Two wonderful discoveries in Nebraska, today. Kenefick Park is connected to Luritzen Gardens in Omaha, Nebraska. As most know, Big Boy 4023 was placed on a bluff, overlooking the bridge connecting Omaha to Council Bluffs, several years ago. I found them after having to search fairly vigorously. 4023 was the last Big Boy to leave a U.P. roundhouse, kept pristine for about 20 years before being placed outdoors on display. Today she is in place where she'll never be removed. Could it be done? Yes. Likely the money will be spent? Never. Even so, the redeeming fact is her condition and parameters of the display. The locomotive is beautifully finished, and well greased. Her paint is immaculate and here's another interesting fact, even though the smokebox and lettering look gray, they are in fact, graphite and silver, respectively. He cab is sealed, blocked from easy entry, and stripped of any tempting jewelry. The whistle is a replacement. It is fairly obvious that some parts have been removed; perhaps for 3875? Her sand domes have been stripped of pipes and filled with foam urethane. I don't believe asbestos lagging has yet been removed. Oh yes, there was also a Diesel.






Aurora the steam dog, along with my wife. Two of the best things to visit Omaha, today.


Two hundred miles later, in Cody Park, North Platte, I found the other Challenger, 3977, survivor of snow melter service. What a gorgeous display! She's immaculate, painted in the gray ghost scheme, fully illuminated, and appears ready to run. This portion of the park abutts a neighborhood, too. Not vandalism, not theft, just a perfect display of railroad equipment. Oh yes, another one of those Diesels. :-)

I think this point has been made many times over the years, here and in other conversations. I believe most of the UP track has been re-aligned over the years such that the curves no longer support operation of a Big Boy. As much as we might shed a tear at 4023's movement from roundhouse to outdoors, there is no realistic option for future operation.

In a online conversation several years ago Steve Lee said, the 3985 will go around a sharper curve than the 844, but the actual limit for the 3985 is the centipede tender.

-Hudson

That makes sense. Back during the days of the "old" NS Steam Program, there were places 1218 could go that 611 couldn't, because of the longer rigid wheelbase and slightly higher axle loadings.

I got the number of the 3985 incorrect in my original post; sorry, it was late and I was tired. I think the operation of a Big Boy is discarded out of hand due to the re-allignment of track over the entire system, yet there appear to be long regions of straight track here in the center of the nation, which could accommodate such a run. Turning the locomotive might be another thing! Operation of a Big Boy would be a magnificent achievement, heralded world-wide. In the interim, I'm grateful for U.P.'s generosity as it stands today. Thank you, Union Pacific!
It would be simple enough to extract 3977 from where she sits today, assuming a replacement locomotive for 3985 was ever desired.

A photo of 4023 that I took at Laramie in August 1957. The UP asked for it when they moved 4023 to Kenefick Park in 2005, and I understand it is displayed there (though with no photo credit).