BIG BOY ... 4014

It's a long story about the Big Boy 4014.  She's owned by Union Pacific and is a four cylinder articulated (meaning it bends in the middle) 4-8-8-4 (the number of wheels).  None of these pictures are mine, they all came from the internet.  Hopefully I will be able to get some today in Ogden, that is if I can reach over the 25,000 people in front of me.  This is a BIG deal in Railroad Land.

ALCO delivered this bad boy to Union Pacific in December 1941.  It ran the tracks until retired in December 1961.  In it's lifetime, it has traveled over 1,031,000 miles.

It was donated to the Railroad and Locomotive Historical Society in Pomona California, where he sat all these years.  In 2012, Union Pacific decided to restore a Big Boy locomotive to excursion service. 4014 was in the best condition of those few remaining, so he was towed to Colton California, then completed it's journey to the steam shop in Cheyenne Wyoming.

Heritage Fleet Operations director Ed Dickens was in charge of converting the locomotive from coal burning to oil burning.  It was obviously a massive project.  In April of 2019 Big Boy moved on it's own power with Ed Dickens at the helm, just in time for the big 150th Celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad.  

After a day in Ogden, Big Boy 4014 will be moved back up the tracks about 60 or so miles away for the big Golden Spike celebration.  It's going to be a real madhouse, but our group will be there in style!!!