Steam & Excursion > Last of the Giants in North Little Rock, Arkansas

The Arkansas Democrat-Journal website today carries enthusiastic coverage of 4014's visit to Little Rock including a video interview with engineer Ed Dickens and a link to the not-to-be-missed old classic Union Pacific movie "Last of the Giants".  Great stuff.  https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/nov/15/big-boy-4014-chugs-in-for-stop-in-nlr-2/?news-arka


JB - Omaha



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/15/19 15:21 by Copy19.

John I found the reception to 4014 to be very good. I watched it arrive and depart from the Union Station in Little Rock (ex Mopac)(also used Amtrak). There was sizable crowd.
This morning’s departure from North LR via the Van Buren Sub was punctual. In fact the old highway parallels the tracks quite a bit. As I use this route to commute to work I noticed dozens of folks at every crossing.
The timing worked out to where I was able to pull over and watch it leave town. Didn’t need the GPS tracker. When I saw the exhaust plume I knew to pull over because it’s coming.

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I might add that watching and listening to the crowd during its brief stop in LR, people were amazed at how large it is. And the whistle! People are stereotyped into believing all steam engines sound like the old tweet tweet toot toot tea kettle sound.
When Ed would give a whistle a few pulls that deep throaty sound and the sheer volume made people realize this ain’t Thomas the Train

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7000 h.p.  Wow, that is really amazing. Wonder how that compares w/todays modern diesel locomotives.  And to thank UP will not turn  it loose & let it run and haul heavy freight as it was  designed to do.

Read in a trains magazine something about C&O's 2-6-6-2 No. 1309 under restoration.  Has that been completed and is the locomotive operational today?

Danny McLean
Center, TX



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/19 01:31 by DMac.