According to ''Union Pacific Steam Survivors'' by Lloyd E Stagner

(the 5511 was reportedly last used as a stationary boiler at Green River It remained at the Green River roundhouse until that structure was slated for retirement. No.5511 and 4-8-8-4 No.4005 ((which had also retained at Green River)), were then towed to Cheyenne in April 1970

If i recall 4005 was the last Big Boy to past Sherman Hill towed before 4014 in 2013?

I searching some pictures of 4-6-6-4 3977 operated has snow melter in North Plate

As I recall, Railroad Magazine did the best job of keeping up with the last gasps of steam in North America, in particular the articles and photos of Mexican steam by B Thomas Walsh. With apologies to those who are tired of hearing me preach, and with no disrespect to the UP, GTW, N&W, etc, North American big steam lasted in regular revenue service until July 10, 1968, when the last three NdeM Niagaras were deadlined. If you want to read about what chasing steam back then was like, I can suggest (with what I promise is total modesty) http://www.rypn.org/articles/single.php ... 015159.txt

I only know three other guys that were there back then, and are still here now.

They aren't as delicate as all that - Rick Rowland can attest to bringing back the roller bearing equipped J&L lokies roller bearing wheelsets with minimal drama after decades of rusting away in the Pittsburgh climate for decades.

Hi
Just to add to the subject of the last 4 Big Boys, I found on another website called utahrails.net a little more information of what was either still serviceable by the Union Pacific or not scrapped or donated to a museum.

1. 4003 stored at Lamamie, still serviceable as of 1962
2. 4005 stored at Green River,
3. 4010 stored at Lamemie, still serviceable as of 1962
4. 4023 stored at Cheyenne still serviceable moved to Omaha.

I have the book Twilight of Steam also, I know the book says (4) Big Boys stored at Green River, still serviceable but I have not found anything either on the web, or in any of my books, other than Twilight of Steam, stating that fact.
Hopefully some one from the Union Pacific Railroad Historical society can help with the correct answer. Pat.

Keep in mind that "all the hobby shops" could well just mean "all the local hobby shops in the area." In that era, these booklets were common. Calling them "publications" is a bit of a stretch, they were done on mimeograph machines and looked like something your science teacher may have given you in high school. Typed pages, maybe a crude hand drawing or two, and if they were fancy, the cover page was printed on colored paper that was a bit thicker. They sold cheap and were often local in nature. I definitely recall those being around, though not specifically one about surviving steam.



The ones I recall were about trollies, but the same idea, documenting which lines were still extant and which cars were being scrapped etc. They'd come out maybe quarterly, on a random schedule. This was basically a term paper written in some guy's spare room, not a "real" book.

I didn't get to chase steam until the late 60's and early 70's, but it was a real challenge. Even in magazines, the info would be months out of date by the time you saw it. More often than not, you'd find out "Oh, we scrapped that years ago!" I did manage to see true revenue steam in service though, sort of... I spent a day chasing the fireless cooker at Mesta Machine works in Pittsburgh. Even talked to the crew and got a look at the loco up close. Is a "fireless cooker" real steam? Well, that's up for debate I suppose. But I sure as hell couldn't drive my old beat up Chevy Nova to China to chase the real stuff, so it's as close as I was getting.

All my best steam adventures up until the late 90's were in places where most people thought there was no steam left. While many photographers shared the best information they had freely, there were (and are) many others who either hoard it or else put out deliberate misinformation in an attempt to keep others from getting pictures of the XYZ RR running something interesting. Many magazines played these games, too, or refused to publish good information that unknown schmoes like me tried to share. The way it worked in the old days was that you had to know somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody else who knew something interesting. It's still somewhat that way now.

Is a fireless cooker switching a big machine shop real steam ?? HELL YES IT IS. Other than China, the last real revenue steam I've seen was in August Y2K in a big paper mill in Lenzing, Austria. They had two 0-6-0 Florisdorf fireless locomotives going at once, and I even got to drive one for a few hot minutes. RyPN published pictures and information in 2001, but unfortunately, my visit was one week before they were replaced by remote control diesels.

Joe and Fran have both passed away. I'm guessing Teresa (Terri, Fran's daughter) won't have much if anything from that time.

In the fall of 1968 or January/February 1969 while I was working for Sperry Rail Service the detector car, I was on burned out a traction motor on UP Wyoming Division near Green River and If I remember correctly UP changed it out in the Green River Roundhouse.
I remember talking to the shop guys about Steam and them telling story about the Big Boy that was at Green River but was no longer there in Fall of 1968 of early 1969.
Dennis Daugherty

According to Union Pacific Form 2481-A "Service Location and Condition of Locomotives-Motor Cars-Snow Plows ETC. Assigned to the Wyoming Division" dated December 30, 1958 steam locomotives 4000, 4005, 4010, 4018 and 4020 were stored at Green River, WY.

By April 30, 1959, the last 2 stored at Green River were 4000 and 4005. The other 3 had been moved to Cheyenne or Laramie.

The 3985 spent a mere four years outside on display, from early 1975 when she was moved out of the roundhouse to a display location west of Cheyenne station to March 1979 when the first nut was removed when she was examined to determine her viability for restoration. The elements had very little time to damage her.

Thanks to a roof over her head for many years and Class 3 repairs in April 1956 (and little operation afterwards), she was in very good shape.

The 4023 has been outside in a much more damaging climate than the 4014 was, ever since September 1974. So I'm sure she'd of needed more work than the 4014 did on account of that. That all said, her bearings are apparently in great shape and weren't damaged by the flood that she was in.

Kelly- I believe that was some of the rod bearings which had rusted during the long years on display. Timken could have manufactured replacements in their prototype bearing department but the price would have been exorbitant. They apparently got a few more years out of the original bearings by shipping them back to Timken where they were internally polished using grinding compounds. Later, Timken came up with a long-term solution using off-the-shelf roller bearings with custom made adapters that allowed the bearings to fit the crank pins and/or rod eyes.

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I believe Union Pacific cut up the 4000 at Cheyenne. The 4010 and 4020 were both sold to Geneva along with several other UP locomotives.

For the experts, the 4010 was from the original order and the 4020 was from the modified 2nd order. Is it able to be discerned from this photograph if the locomotive is a class 4884-1 or a class 4884-2?

Please excuse my Photoshopping the image. I was trying to reveal more information.
Did it help?