Steam & Excursion > UP UP 4014 at speed heading to Roseville

April 9, 2026:  UP 4014 completed its whistle stop in Marysville and headed east for its destination in Roseville with another short stop in Lincoln (CA).  Running through Yuba County in the Ostrum Road rural area, 4014 was at speed and looked great.  Great look and great sound.

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That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a lot faster than that!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a lot
> faster than that!

So what.


Nice video, thanks for sharing.

ChrisCampi Wrote:
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> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a
> lot
> > faster than that!
>
> So what.
>
>
> Nice video, thanks for sharing.

Yes, very nice video. 

Pretty sure the UP 4000s were generally limited to 50 MPH.

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a lot
> faster than that!

Would you like some cheese with your whine?

HotWater Wrote:
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> ChrisCampi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ProAmtrak Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a
> > lot
> > > faster than that!
> >
> > So what.
> >
> >
> > Nice video, thanks for sharing.
>
> Yes, very nice video. 
>
> Pretty sure the UP 4000s were generally limited to
> 50 MPH.

Thats what I read multiple times back in 2019 too. I've read that 4014 generally cruises in the 40-45 range. I'm not sure if that's UP policy for it or Ed's decision.

They were designed to be able to reach 70-79 if needed but it's pretty clear to me that unless one ever did in service, we're never going to see anything close to that.

The whole thing about the 4000's being designed for 80mph was simply overdesigning them so they wouldn't be getting the snot beat out of them in the upper range they were actually inteded to operate at.

Mary McPherson
Dongola, IL
Diverging Clear Productions



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/26 13:59 by MaryMcPherson.

When we watched along the Great Salt Lake the other weekend, it was cruising along, but definitely not flying.  45-50mph seems about right.  Still was fun to watch, we had a good little chase.

Nathan

longliveSP Wrote:
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> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a
> lot
> > faster than that!
>
> Would you like some cheese with your whine?


I've seen 4449 doing 75, anything else?

Posted from Android

I was always a bit disappointed that I was born a bit too late to see an operating Big Boy. The 4000 class was sort of the standard bearer for a BIG locomotive in my world.
I've been on quite a few static display engines and chased the one towed from Vermont to Scranton back in the 80's.
At age almost 67 now, and for over 60 years of figuring I was cheated out of something special to see one operate, and now one is operating in my lifetime, it is neat to see videos such as this showing it out there doing its thing. 

I'd like to see it in person. I don't much care if it is going 12 mph or 50 mph. I don't care if it has white-walled tires or BIG BOY stencilled on the smokebox.
I don't care as the basic machine is still the basic machine, and something special in the annals of the great days of steam power. If I do get to see it, it will be a dream of over 60 years and something I could never imagined as a kid or most of my adult life without the use of a magic wand or time travel fantasy.

I hope everyone can sit back and realize the effort and enormous work and money that was put into this effort, and the unimaginable to me energy, effort and frustration that must have and must be part of this transcontinental trip. I've been around the block a few times and through a few rodeos (railroad career and otherwise) to think that this was not and is not a simple thing. Every day has innumerable challenges, and years ago when I was a toddler someone at UP could have just said, "scrap them all". I am glad they didn't, and appreciate all the effort and money put forth to make this happen. I mean, can you imagine a railfan from the 1960's or 1970's or 80's ... or later, that if you told them a Big Boy would operate on an excursion east of the Mississippit in 2026 what their thought would have been .... mine included.

Thanks for posting this nice video to share for those of us who couldn't be there, 45 - 50 mph is sure better than scrap iron.

 

train1275 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was always a bit disappointed that I was born a
> bit too late to see an operating Big Boy. The 4000
> class was sort of the standard bearer for a BIG
> locomotive in my world.
> I've been on quite a few static display engines
> and chased the one towed from Vermont to Scranton
> back in the 80's.
> At age almost 67 now, and for over 60 years of
> figuring I was cheated out of something special to
> see one operate, and now one is operating in my
> lifetime, it is neat to see videos such as this
> showing it out there doing its thing. 
>
> I'd like to see it in person. I don't much care if
> it is going 12 mph or 50 mph. I don't care if it
> has white-walled tires or BIG BOY stencilled on
> the smokebox.
> I don't care as the basic machine is still the
> basic machine, and something special in the annals
> of the great days of steam power. If I do get to
> see it, it will be a dream of over 60 years and
> something I could never imagined as a kid or most
> of my adult life without the use of a magic wand
> or time travel fantasy.
>
> I hope everyone can sit back and realize the
> effort and enormous work and money that was put
> into this effort, and the unimaginable to me
> energy, effort and frustration that must have and
> must be part of this transcontinental trip. I've
> been around the block a few times and through a
> few rodeos (railroad career and otherwise) to
> think that this was not and is not a simple thing.
> Every day has innumerable challenges, and years
> ago when I was a toddler someone at UP could have
> just said, "scrap them all". I am glad they
> didn't, and appreciate all the effort and money
> put forth to make this happen. I mean, can you
> imagine a railfan from the 1960's or 1970's or
> 80's ... or later, that if you told them a Big Boy
> would operate on an excursion east of the
> Mississippit in 2026 what their thought would have
> been .... mine included.
>
> Thanks for posting this nice video to share for
> those of us who couldn't be there, 45 - 50 mph is
> sure better than scrap iron.
>
>  

Thanks for posting your refreshing prospective. It's one that anyone who has participated in any sort of restoration understands at a deep level.

Not to sound preachy, but the efforts of those who make the time and give an effort to post content here for the rest of our benefits should also be respected. Whether you care for it or not. Without those efforts, TO doesn't exsist.

Thank you for sharing your fine action video of UP 4014 .

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> longliveSP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > ProAmtrak Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go a
> > lot
> > > faster than that!
> >
> > Would you like some cheese with your whine?
>
>
> I've seen 4449 doing 75, anything else?

Comparing a to b for the sake of expressing your continued displeasure with the current UP steam program?

According to information posted by others, UP 4014 was indeed running at speed for which it was designed for. 

>
> I've seen 4449 doing 75, anything else?
>

4449 is a locomotive designed for faster speeds and passenger service verses the 4014 designed for pulling heavy freight. If it were the SP Cab Forward 4294 operating on this trip, it would be doing the same speed as the Big Boy. Big Boy locomotives are not meant to fly down the railroad at 70 mph or more. You can not really compare the two different locomotives for speed on their tours, two different designs for what they were built to do.

Great video btw to the original poster. 4014 and the rest of the train looking really sharp, great job by the UP steam team and UPRR.

GNRocky Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > I've seen 4449 doing 75, anything else?
> >
>
> 4449 is a locomotive designed for faster speeds
> and passenger service verses the 4014 designed for
> pulling heavy freight. If it were the SP Cab
> Forward 4294 operating on this trip, it would be
> doing the same speed as the Big Boy.

Don't think so. The SP Cab Forwards were also used on many passenger trains, and even though the AC class had 63" diameter drive wheels, they regularly exceeded 60MPH. Thus, they were well balanced machines.

Big Boy
> locomotives are not meant to fly down the railroad
> at 70 mph or more. You can not really compare the
> two different locomotives for speed on their
> tours, two different designs for what they were
> built to do.

Exactly!

 

longliveSP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ProAmtrak Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > longliveSP Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > ProAmtrak Wrote:
> > >
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> >
> > > -----
> > > > That's speed? I've seen steam excursions go
> a
> > > lot
> > > > faster than that!
> > >
> > > Would you like some cheese with your whine?
> >
> >
> > I've seen 4449 doing 75, anything else?
>
> Comparing a to b for the sake of expressing your
> continued displeasure with the current UP steam
> program?
>
> According to information posted by others, UP 4014
> was indeed running at speed for which it was
> designed for. 

If you say so since that wasn't speed at all, you must've not seen a steam engine haul; butt at all Plus the current steam program isn't my cup of tea, mainly since they don't run 844 anymore!

ProAmtrak Wrote:
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> If you say so since that wasn't speed at all, you
> must've not seen a steam engine haul; butt at all

Read the title again. 4014 at speed, which is accurate. You're blinded by bias. It's OK to be so, but admit it.

For reasons a bit out of my control, 4014 has become my "steam away from home" chase target due to work schedules. Which means I've chased it in interesting territories, which include Wyoming, Utah, and Arizona. You watched one of my Arizona videos where 4014 went into emergency.

This video depicts 4014 at speed and I compare it to what I witnessed (and documented here on TO) since 2019. Seems to be going as fast as when 4014 was speeding through Gila Sub.

And I've documented 4449, 3751. 844, and 3985, too, so my opinion is very close to being factual backed up by videos I've posted. I don't think 4014 is participating in a race. Anyway, I enjoyed this video a lot.