muktown128]

Thanks for sharing.  I'll have to take some time off of work to see this as it is passing thru.  May need to take trip to Rochelle to catch it at the crossing with the BNSF.  I managed to see Challenger 3985 come thru years ago.  There are some spots in West Allis, WI that the road parallels the track within about 20 feet or so.

Scott

[nkalanaga]

The DD35s were basically two GP35s, and weighed about twice as much as a GP35.  They also had twice as many axles, and were twice as long, so the axle load and weight-per-foot were about the same.  As far as weight, they could go anywhere a pair of GP35s could go. 

Curves, now, were another matter, especially coupled to something else.  They definitely needed wider curves than a GP35.

[C855B]

The DD35s were basically two GP35s, and weighed about twice as much as a GP35. ...

In fact, 1 DD35 = 2 GP35 within roughly 600 pounds. Per the story, the CNW guys couldn't wrap their heads around the four-axle trucks and were fishing for excuses.

It is likely all or most of the doubles from all three makers were delivered via the CNW, they simply had a factory rep and other knowledgeable managers along for the ride. It was the middle managers who likely hadn't participated in any of the deliveries who were surprised by the unfamiliar "giant" technology showing up on their railroad unannounced. The story as related to me long ago was likely a bit embellished, but the off-line brouhaha aspect was believable.

[learmoia]

In fact, 1 DD35 = 2 GP35 within roughly 600 pounds. Per the story, the CNW guys couldn't wrap their heads around the four-axle trucks and were fishing for excuses.

It is likely all or most of the doubles from all three makers were delivered via the CNW, they simply had a factory rep and other knowledgeable managers along for the ride. It was the middle managers who likely hadn't participated in any of the deliveries who were surprised by the unfamiliar "giant" technology showing up on their railroad unannounced. The story as related to me long ago was likely a bit embellished, but the off-line brouhaha aspect was believable.

Here is something to consider.
            Lbs           Axle   Lbs/Axle            Length   Lbs/Axle/Length
SD90MAC   415000   6   69166.66667   80           864.5833333
DDA40X   545000   8   68125           98           695.1530612
ES44AC   432000   6   72000           74.5           966.442953

So we should put idlers between all the ES44s and SD70/90s? 

~Ian

[Mark5]

And the old tale of UP was the only road to have the Big Boy because it was too big to run anywhere else... (then how did it get from the factory to the UP.?.)..

This is nonsense. Look up old wive's. 

[learmoia]

YaHoo! In Albert Lea Minnesota on July 17th! Only 20 miles away. I'll be there!

Doug

Small world  I'm going to try to get to Manly, IA that day.... ~Ian