Eastern Railroad Discussion > Big Boy Schedule released...Many whistle stops.

https://www.up.com/about-us/history/steam/schedule

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This is pretty cool.  Thanks for posting.  I was hoping for a Freedom Train sort of thing, but this is just as good!

Thanks.
Wiil be interesting to see on the return trip how it gets from Yard Center (South Holland, Ill.) to Bloomington, Ill.

Thank you Union Pacific !

So based on the information and display location in Philly, it will be taking the High Line from Belmont to Arsenal and then onto the Navy Yard.  Sort of like the old Army Navy Game Specials. I'm just imagining what normal citizens reaction will be seeing this coming through University City in Philly.

No public access when stopping in Fort Wayne Indiana, but 30 minute stops at Argos (June 5) eastbound and Knox westbound (July 16).

Should roll past NKP 765 if she's home. Hopefully that has been planned.

justalurker66 Wrote:
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> Should roll past NKP 765 if she's home. Hopefully
> that has been planned.

The 765 will have gone east to the Cuyahoga Valley for another "Steam in the Valley" series within about a week before the 4014's eastward passage. I don't know if it will be home on July 15 or not.
*******
Am I correct in believing that this will be the first appearance of a Big Boy east of Chicago since their delivery from Schenectady?

toledopatch Wrote:
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> justalurker66 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> --
> > Should roll past NKP 765 if she's home.
> Hopefully
> > that has been planned.
>
> The 765 will have gone east to the Cuyahoga Valley
> for another "Steam in the Valley" series within
> about a week before the 4014's eastward passage. I
> don't know if it will be home on July 15 or not.
> *******
> Am I correct in believing that this will be the
> first appearance of a Big Boy east of Chicago
> since their delivery from Schenectady?

NKP 765 should already be to the Indiana Northeastern by the time the Big Boy returns west.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Am I correct in believing that this will be the
> first appearance of a Big Boy east of Chicago
> since their delivery from Schenectady?

No, as there's UP 4012, the Big Boy that now resides at Steamtown.

Agent Wrote:
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> toledopatch Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Am I correct in believing that this will be the
> > first appearance of a Big Boy east of Chicago
> > since their delivery from Schenectady?
>
> No, as there's UP 4012, the Big Boy that now
> resides at Steamtown.

OK, I'll note its existence, presuming that it was towed there.

All im gonna say is this-CALLED IT!

Im just guessing here-Its very possible she comes east on the Chicago Line to Elkhart, then south to possibly Fort Wayne, onto New Haven, then further east to bellevue, onto the GC connector at Vermillion and onto Cleveland, but thats JUST A GUESS from a RAILFAN perspective. 

Michael Fair
Royal Oak, MI



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/26 20:49 by bath_wildcat.

toledopatch Wrote:
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> Agent Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > toledopatch Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Am I correct in believing that this will be
> the
> > > first appearance of a Big Boy east of Chicago
> > > since their delivery from Schenectady?
> >
> > No, as there's UP 4012, the Big Boy that now
> > resides at Steamtown.
>
> OK, I'll note its existence, presuming that it was
> towed there.

Was the 4012 part of Nelson Blount's collection at Steamtown in Bellows Falls VT? That's an even more obscure corner of the US for this locomotive

Lots of great photo locations on the NKP in Indiana.  Lounge chairs and tents likely already set up on Horseshoe Curve.
I am anticipating great photos along the GM&O and through Kansas City.

bath_wildcat Wrote:
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> All im gonna say is this-CALLED IT!
>
> Im just guessing here-Its very possible she comes east on the Chicago Line to Elkhart, then south to
> possibly Fort Wayne, onto New Haven, then further east to bellevue, onto the GC connector at
> Vermillion and onto Cleveland, but thats JUST A GUESS from a RAILFAN perspective. 

Note the published schedule mentions Argos and Knox ... cities on the Chicago District (NKP) south of Plymouth between Valparaiso and Fort Wayne.That would put the train on the Chicago District (which is not the Chicago Line - NYC) out of Chicago through Hegewisch (past the Ford plant under the big blue NICTD South Shore bridge), Hammond (just west of the new NICTD Hammond Gateway station) before heading toward Ft Wayne on that single track railroad. with the eastbound 30 minute stop in Argos and private NS employee only access in Fort Wayne. The return trip follows the same path with a westbound 30 minute stop in Knox.

UP 4012 made its way east to Steamtown at Bellows Falls VT in September 1964 (it was retired by UP in 1962) by way of LV and D&H and B&M(?). Here's a pair of screen grabs from LV Railroad Historical Society's Facebook post from 1 year ago of 4012 captured by an unknown photographer at LV's Manchester NY outside Rochester - 4012 had a minor derailment at the yard before being towed to Sayre PA where it went east over the LV's rickety Auburn Branch to the EL main at Owego as part of LV's daily interchange turn to the D&H. The letters on 4012's bolier say "I'M THE LARGEST LOCO IN THE WORLD GOING TO STEAM TOWN IN BELLOWS FALLS VT".

4012 was moved from Bellows Falls to Steamtown's current site at Scranton in 1984 where it sits on display today (photo 2 taken 7/27/18). It will be great to see photos of 4012 and 4104 side by side when 4014 calls on Steamtown in mid-June (maybe burning oily rags will be placed in 4012's smoke stack to make it seem likeboth locomotives are on the ready track like back in the '50s.

Net: when 4014 lays over at Sayre PA on the evening of June 11, it will be the 2nd time a Big Boy has visited LV's Sayre yard but the first time under steam.

PS: according to the Wikipedia article about Union Pacific 4012, UP also offered F Neslon Blount a Challenger and a UP office car but apparently the Bellows Falls site did not have the room for the additional hardware.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/29/26 03:36 by JPB.

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Seems funny that some of the all-stars on here don't remember this thing being at Bellows Falls or going to Scranton, but bad memories are a plague nowadays...
Surely some of you went here as young adults...
1966 brochure

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Great thread!

It will be on the old GM&O, right of way.

bath_wildcat Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All im gonna say is this-CALLED IT!
>
> Im just guessing here-Its very possible she comes
> east on the Chicago Line to Elkhart, then south to
> possibly Fort Wayne, onto New Haven, then further
> east to bellevue, onto the GC connector at
> Vermillion and onto Cleveland, but thats JUST A
> GUESS from a RAILFAN perspective. 


Transfer track at Claypool can’t handle the Big Boy

Posted from iPhone

Just to make something clear, having looked at the schedule and the map, they will not be using the Chicago line at all. The eastbound run will make use of the entire Nickel Plate between Chicago and Buffalo, including, it turns out, the lightly used section between Cleveland and Vermillion, OH. 

The return obviously is using the Pittsburgh line to its namesake but they'll be using the Youngstown Line(!) to go up to Ashtabula and get back on the NKP there, again going all the way to Chicago.

I intend to follow at least the Bellevue-Conneaut portion of the run. Amazingly, one of the stops on that trip happens to be one of the closest crossings to me on any railroad - 6 miles from my house.

rkennedy2 Wrote:
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> So based on the information and display location
> in Philly, it will be taking the High Line from
> Belmont to Arsenal and then onto the Navy Yard. 
> Sort of like the old Army Navy Game Specials. I'm
> just imagining what normal citizens reaction will
> be seeing this coming through University City in
> Philly.

According to credible sources I've spoken with, no. The tunnel under the Philadelphia Art Museum also allegedly gives access.

Posted from Android