In 1941, 25 Big Boy locomotives were built for Union Pacific. There is less than half of that left, and the # 4014 is unique in that it is still on the road in the United States
HOUSTON – Union Pacific’s # 4014 Big Boy steam locomotive returns to Houston this week.
It had left North Texas on Sunday and was on its way to Bayou City.
Note: The video on this page is a raw clip of the train leaving North Texas
In 1941, 25 Big Boy locomotives were built for Union Pacific. They were designed for steep terrain between Cheyenne, Wy. And Ogden, Utah.
Today is No. 4014 is the only limited number Big Boy still in operation.
After a restoration project that lasted more than two years, No. 4014 a tour of the Midwest and a trip to Ogden to celebrate 150 years of Union Pacific. During this station, the Big Boy and the historic steam locomotive Living Legend No. 844 nose to nose to create the image taken on May 10, 1869, when the final spike was added at Promontory Summit. At that moment America’s first transcontinental railroad was built.
When and where to see Big Boy in Houston 2021
The locomotive arrives in Houston on Monday, August 16 at 4 p.m. according to the Union Pacific website.
The locomotive will be issued on Tuesday 17th August at 902 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
>> See more information / updates / tour schedule here <
More information from Union Pacific:
25 Big Boys were built exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad; the first was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds.
Because of their length, the Big Boys’ frames were “hinged” or articulated to help them negotiate curves. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of “pilot” wheels that ran the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels, which supported the stern of the locomotive. The massive engines usually operated between Ogden, Utah and Cheyenne, Wyo.
Seven Big Boys are on public display in various cities across the country. They can be found in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Big Boy # 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941.
The locomotive was retired in December 1961 after traveling 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years of service. Union Pacific acquired # 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California in 2013 and moved it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It was put back into service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
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