for fans of steam locomotives (Big Boy Tour)

[Centex]

Just FYI, Union Pacific has released the schedule for the Big Boy No. 4014 "Heartland of America Tour"

https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

For kids of all ages it's quite a sight to see (and hear, and 'feel') if you have an opportunity.

 

[Mike G]

Thanks for the link.

 

[MrLynn]

Alas, the UP does not extend to the eastern half of the USA, and even if they would run the Big Boy on other roads, it's too big for most of them. Oh well.

 

[Selkirk]

I'd love to see the Big Boy in action. She is a monster!

I've been involved with Steam Locomotive preservation / passenger railway excursion operations for nearly 20 years. I was a fireman for ex-CN locomotive 6060 when she was in service and have logged many miles firing Alberta Prairie's Locomotive 41 (former Frisco/Mississippian 77) out of Stettler.

 

[Iowa Dave]

I saw Big Boy the last time they had it in the Midwest. It was on the Beverly yards overnight and then westbound in the morning. It stopped in Belle Plaine and drew a big crowd. I saw it there then drove west a couple miles to the crossing below our farm ground and marveled at this beautiful piece of machinery as it rolled through an obscure crossing with only a handful of folks watching. The UP main line runs about four miles south of our home . It’s Chicago northwestern trackage that they acquired some years ago. I’ll be trackside when Big Boy graces eastern iowa in early September.
Iowa Dave

 

[Centex]

A 'lube stop' in Jewett, TX, November 9, 2019.

The second pic shows the blue "Safety First" check-out / lock-out tag-board mounted outside the cab by the engineer during the stop. He's keeping a watchful eye on his 'baby' and its crew.

A few random specs for the locomotive and tender from Wikipedia - Union Pacific Big Boy ...

• LOA ~132 ft
• Wheelbase ~117 ft
• Total Weight ~1,200,000 lb
• Power Output ~7,000 hp at tender drawbar
• Tractive effort ~138,240 lbf

"They were the only locomotives to use a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement: four-wheel leading truck for stability entering curves, two sets of eight driving wheels and a four-wheel trailing truck to support the large firebox."

 

[Centex]

hear that lonesome whistle blow

Not sure if this will work .... links to a couple of short iPhone videos I shot back in 2019 (on Google drive, no sign-in should be required to view)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mXOaYxayqk3SIfOxdC6JttOxfS5AgSSf/view?usp=sharing (this entering Hearne, TX)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17_EuETrG7MWZ3decid_MLz9TfO55PEsI/view?usp=sharing (this leaving Jewett, TX)

With apology for the unsteady-hand, but hey, I was sure having a good time!

BTW, the 'rhythmic clacking sound' in the first video is cars on the highway overpass expansion joints behind me

 

[camp4528]

Thanks for starting this thread!! Very interesting.

By coincidence I had just started ruminating on doing a grand amtrak tour in September from Chicago to SanFrancisco (Zephyr) then to LA (Starlight) then to New Orleans (Sunset) and finally to Philly (Crescent) to fly to Ogdensburg NY. I know!! a lot of sitting- but also relaxing and just looking out the window seeing many many areas I’ve never seen before.

If this gets closer to reality I’ll try to see BigBoy near Chicago or perhaps Hearn.

Thanks again.

 

[HABBERDABBER]

The fans would know

There's this railroad museum in North Freedom, Wisconsin, about 40 miles Northwest of Madison. Cool set-up; we once lived, briefly, in North Freedom and took a ride on one of their excursions. The old bank building we lived in upstairs is now their office.

FYI:https://www.midcontinent.org/

An acquaintance recently rebuilt one of their steam locomotives in his machine shop. It took awhile to do so. New boilers, a bigger shop space, heavy duty lift equipment, a few years of work, but he did it. A labor of love of steam. He's also involved and owns some steam tractors which he demos.

The closest Big Boy comes to Chicago is about 70 miles West in Rochelle, IL. I'm tempted to make the drive.......in my battery electric automobile.
Times change.

 

[Selkirk]

A view from the office, during one of last year's runs.....

 

[alanmalk]

So many moving parts...

Antimatter warp engines are so much simpler...

 

[Iowa Dave]

Maybe so but they wouldn’t have a neat whistle and I personally wouldn’t go across
The street to see one. But that’s probably just my old man coming out.

 

[Mike G]

Near Nowata OK the Union Pacific passes under US-169, and the sign on the overpass bridge reads, "U.P. Overpass." I drive that way several times per year. Michigan's Upper Peninsula is also called the "U.P.", and it amuses me that I can tell my Michigan relatives that I pass over the U.P. often.

 

[Iowa Dave]

Though there are not a lot of Oliver travel trailers on the road and very few in Iowa, I delight informing people that I’ve seen 7 Olivers on a particular day or 17 in the past week. Then I post a picture of my favorite of all time farm tractor. The Oliver 66,77,or 88. Also the 1560 and a great little utility tractor the 550. That doesn’t always amuse them as much as it does me. They were made in iowa and many came with a Waukesha engine out of Wisconsin.
Iowa Dave

 

[camp4528]

Another Big Boy

We are staying at the very nice Dalewood campground in escape_artist’s St Thomas (not BVI) Ontario.

We sought out the memorial to PT Barnum’s famous Jumbo the Elephant who was struck and killed by a train locomotive on Sept 15, 1885 here.

He was another really big boy.

If you’re coming to the Niagara wine escape, the pastoral and hopping communities of St Thomas and Port Stanley are worth it. If you close a high railway bridge, what better use than to make an elevated park/art installation. Right beside the Jumbo memorial.

Apologies as usual for dragging a thread into the weeds.

 

[ScubaRx]

Though there are not a lot of Oliver travel trailers on the road and very few in Iowa...

There are 14 registered Oliver Owners in the Hawkeye State.

 

[Iowa Dave]

With over 90,000 miles of roads, at least 300 public campgrounds city, county, state and federal, it’s pretty easy to not see 14 Oliver trailers with Iowa license plates. One thing is for sure, though they haven’t been made for quite a few years there are a lot more Oliver tractors in Iowa than there are or ever will be, Oliver travel trailers. It was good to see one just like any other fiberglass. I probably see about one fiberglass trailer every two weeks or so in my daily forays on Highway 30 and Interstate 380. On the super slab (Interstate 80) I usually se two or three between Cedar Rapids and Fort Wayne Indiana. Mostly Scamps and Casitas. Once in a while an Egg Camper, Burro or U-Haul and Escapes. We were in a campground last weekend where there was a teardrop rally. Hadn’t seen that before. There were about 10 teardrops, several brands I hadn’t noticed before, and the Oliver.
Iowa Dave

 

[Centex]

Yep, threads do go astray, sometimes wildly .....

 

[WillyB]

Today in Desoto, MO

There were probably 1000 people who came out to see Big Boy No. 4014 stop to say high.

 

[Iowa Dave]

He’s a big piece of iron for sure. Glad you got to see it. 4-8-8-4 and weighing in at a million two hundred thousand pounds. Ought to be a good railroad song to commemorate the restoration.
Iowa Dave