Western Railroad Discussion > Big Boy awakes in Salina!

UP 4014, the star-of-the-show Big Boy emerges out of its overnight slumber in Salina. UP crewmen are busy getting this big 4-8-8-4 ready for another day’s run. This is my favorite part of any steam chase over my home-state KP. In my Santa Fe years I rode over this very track many times working local trains out to Osborne & roadswitcher movements out to (then) Bunge’s huge elevator complex on the NW corner of town. So it is a personal delight to see Union Pacific steam resting here! I feel like I have a tiny little toe-hold in the fabulous history Uncle Pete is blessing us all with...

41. 6:43 AM. The flash feature in my D7100 certainly caught the reflective strips on this crewman’s vest.

42. 6:43 AM. Work on the running gear continues as Mr Sol is interjecting some color into the morning.

43. 6:45 AM. I will assume this is water being delivered to the 4014’s tenders.

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44. 6:47 AM. A serene moment, with those rods in the good ol’ down position.

45. 6:47 AM. A close-up. And a photo-op I could never pass up!

46. 6:51 AM. Playing with a bit of water reflection... Sightseers are beginning to show up.

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47. 6:54 AM. Testing(?) the headlight while ongoing work continues.

48. 6:58 AM. “Good morning” from Mr ALCo #69585 from the Schenectady Works, class of November 1941.
-Info taken from the builder’s plate shot in my previous installment-.

49. 7:27 AM. I have been watching local & traveling fans alike arriving on the scene, taking a few human interest shots. This was a silhouette I was glad to get. This was also about as much of the sun as we would get for a few hours...

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One more, for the road:

50. 7:49 AM. Time to go! Time to get a jump on the pacer/foamers and go stake out a photo location on 9-mile hill near Carneiro. See ya later...
(ALL photos taken in Salina, KS on September 3, 2021)

Keep an eye peeled for “Big Boy on to Hays!”

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/21 07:55 by santafe199.

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A beautiful set of photos.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

That's a great sequence ... scenes that show all the work that goes into what it takes to run a 'simple' steam tour. Thanks Lance!!

Great series Lance.
Yes, there is a lot more to the steam locomotives than closing the battery switch and hitting the start button.
 

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

George Jone's "The Race Is On" is running thru my head now.   "Now the race is on and here comes Steve up the backstretch, Garrels is going to the inside, foamers are holding back, trying not to fall......"   

Very NICE series!

Larry

Rathole Wrote:
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> George Jones' "The Race Is On" is running thru my
> head now.   "Now the race is on and here comes
> Steve up the backstretch, Garrels is going to the
> inside, foamers are holding back, trying not to
> fall......"   

Rathole Wrote: > ... George Jone's "The Race Is On" is running thru my head now... < lyrics snipped >

Well now... far be it for DJ Sir L to leave a music challenge unanswered. I will bow to the fact that your knowledge of the C/W genre is far superior to mine. But when it comes to the Rock/Pop side of the coin... LOOK OUT! Here's what I found in less than 5 minutes: A song from Dave Mason released in 1977 called "Mystic Traveler" Below please find a sample of the lyrics. Just a wee bit paraphrased, of course:

We railfans will all agree
The headlight shines for all to see
'Cause on our maps we know the route it goes

Sharing all the pics we can
Posting up again & again
A steam plume is our mutual cornerstone

Mystic traveler, he's the unraveler
But he will always bring you safely home
Mystic traveler, he's the unraveler
He pumps your railfan heart: you're not alone

And when he takes your heart, you're not alone 

DJ Sir L

Great shots, Lance!

RC Lundgren