Steam & Excursion > This Town Has Relived Some Of It Famous Steam History This Week!

While those of us from all around the work are marveling this week at the sights and sounds of a Union Pacific Big Boy actually back in steam and operating for the first time in 60 years, what makes this all that more special is that #4014 is operating in her old stomping grounds.

So many steam locomotives that get restored back to service find themselves running on railroads in States that they never saw in actual steam days.  This is because many such engines are only running because they were purchased by a tourist operation that went looking for a locomotive that was available, regardless if it had any history on the line or not.

That is not the case with UP #4014.  UP actually went all the way to Pomona, California to bring #4014 BACK to her old stomping grounds of Cheyenne to be restore.  This week we saw #4014 retrace her historic operating route from Cheyenne through Laramie as she made her way to Ogden, Utah.

While we may never see such an extensive gathering at Laramie as depicted here in 1957 with UP #3967 and 2 Big Boys, one being #4004, we have managed to see once again, one of the words largest steam locomotives arrive and then depart Laramie, Wyoming in a grand fashion.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/19 08:21 by LoggerHogger.

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Excellent photo Martin, the engine on the way left sure looks tiny in comparison.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Martin, a great head-on shot taken in the curvature showing the boiler overhang.  I agree with Nathan, that lefthand engine looks like a miniature for sure.  
Bet those railroaders wives that had to hang their washing on the lines in the early days would have welcomed a modern clothes dryer, should they have been available then.
Thanks for this great photo Martin.

Great shot. 3967 was the only coal-fired eared Challenger.

Tom

Small as the engine is it could easily be a 2-8-0 mainline power when it was built. Even at this date note the snowplow pilot indicating it is likely primary branchline power or even works mainline locals.

As a decades-long resident of Laradise, thank you for posting this.

Exellent point Martin!

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

And at the time of this photo, the railroads were probably one of the largest private employers in the country collectively.