Steam & Excursion > Big Boy 4014 to Minnesota

“The Lake Superior Railroad Museum has officially announced that Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 will be visiting Duluth! The engine will be in Boone, Iowa on a fundraising trip for the UP Museum in Council Bluffs, then come to St. Paul for a day and arrive here in Duluth on Friday, July 19th. The engine will be on display Saturday and Sunday the 20th & 21st along with a train of eight First Class cars from UP’s Executive Fleet.”

Posted from iPhone

The museum’s own DM&IR 332 (2-8-0) will also be in steam that weekend providing trips on the North Shore Scenic line between Duluth and Two Harbors.  The “Experience UP” display car will be in 4014’s consist and open to the public.  

Gordon

Here's the official announcement.

-Larry Doyle

[Edit - sorry, the pictures didn't post.  You'll have to come an take your own, i guess.]

Big Boy #4014 Coming to DuluthWeighing in at one million, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, measuring 132 feet – 9 ¼ inches, the #4014, a 4-8-8-4 giant, is the largest operating steam locomotive on the planet earth. The Union Pacific Railroad restored this mammoth piece of their history in time for the sesquicentennial of the pounding of the Golden Spike that completed the Transcontinental Railroad. The big engine will be on tour this summer and the third stop on its itinerary is Duluth at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.   The engine will visit Boone, Iowa on a fundraising trip for the UP Museum in Council Bluffs, then come to St. Paul for a day and arrive here in Duluth on Friday July 19th. The Engine will be on display Saturday and Sunday the 20th & 21st along with a train of eight First Class cars from UP’s Executive Fleet.  Lots more details to come, but here's what we have so far: https://files.constantcontact.com/eb491c4a201/23537618-da20-4992-bc86-64f6f028b144.jpg  

Seeing the Big Boy is FREE and so is touring the UP’s History Car in the consist. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is planning other events such as live music, festival foods and a craft beer garden.  If one steam engine is good, two must be better. We’ll have the DM&N #332 (ne D&NE #28) steamed up and running as well. Two steam engines – one great weekend-long event! We're still working on the whole plan and more details will be coming soon to be posted on our website: www.DuluthTrains.com  https://files.constantcontact.com/eb491c4a201/4390c68a-7398-4b5c-93aa-2164d102d120.jpg  

Crews from North Shore Track Services start the work of beefing up the tracks coming into the Museum in preparation for the heaviest object ever to use the rails since the Yellowstones ran through here in the late 1950’s. - In the photo here, you see the Track Tamper machine, check out this video of it in action by clicking here. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/19 07:13 by LarryDoyle.

What route to get it there? Does UP have Trackage Rights on BNSF and will take the same route as Milw 261? === === = === JLH



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/19 13:34 by highgreengraphics.

UP does have trackage rights from the Twin Cities up to Duluth on the BNSF, so likely the 4014 will be taking the same route as previous excursions.  Actually, the UP doesn't have any of their own rails up to Twin Ports... but they do have a yard in Superior. 

Possibly the only place able to turn 4014 and train is the CN wye in Two Harbors.
The track "gang" can also beef up the Grassy Point drawbridge. 
Questionable for such a massive machine??  

highgreengraphics Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What route to get it there? Does UP have Trackage
> Rights on BNSF and will take the same route as
> Milw 261? === === = === JLH

That decision is above my pay grade, but I'd expect it to use BNSF as the 261 does.  Once in Duluth/Superior, BNSF is only trackage thru Duluth that connects to NSSR and Union Depot.  My concern would be getting that thing to negotiate the Rice's Point Yard trackage where it will have to wye.

-LD

Duluth is too far - when is it coming to Philadelphia?

/Mitch

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> Duluth is too far - when is it coming to
> Philadelphia?
>
> /Mitch

No steam locomotive in its right mind would go to Philadelphia. Look what they did to the last bell they had their hands on!

CP8888 Wrote:
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> Possibly the only place able to turn 4014 and
> train is the CN wye in Two Harbors.

Whats left of the wye at Two Harbors will accomodate one small engine and two passenger cars, v-e-r-y  c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y.

Besides, it's 26 miles away on somebody else's railroad.

-LD

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/19 15:18 by LarryDoyle.

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> Duluth is too far - when is it coming to
> Philadelphia?
>
> /Mitch

Could 4014 round Horseshoe Curve? Wow, what a mob scene that would be! lol

Jim Lee
Lake Hopatcong NJ

Bucyrus-Erie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mgoldman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Duluth is too far - when is it coming to
> > Philadelphia?
> >
> > /Mitch
>
> Could 4014 round Horseshoe Curve? Wow, what a mob
> scene that would be! lol
>
> Jim Lee
> Lake Hopatcong NJ

Of course it could, just as the PRR T-1 4-4-4-4 duplex steam locomotives did. However, getting under all those overhead 25,000 wires might be a bit of a problem.

Mgoldman Wrote:
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> Duluth is too far - when is it coming to Philadelphia?

UP owns track in Philly?

OK....I just came back from two weeks for the Big Boy/Promontory thing.     BUT, sign me up for the BB on Horseshoe Curve.  I will be there with food and water, two days early so I have a spot. 

justalurker66 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mgoldman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Duluth is too far - when is it coming to
> Philadelphia?
>
> UP owns track in Philly?

No. UP owns very little track east of the Mississippi. Chicago and Memphis are about as far East as UP goes.

Posted from Android

Keystone1 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> OK....I just came back from two weeks for the Big
> Boy/Promontory thing.     BUT, sign me up for
> the BB on Horseshoe Curve.  I will be there with
> food and water, two days early so I have a spot. 

Well,,,,,,,keep holding your breath on THAT!

SSgtC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> justalurker66 Wrote:
> > UP owns track in Philly?
>
> No. UP owns very little track east of the Mississippi.
> Chicago and Memphis are about as far East as UP goes.

Then Chicago and Memphis would be about as far east as I'd expect 4014 to go for the next few years. I can see it running on other's rails where needed to connect between UP served cities, but there would need to be a compelling reason (other than "railfans want it") for it to go too far off UP rails.

HotWater Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mgoldman Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Duluth is too far - when is it coming to
> > Philadelphia?
> >
> > /Mitch
>
> No steam locomotive in its right mind would go to
> Philadelphia. Look what they did to the last bell
> they had their hands on!

That's a good one!

LarryDoyle Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> CP8888 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Possibly the only place able to turn 4014 and
> > train is the CN wye in Two Harbors.
>
> Whats left of the wye at Two Harbors will
> accomodate one small engine and two passenger
> cars, v-e-r-y  c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y.
>
> Besides, it's 26 miles away on somebody else's
> railroad.
>
> -LD

The train will wye at BNSF Mike’s Yard which is near the Duluth end of the Grassy Point drawbridge.  This is the same as is done with MILW 261.

Gordon
>
>  

Is this "for real?" I'm sorry, but is it? Am I in dream land? B B in Duluth, I must have fallen and hit my head. d