Union Pacific to return Big Boy locomotive to operating condition

[ainsworth74]

Came across this and thought it might be of interest to some on here:

Union Pacific Railroad today announced it reached an agreement with the Southern California Chapter - Railway & Locomotive Historical Society in Pomona, Calif., to transfer ownership of one of the world's largest steam locomotives, Big Boy No. 4014, back to Union Pacific.

Union Pacific plans to relocate No. 4014 to Cheyenne, Wyo., where Union Pacific's Heritage Fleet Operations team will work to restore it to operating condition. Details regarding those efforts will be made public at a later date.

Union Pacific donated No. 4014 to the historical society December 7, 1961. The locomotive arrived January 8, 1962, at its current display location at the Rail Giants Train Museum in Pomona.

No other railroad has retained its historical equipment or honored its American roots like Union Pacific.

"Our steam locomotive program is a source of great pride to Union Pacific employees past and present," said Ed Dickens, senior manager - Union Pacific Heritage Operations. "We are very excited about the opportunity to bring history to life by restoring No. 4014."

I for one am very much in favour of this and hopefully we'll be seeing one back out on the mainline!

 

[Teaboy1]

Great news ... if it happens !! 5 year restoration [inc conversion to #5 oil] so thats likely to be sometime 2018/19.
The costs will be as big as the loco no-doubt but if it happens ???? ...... then I shall be happily retired by then and would be able to make the journey to Utah and see this brute.
There are 8 around the USA in various meuseums so guess spares should be available if needed.
Good Luck UPRR, hope it happens and remind me in 5 years!!

 

[CarltonA]

Have just been on the UP website. What a beast! 4-8-8-4 and 16 wheels on the tender. They should be able to afford the restoration anyway as they spent 18 billion dollars on infrastucture between 2007 and 2012.

 

[waynenm1]

Back about 6 years ago I attended the National Railway Historical Society National Meet in Portland, Oregon. The guest speaker was Steve Lee, at that time head of steam operation for UP (he is now retired). He discussed a bit their current restoration of 844, a 4-8-4 passenger/freight loco that was never retired by the UP since its original purchase. He estimated the refurbishment costs, and sent it up the chain of command in UP. A few days later he got a call to appear in Omaha at the office of the president of the railroad. When he got there the president of the UP (can't think now who it was) was looking at the numbers and asked him if it would really cost that much. Steve told him it was hard to say since that had not started to tear into the loco. Well the UP president told him to restore it to as new condition whatever the cost, he would not have it said that 844 was retired on his watch over the railroad. At this point in the talk Steve chuckled and said, 'That's the last time he'll say that to me!'. Steve also predicted they would never restore a Big Boy. He also said 'Never say never.'
So apparently the cost of restoring 844 did not faze UP that much, they are proud of their history, the only large (and maybe only!) US rairoad never to change their name. I'm sure they will try and get it running for their 150th anniversary. Of course other than Nebraska and Wyoming they really don't have anywhere to run that big a machine any more.
Check youtube for some Big Boy videos, but note that all the black smoke was only for the photographer.

 

[CarltonA]

Not sure why they've gone for the oil firing option though, it was tried on 4005 and then converted back to coal. The Steamtown Museum in Scranton have considered restoring 4012 but would have nowhere to run it as the Pennsylvania infrastructure will not cope with such a heavy loco it seems.

 

[waynenm1]

Challenger 3985 was also converted from coal to oil for excursion service several years ago.

According to Steve Lee this was for ease in refueling as their two active steam locos operated system wide and they did not want the bother of spotting coal cars and wasting time loading tenders using a clamshell crane. With #5 diesel they could order a fuel truck of that in most any location and have it delivered in short order.
The western UP main line is the only place they can really run this loco; note their steam locos do not go off UP property these days. They have in the past but for ease in logistics they keep them on UP property now. Nor are other steam locos allowed on UP property. wf.

 

[CarltonA]

The oil firing makes sense if they are using it on all of their steam locos. I noticed the Challenger is often operated with one or usually two yellow vehicles behind the tender which I guess are water carriers. I don't expect they maintain any watering facilities other that at depots. I have been wondering how they are going to move 4014 from California to Wyoming, presumably when they disposed of the existing eight locos in 1962 they moved by rail.

 

[Ploughman]

4018 has recently moved location down near Dallas in Texas.

http://www.lner.info/forums/download/file.php?id=12984&t=1

 

[CarltonA]

4012 has been relocated as well, it was in the Blount Collection in Vermont before being moved to Steamtown Scranton in 1984. I believe these locos were built in NY state along with the Challengers so I expect they shook a few foundations on their way to Wyoming when they were new.

 

[waynenm1]

The main problem will likely be getting the loco out of the fairgrounds onto the existing rail network outside the fairgrounds. Actually moving it to Cheyenne should not be too much of a problem once they get it onto UP tracks, they just have to pay a bit of attention to clearance diagrams. The main problem with using the loco for excursion service is, after the restoration cost, the lack of quick and easy turning facilities available for short excursion hauls. Y's and turntables aren't that common anymore. Even in its day turntables of a sufficient size were not that common.