Steam & Excursion > Another Big Boy update

So for several months, we here in Cheyenne have been peering off East Lincolnway Street by Holliday Park to see the tent in the park covering the Cheyenne/ Wasatch Contractors project on Big Boy 4004. Tonight my old boss, Steve Lee, who is working for Wasatch as a contractor, sent me these photos of the work status under the tent.

First; A photo of drivers and rod showing the paint going on and the polished rod.

Second; Is a view from up on the scaffolding looking forward down the fireman's side of the smokebox end.

Third; A shot of the smokebox door in the front of 4004.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

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Fourth; We are looking forward from the fireman's side about 3/4ths of the way down the boiler.

Fifth; This shot is looking toward the cab on the fireman's side with the painted, repaired or replaced jacketing.

Sixth; And here you see the old gal's train indicator displaying the "Extra 4004".

Steve said the City is looking toward a dedication date around July 9th.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

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Really cool Bob! It will look great and be neat to see all the stampings on the running gear with the many coats of silver paint gone. Neat to see how the UP moved parts around from Engine to Engine at the end to keep them going in the late fiftys.
Steve

You're right Steve as they did not hold up a locomotive to wait for original parts to be serviced and returned but rather used those parts that were appropriate and ready to get the locomotive back out on the road earning its keep. I remember a shop foreman telling me how they would repaint the tender on return from the tank shop and stencil new numbers on it as it was mated to a locomotive from the same class and style.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

If I remember, we found parts stamped for 13 different engines when we restored 1522. Bob is right, when an engine went into the shop, it was like having your transmission overhauled. Coat of many colors.
Boy those staybolt caps on the one side look rough.
Great job and we know it will look like it should when done.

I first saw that engine on my honeymoon back in 1980, it was the first Big Boy I had seen in my life, I then saw 4014 in Pomona on a business trip in 1992. I hope I live long enough to see a third Big Boy, perhaps it will be 4014 again when she is fully restored and out on the trail.

Needless to say it is great to see 4004 being lovingly attended to by folks who love her dearly and understand her importance.

Thanks,

Dam in Wichita

Thanks so much for the info and photos! Good to see this impressive locomotive is getting the attention he deserves. (I call a "Big BOY" a "HE" -- but that is just me. < G > YMMV, as always! < G > )

(The SP 2472 has parts from at least 16 different locomotives.)

Don't forget the 4005 in the Forney Museum in Denver, 4023 at the Laurentian Gardens in Omaha. The other 4000's are a little farther off.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Our daughter and niece took a road trip up to Omaha a couple of years ago and brought me back some fine pictures and a nifty Big Boy tee shirt from the museum gift shop there at the Union Pacific Museum.

Dan

superfleet Wrote:
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> Our daughter and niece took a road trip up to
> Omaha a couple of years ago and brought me back
> some fine pictures and a nifty Big Boy tee shirt
> from the museum gift shop there at the Union
> Pacific Museum.
>
> Dan
The Cheyenne Depot Museum has some cool Big Boy T shirts too.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY