Steam & Excursion > UP 4014 Heartland Tour - Final Leg (Denver to Cheyenne)

Greetings!

As you are probably aware, UP 4014 wrapped up its 2024 Heartland of America Tour yesterday, running the final leg of the journey from North Yard (in Denver, CO) to Cheyenne, up the Greeley Sub. After a few photo ops with local law enforncement and UP employees, the Big Boy started moving near the North Yard yard office shortly after 9am.

The power and passenger cars had to back through North Yard to pick up their freight cars, which were kept at the north end of Track 9. From there, the train back up for 4 1/2 miles across the Belt Industrial lead to get to the Greeley Sub. At UP Jct, they ran through the south leg of the wye so they were facing north and ready to go. Considering it was a Wendesday, I was actually quite surprised by the number of people gathered to watch the action. I personally do not enjoy the crowds on the roads, so I was pretty selective, only stopping in a few places when I knew I could pretty easily stay ahead of the main crowd.

The train stopped for about 30 minutes (as scheduled) in Greeley before continuing on to Cheyenne, arriving in the yard just before 3:30pm.

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1. After spending two nights in Denver, UP 4014 is slowly pulling out from one of the tracks near the North Yard office. Imagine a time when a scene like this at North Yard was a daily occurrence! Granted, Rio Grande never had any Big Boys, but the idea of steam moving around North Yard is a fun one.

2. My personal favorite shot of the day...even if it is still in a yard...UP 4014 has just crossed underneath I-70 as it pulls south on one of the south leads for North Yard. The train is going to back into North Yard, specifically into Track 9 to pick up a string of UP freight cars for the journey north to Cheyenne.

3. I cannot pretend to be a steam expert, so I do not fully understand all the ins and outs of where steam is emitted and why. But I also cannot deny just how cool the engine looks as steam is blowing out of it as it slowly rolls on one of the North Yard lead tracks just south of I-70.

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(to be continued...)

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

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4. Here, on the final day of a two month tour that covered ten states (Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming), the Big Boy backs up on the switch lead in what was once Rio Grande main yard in Denver, North Yard.

5. Not every day that you see the nose of a spartan cab EMD next to the nose of steam locomotive. For that matter, it certainly is not every day that you'll find a steam locomotive in the middle of North Yard in Denver! UP 4014 is backing down Yard Track 9 to pick up a string of freight cars for the trip to Cheyenne.

6. At Utah Junction, UP 4014 crosses BNSF's Front Range Subdivision on the Belt Industrial Lead. The train is actually backing up in this shot, making it way (backward) to the Greeley Sub to depart north to Cheyenne.

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(to be continued...)

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

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7. Some fall colors are present along Sand Creek as UP's Big Boy (4014) departs north on the Greeley Sub. The train is completing the final leg of the two month "Heartland Tour" that visited ten states. Today, the trip to Cheyenne will complete the tour. Several folks are gathered to capture the scene.

8. After getting a shot of the Big Boy steam train at Sand Creek Junction, I skipped ahead all the way to just north of La Salle. The Big Boy always attracts quite a crowd and I did not want to get stuck in traffic on US-85! Here, the train is crossing over the South Platte River amidst some very nice fall colors on a pleasant Wednesday afternoon.

9. Stopped across the 10th Street grade crossing alongside the Colorado Model Railroad Museum. As you can see, the largest operable steam locomotive in the United States always attracts quite a crowd! Hundreds of people showed up in Greeley to check out the 83-year-old engine.

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(to be concluded...)

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

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10. Just south of Speer Junction and just west of the I-25 overpass, UP's Heartland Tour special rolls north near the north end of the Greeley Subdivision. Just a few miles remain on this two month tour that covered ten states and hit cites such as Omaha, Chicago, Little Rock, Houston, Fort Worth, Kansas City, and Denver.

11. If only there had been a BNSF train crossing above right at this point! Indeed, the bridge does carry BNSF's Front Range Subdivision across UP's (far busier) Laramie Subdivision on the west side of Cheyenne. UP 4014 and train are backing up on Main 4 to enter the yard through "the old way" to complete their day and their tour for 2024.

12. UP 4014 and train are now clear of all main tracks as they back down "the old way" toward the Cheyenne Yard. In the yard, the freight cars will be dropped off before the passenger cars placed on their storage track and the Big Boy is taken to the roundhouse.

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THE END -- Thanks for looking!

Kevin Morgan
Arvada, CO
ColoradoRailfan.com

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In enlarging the Shot #8 at the sandbar of the South Platte River, the UP4014 appears to have even drawn this rock or stumplike objects attention.  Ha!

Nice shots & thanks for the post.

Thanks to Ed Diccken's and his team for a job well done. May they all now get some well deserved R&R. Ross Rowland 

Really like your image of 4014 at Utah Jct.  Thanks for posting these extra fine images . 

Thanks for this most Exellent wrap up of 4014 tour.
And thanks to Ed and Crew too.

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA

Great series Kevin, thanks for sharing them.
—Mac

I can't imagine how tired Ed and the rest of the crew are now.  Although it was a great trip, it will be so nice to sleep in your own bed, and not have to get up before dawn
and ready 4014 and the train for another leg of the trip.

Thank you for posting. Great shots. Thanks also to Ed, the crew, and UP for letting us enjoy this beautiful locomotive. I was able to chase and photograph it earlier this month between Waco and Ft Worth. Quite a thrill!

Posted from iPhone

Wonderful series of shots!!! Thank you for sharing them.

Great series Kevin, especially #2!

GREAT pics!!  Thanks for posting.