Worth the Drive and the Wait

Big Boy
Union Pacific steam locomotive 4014
Medicine Bow, Wyoming
May 4, 2019

Saturday, two steam locomotives passed through Wyoming on their way to Ogden, UT for 150th anniversary of the competition of the transcontinental railroad. The largest of the two locomotives, #4014 a Big Boy, was the lead engine. It is a massive machine and impressive to see in person.

Even though the train was stopping in Laramie, I decided to drive an hour northwest to Medicine Bow, a small town that converted its former depot into a museum. The crowds anticipated in Laramie were huge, and I thought my chances of seeing the locomotives up close were better in Medicine Bow. I was not disappointed.

The train was over an hour late in arriving, but it was worth the wait.

Big Boy
(click image to enlarge)

Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, and the first was delivered in 1941. The Big Boys were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pound. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged" or articulated to allow them to negotiate curves. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive (the large fire box). The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Ut and Cheyenne, WY. 

According to a Union Pacific executive, the class series originally was to have been called the "Wasatch," but one day while one of the engines was being built, an unknown worker scrawled "Big Boy" in chalk (similar to that shown in the first photo in this post) on its front. With that, the legendary name was born and has stuck. 

end portion of Big Boy
(click image to enlarge)

Eight of the Big Boys were donated for public display in various cities around the country. Big Boy #4014 was retired in 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years of service. In 2014, Big Boy #4014 was towed from its display location in Pomona, CA to Cheyenne, WY where it was restored in the Union Pacific Steam shop.

Note: the italicized information came from various news releases - online and in print.

a small segment of the crowd gathered to see the
steam locomotives in Laramie, WY
May 4,2019

The crowds in Laramie were large. A photo posted on Facebook, shows a small section of the crowd and how those gathered were separated from the train by a chainlink fence. By driving to Medicine Bow, I had a closer view of the trains and no fence.

I'll post photos of the second locomotive tomorrow.