The Big Boy project is a brilliant move for UP. Assuming UP 3985 needs a major rebuild, they can likely do UP 4014 for the same quantum dollars instead. And in addition UP gets cubic inches of free press and goodwill on the notoriety of restoring the "world's largest steam locomotive."

Wesley

If UP truly goes through with it and pulls it off, it will be a PR stunt the BNSF would be hard pressed to beat!!

This is truly amazing. I have to admit to being one of the doubters. And it wouldn't be unreasonable to be so, despite a bit of razzing some of us are getting from the "believers." After all, in this world of the bottom line dominating so many, too many things, why would someone do this? There's no direct profit in it that I cab see,



This could be quite logical--though I have to say I hope it isn't true, for obvious reasons.



The 5511 would be the most logical choice; it's a drag engine, not really suitable for today's main line operations, and also too large for a typical heritage or tourist road. One thing we can take comfort in is that the fellows at Panoma are apparently good stewards of their charges; witness that their 4000 is the one the UP went after.

This is still amazing, and it gives new hope. . .for eastern articulateds. Could we see an engine numbered 1218 run again, keeping the 611 company? Is it too much to hope for steam on CSX--with the 614 and another engine to keep her company as well? Would it be too much to hope for the other engine to be the 1308 or the 1309--or the 1604?

Just some random thoughts, daydreams really. . .

Can you imagine trying to put together a photo freight for this monster? How many cars would you need to simulate a 1940s era freight on Sherman Hill?

I can see some movie possibilities with this engine and the 844 and 3985. Maybe a possible adaptation of Hollister Noble's "One Way to Eldorado," maybe something original, maybe a remake, with a better script, of the 1954 "Big Boy" television program. . .now, about those freight cars, and a string of Pullman heavyweights in green for the 844, where can we round up enough of those?

Anyway, congratulations to all involved for helping to make this happen, and best wishes for its success. . .

It will be a PR move every Class 1 railroad will be hard pressed to beat. The only thing I think that would come close would be if NS got a hold of one of those two Y-class engines and restored it. Or if CSX restored a steam locomotive in general. Either one

We like steam engines up here in Canada too... We can only hope and pray that some one at CN or will see what NS and UP are up to, or that CP might remember how much fun steam is.

Another random thought--what is the UP planning to burn in this engine? The road uses oil in the two locomotives it has now, and there was plenty of precedent for both (and the 3985's oil tank came from the other surviving Challenger if my memory is right). But the Big Boys were never converted, and the one attempt to get one to run on oil (4005?) didn't work out too well. At the same time, I don't see UP using coal. . .too much special handling, crews being short on experience with coal firing, and fire hazards from sparks. . .wonder what the UP will do?

On the history page for 4014, there is a footnote right at the very bottom of the page stating that they plan to have her burn No. 5 Oil.

http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_train ... 4014.shtml

There is also a thread about #4014 over on the Narrow Gauge Railroad Discussion forum. There is a link to one of the posts in the thread -- it may have an answer to the above question.
http://ngdiscussion.net/phorum/read.php?1,245148,245168#msg-245168

Alex #4, do you want fries with that? :-)

Apparently somebody (or bodies) has written a check and there is indeed a railroad willing and able to run a Big Boy. Yeah, we get that now, and hope that whoever is responsible will finish out the task and in a few years we'll all line up at trackside and cheer and get silly over a big, loud, smoke belching, early 20th century machine.

So let's cheer UP and '?' on and hope that their success will encourage imitation.

I read somewhere that the oil-burning Big Boy project didn't turn out well because they used only one burner in the firebox, whereas 3985 has multiple burners. I'm sure they have a plan, else they wouldn't have acquired 4014

Back in the 1960s, the Rutles, a musical group parodying the Beatles, made a record titled, "All You Need Is Cash". That certainly seems to be the theme song here, and UP presumably has a fairly well-filled "money bin". I confess to being one of the "when the Cubs beat the White Sox in the World Series" or "when the Devil goes ice skating" crowd, even though I have seen Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 go from a cold, silent and motionless park engine to a working locomotive that is the pride of Southern California. We should mention that the route followed by 3751 on several of its trips, the Metrolink San Bernardino Line, would be the way that UP 4014 would start its homeward journey, since it goes right by the LA County Fairgrounds, and its predecessor Pacific Electric line was how the Big Boy got here in the first place (and the PE track was probably 75 or 80# rail, compared to Metrolink's 115 or 119# steel. Lots can happen between now and when 4014 heads for Wyoming, but it sounds like the process has started.

Well, we may have an answer to the question of WHERE 4014 will run. One would think that any track that it passes over on the trip from Pomona to Cheyenne should be fair game for operation! Points east of that may be a different matter, but there is not much difference between eastern and western main line trackage.

You can spend millions on TV advertising alone, the attention this may muster can be crazy. UP and anywhere else do it to promote their railroad, if it garners attention, its worth it. Don't expect it to make money, but surely they will find ways to make money on fan trips etc.

They will have to do some tests with the oil burning and they better keep the coal firing possibility available in case of problems.