Steam & Excursion > These Locomotives Were Even More Impressive When At Speed!

There simply aren't enough superlatives to describe the Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy locomotives. These steam giants were truly in a class by themselves in the world of steam motive power.

By 1955 the days of daily operations of the UP 4000's (as they were called by the railroaders who ran them) were slowly coming to an end. Sights like this one of UP #4015 at speed on Sherman Hill would all too soon become just a memory.

At least we have the memories they left us.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/14/17 04:19 by LoggerHogger.

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I  may  live long  enough  to see  one run again!!

Hopefully, but we won't see one at speed on a heavy train. Not to mention all the glare from the chrome, spit shine et al may make it hard to see at all.

It is still amazing that one third of the fleet - 8 out of 25 - survived!

4012 is barely hanging on, but maybe she'll get some tlc soon...

That is a great photo, thanks for sharing!

Posted from Android

any info on the photographer and location?

Thought comes to mind, I wonder why nearly a 1/3 of them are saved, vs. something like the Cab Forwards? Pure size? Lateness to the steam era? UP engines are more popular?

Not looking at starting any kind of war of reasons, but just an observation that I started to think about.

Mike ONeill
Parker, CO

mcdeo Wrote:
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> Thought comes to mind, I wonder why nearly a 1/3
> of them are saved, vs. something like the Cab
> Forwards? Pure size? Lateness to the steam era? UP
> engines are more popular?
>



UP really promoted their 4000 class locomotives and the fact that they were (by several measures) the world's largest steam locomotives. I'm sure they saw widespread donations as a great way to gain favorable publicity. Big Boys ended up in New England, Wisconsin, Missouri, Texas, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, and California.

Martin --
That is a stunning and VERY impressive photo!
And your prose is superlative in describing
those giants.

Thank you for posting this wonderful photo of
what once was a common sight for some people.

If I might? A story about Big Boys.
Back in the late 1970s, my family and I drive out
to the Denver area to ride behind the UP 8444 (as
she was numbered back then). We went to Cheyenne
before the fantrip to see tge 8444 before she went
to Denver to pull the train we were going to ride.

We went to the old roundhouse to see the 8444, and
were welcomed. There was an older gentleman there
who had been a hoghead on Big Boys in the latter
says of steam, and we got to talking to him.

He said, "When you git in the cab of one of those things,
you git a bit of the Divil in you think there's
NOTHING you can't do!!"

No further comment is needed. He said it all.

dougd Wrote:
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> any info on the photographer and location?


Certainly looks like a Robert Hale shot, doesn't it?

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions

Margaret_SP_fan Wrote:
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> He said, "When you git in the cab of one of those
> things, you git a bit of the Divil in you think there's
> NOTHING you can't do!!"
>
> No further comment is needed. He said it all.

And by saying this, you have said it all! :-)

-Jim

utwazoo Wrote:
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> Hopefully, but we won't see one at speed on a
> heavy train. Not to mention all the glare from the
> chrome, spit shine et al may make it hard to see
> at all.

True that.

"At speed" needs a better definition, too.

Realist Wrote:
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> "At speed" needs a better definition, too.

How about just thinking that it means "when going fast..."