Steam & Excursion > Big Boy chase today

Was able to take the morning off and chase the Big Boy from Provo south to Mona, UT.  Lots of people along the way, when I told my wife she was amazed at the families or people walking over from work (or standing on rooftops).  When I arrived just after 8am, I could tell the train was moving so I parked and headed to the bridge over the UP yard.  But as I was walking up, people were saying the train had left north and they were expecting it to back under the other bridge on the ex-DRGW line.  Which made sense, I had seen Odyssey's post yesterday and it looked like the train was facing north (after arriving from the north Tuesday).  So it took a while, but finally the train backed down, ran around the wye that coal trains usually take, and slowly started down the Lynndyl sub.  I tried to catch the train in Springville by the Intermountain Power hopper maintenance facility, but even running up the bridge wasn't enough, it had picked up speed and was really moving.  Because of it's speed, I gave up on my idea of catching the train in the fields north of Payson in the south end of Utah Valley.  So I setup in Santaquin and got a great video there.  But I was surprised at how quickly the Big Boy was moving up the hill, I'm used to the coal drags just crawling up and over.  So I missed my shot at the south end of Santaquin at the top of the hill, so I caught it coming down the other side.  Decided for one more setup south of Mona and then called it a day.  After I turned around, I made a quick pit stop at the Red Barn in Santaquin for apple cider and apple donuts and went home for lunch and got to work.  Work was dull, but I sure enjoyed the morning.  

Good luck to those chasing further down, hope to see some great videos and photos, especially of Cajon.  Wish I could make it, but schedules just didn't pan out.

I had offered to let my 15 year-old cut school and we could chase the train all day and then go to the hotel in Richfield - he has a mountain bike race tomorrow.  For some strange reason, he declined.  

Nathan  

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Very nice and good call on that cider, I've stopped more than once. Our Orem GM lived across 15 and up the hill.

Out

 

Thank you Nathan, I wanted to watch her climb the Santaquin curve but because of health unable thanks to you I was able.  Great video thank you!!!
Blaine in American Fork

By the way Nathan I went back and read your story good reading.
Blaine

I'm glad that the UP still has a STEAM PROGRAM.

Luke Johnson

Posted from Android

Great video, thanks for sharing it. I was at the curve also (probably walked right by you) and was hoping somebody would post a video of it. You captured the moment perfectly. Big Boy sounded great great climbing the hill. I gave up the chase there also and headed to work. 

That last scene showed the Big Boy making very good speed--maybe 60 mph??

Thanks for sharing the nice videos. From the sound of her on that hill it would seem that the UP steam crew has gotten most of the bugs out of her although the diesel was certainly doing a lot of the work. Always remember that her mission is to fly the UP image flag as widely as possible and minimize the wear & tare on her accomplishing that mission. 

   Sure is nice seeing her out and about. Wishes for continued success and again congratulations to the UP steam crew for their accomplishments.

   Ross Rowland 

Always watch your speed on I-15 around Nephi...I Almost Always see someone getting a ticket there as I go by...Nephi,Utah, or as I call it...SPEEDTRAP City

I did not see any orange vents in the cab!   Did any of the crew have them this trip?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/06/19 11:24 by czuleget.

coach Wrote:
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> That last scene showed the Big Boy making very
> good speed--maybe 60 mph??

Not sure on speed but it was moving right along, I would say 50-60mph.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

the_expediter Wrote:
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> Always watch your speed on I-15 around Nephi...I
> Almost Always see someone getting a ticket there
> as I go by...Nephi,Utah, or as I call
> it...SPEEDTRAP City

I remember my wife warning me about that when we first started driving to California that way. Now the speed limit is 80mph so you really have to be flying to get a ticket these days!

Posted from iPhone

czuleget Wrote:
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> I did not see any orange vents in the cab!   sis
> any of the crew have thm this trip?

The crew members that rode the front porch had vests on as they went around the wye in Provo. But after that I didn’t see any.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone