Steam & Excursion > Today's Trains Magazine News Wire UP 4014 Update

A few nuggets from the full article posted today by Trains Magazine's News Wire (you have to register to read the entire article which is why no link is provided):

"Union Pacific's quest to return one of its famous 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives to steam began about two years ago and soon focused on No. 4014."

"[Senior Manager Heritage Operations Ed] Dickens says he looked at other survivors but 4014 soon became the front-runner because its boiler barrel is in excellent condition."

The article further notes that "Today's UP is in better shape, its junctions are designed for high speed operation, and the engine will likely see much of the expanded UP system."



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/26/13 18:20 by ut-1.

I can just imagine it pulling the UP passenger train into LAUS!!! I imagine that might generate a few photos!

ut-1 Wrote:
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> "Union Pacific's quest to return one of its famous
> 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives to steam began about
> two years ago and soon focused on No. 4014."
>
> " Dickens says he looked at other survivors but
> 4014 soon became the front-runner because its
> boiler barrel is in excellent condition."

Very interesting, especially since representatives from "other museums" have continually indicated that nobody from the Union Pacific ever came and inspected THEIR display 4000 class locomotive. Including the 4004 right there in Cheyenne, which was inspected by reps from Wasatch Railroad Contractors.

Mr. Hot Water.....will you please just BACK THE HECK OFF?!

John Bush
Omaha

4-12-2 Wrote:
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> Mr. Hot Water.....will you please just BACK THE
> HECK OFF?!
>
> John Bush
> Omaha


John:

A little truth once in a while is not a bad thing, even
if it isn't what some people want to hear.

Truth is one thing, and yes Mr. Wheeliham may be 100% right, but on EVERY post about the UP Steam team? I for one am sick of it. Yes, you and Jack and several others hate the new steam boss. That is abundantly clear. Move on. I went from highly respecting Mr. Wheeliham for all his work both with EMD and the steam community. But now that for the last several months he's acted like that grumpy old man that yells and shakes his fist at neighborhood kids, I've lost much of that respect.
Just my humble opinion.

I believe the 4014 had fewer running miles on it than did the other preserved 4-8-8-4's and as was mentioned, sitting in California, the weather was in general easier on it. They did take great care of it at Pomona and the asbestos is already removed too. We saw a good presentation at our UPHS Topeka convention by one of our members who is a part of that RLHS chapter and personally was involved in the locomotives preservation.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

I don't know any of these folks personally, but what I do know is that UP runs the finest steam program in the country and possibly the world. They have been giving us top notch big steam engines for years. They are the ones running the really big steam. Remember 844 never retired, no other railroad can make that claim about a locomotive that is still in possession of the railroad that took delivery when it was new.

So how about we give it a rest and cut them just a little slack, I don't see anyone else doing anything close. (and yes it's nice that an eastern railroad is doing steam also but they are not doing it on a level even close to UP, no offense intended, just a statement of fact.)

ut-1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A few nuggets from the full article posted today
> by Trains Magazine's News Wire (you have to
> register to read the entire article which is why
> no link is provided):
>
> "Union Pacific's quest to return one of its famous
> 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives to steam began about
> two years ago and soon focused on No. 4014."

The News Wire I got today was not phrased with that
line. I thought the idea behind restoring a Big Boy
"began" the minute someone offered to pay for it vs
a UP quest dating two years back?

/Mitch

I'm looking to being around long enough to see a 4-8-8-4 in operation. I think it's
regretable that R. Krieger and S. Lee are retired from the operating end of UP's
steam program.

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ut-1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > A few nuggets from the full article posted
> today
> > by Trains Magazine's News Wire (you have to
> > register to read the entire article which is
> why
> > no link is provided):
> >
> > "Union Pacific's quest to return one of its
> famous
> > 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives to steam began
> about
> > two years ago and soon focused on No. 4014."
>
> The News Wire I got today was not phrased with
> that
> line. I thought the idea behind restoring a Big
> Boy
> "began" the minute someone offered to pay for it
> vs
> a UP quest dating two years back?
>
> /Mitch


I just looked online, and that is the very first sentence on the News Wire from TRAINS. Perhaps an updated post?

Mike

unclebob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just looked online, and that is the very first
> sentence on the News Wire from TRAINS. Perhaps an
> updated post?
>
> Mike

I scrolled down and saw August 23rd's story. The
main link at the top does have that line. Still
curious as to the spark that got things rolling -
a quest or a donation.

/Mitch

mmm1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> So how about we give it a rest and cut them just a
> little slack, I don't see anyone else doing
> anything close. (and yes it's nice that an eastern
> railroad is doing steam also but they are not
> doing it on a level even close to UP, no offense
> intended, just a statement of fact.)

NS and UP have differing approaches to steam program. UP's may be more extensive, but in 2013 the only UP steam trips open to the public have been the Cheyenne Frontier Days and return ferry trips. On the NS, several public excursions have been operated in both the northern and southern regions of its system during the Spring and more are scheduled for September and October. One is not better than the other, just different.

I'm just saying look at the investment that's been made over the years and the commitment, even when times were tough UP kept it up. How did 611 and 1218 end up in a museum in the first place. don't get me wrong thank god for Wick Moorman. He like the leadership at UP appreciates the significance of the history of his railroad. Jim Young and company, as well as Wick Moorman and his folks both appreciate that they are not just running a business. Both Companies and the various railroads that became their respective systems had a large contribution in making the USA what it is today. without those railroads this country would not even be close to what it is today. The youth of this country needs to be aware of the contribution and struggle these companies made to make this country the greatest country the world has ever known.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/27/13 04:29 by mmm1000.

mmm1000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm just saying look at the investment that's been
> made over the years and the commitment, even when
> times were tough UP kept it up. How did 611 and
> 1218 end up in a museum in the first place. don't
> get me wrong thank god for Wick Moorman. He like
> the leadership at UP appreciates the significance
> of the history of his railroad. Jim Young and
> company, as well as Wick Moorman and his folks
> both appreciate that they are not just running a
> business. Both Companies and the various railroads
> the became their respective systems had a large
> contribution in making the USA what it is today.
> without those railroads this country would not
> even be close to what it is today. The youth of
> this country needs to be aware of the contribution
> and struggle these companies made to make this
> country the greatest country the world has ever
> known.

I'll second that motion.

agfd53 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes, you and Jack
> and several others hate the new steam boss.

Did it ever occur to you that it might be the
other way around??

Realist Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> agfd53 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes, you and Jack
> > and several others hate the new steam boss.
>
> Did it ever occur to you that it might be the
> other way around??


Well, you're right. We don't see Ed on here crying about others like a prepubescent teen, so he may indeed feel that way.

Thanks for that update, interesting that this began 2 years ago. This entire process is very interesting and I am enjoying it all as it unfolds. The UP certainly does run a fine program.

NWClassJ Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for that update, interesting that this
> began 2 years ago. This entire process is very
> interesting and I am enjoying it all as it
> unfolds. The UP certainly does run a fine
> program.

As any good author knows, there are any number of "where it all begin" places you can pick for any story you want to tell. You pick the one that suits your narrative today. Tomorrow you might pick another place where it all began.

Some places you might pick, some of which might even be true:

It all began when the RLHS got their BB number 4014, and knew that someday it would run again.

It all began when a young boy named Ed Dickens was 8 years old, and first saw a picture of a Big Boy. He vowed that someday he would restore one.

It all began in 1995 when Steve Lee and the UP steam team decided to look into the feasibility of restoring a Big Boy, and determined that 4014 had the lowest miles of any of them surviving.

It all began during a marketing brainstorming session in Omaha, where UP was trying to come up with ideas to celebrate the up-coming 150th anniversary of their existence.


Some, none, or all of those might be "where it all began".

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ut-1 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > "Union Pacific's quest to return one of its
> famous
> > 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives to steam began
> about
> > two years ago and soon focused on No. 4014."
> >
> > " Dickens says he looked at other survivors but
> > 4014 soon became the front-runner because its
> > boiler barrel is in excellent condition."
>
> Very interesting, especially since representatives
> from "other museums" have continually indicated
> that nobody from the Union Pacific ever came and
> inspected THEIR display 4000 class locomotive.
> Including the 4004 right there in Cheyenne, which
> was inspected by reps from Wasatch Railroad
> Contractors.


Unless you've spoken with every single person from those museums, you can't claim that as a truth at all.

Chances are, "representatives" from other museums would have no idea the inspections took place since UP wanted to keep this potential project under wraps. Chances are, these were arranged through the top dog of each individual museum and were performed outside of normal business hours when no one else was around. Otherwise, "representatives" would have been posting cell phone pics, posting on trainorders and other forums, and texting their buddies about it.

Railroaders, especially the in historical and steam communities, gossip more than teenage girls. All it would have taken was one person seeing UP checking out a Big Boy boiler, and the web would have gone insane and UPs phones would have been ringing off the hook.