Worlds Largest Steam Locomotive is BACK! A true Goliath

Saw 4014 this past Sunday in Moapa Nevada. It was an awesome experience! It’s next stop was Las Vegas.

 

Just about the coolest thing ever! I would have loved to be there to see it in person, hear it, and feel the ground shake.

Wanted to buy one ever since they came out from MTH, but they keep going up--close to $2000 now--so something I admire from afar.

Thanks very much for the posts.

Cheers,

Richard

 

Me too. Charles RO (USA Trains) has a model of it as well. It's even more expensive. I too will admire it from afar.

 

Did not know that RO has one as well.

The funny part is that these are "toy trains."

Always makes me laugh...

Cheers,

Richard

 

Great photos! Love the shot of the drivers. I also like the front shot with "Big Boy" chalked on to the front of the smoke box. FWIW: UP looked at all eight of the saved Big Boys and selected 4014 to restore because it was the best of them. Apparently the museum that had it on display had continued to lubricate all moving connections just on the off-chance that someday it would be returned to steam. Even at that, UP estimates that 60% of the 4014's machinery is new. All new parts were made of the same or in many cases better materials then the original. UP wants this locomotive to be extremely reliable, as 1.2 million lbs of dead engine is a bit of a PITA.

 

The drivers on the pictured NYC streamlined 4-6-4 #5426 are actually Scullin disk design cast by Scullin Steel of St Louis, MO under patent number US2177693. This was one of two J3a class locomotives, the other numbered #5429, streamlined and decorated to haul the Empire State Express passenger trains.

There were also ten J3a class 4-6-4 locomotives which received streamlining designed by Henry Dreyfuss in 1938 to pull the 20th Century Limited train sets. The first five of these, numbered 5445-5449 were originally equipped with Boxpok (pronounced Box-Spoke) drive wheels, and the latter five numbered 5450-5454 were equipped with the Scullin drive wheels. The Boxpok castings were produced by General Steel Castings Co. of Granite City, Illinois under patent numbers US1960039 and US2042160, and were quite different in appearance from the Scullin castings. A Boxpok driver equipped locomotive is pictured below.

 

And #5450 equipped with Scullin drive wheels.

 

https://t.co/x1w0NdXjTS

 

I used to listen to my Dad and Uncles talk about the steam engines being replaced by diesel electric power. They didn't have much good to say about the newer engines.
Bob H.

 

If you get a chance go see the Big Boy in person, do it. It is a magnificent piece of machinery you will not regret it.

 

Any chance of a picture?

 

I have one in my train case!

 

We had BigBoy in Fort Worth two weeks ago overnight and literally thousands of people came to see it all day Saturday and visited the Union Pacific cars it was towing. Incredible machine. Visit www.up.com/steam to see the history and restoration.

 

Steam locomotives are AWESOME!
So many moving parts, its like they're alive

 

Thanks for persistence in adding the links on schedule. Here is a video of BigBoy south of Fort Worth if it works:
https://1drv.ms/v/s!AnT_4vZJgTo4400Z_8wmbqmQISpY

 

The Big Boy does not consume 25 Tons of coal every 60 miles. It was converted to #5 Bunker oil to prevent any sparks from setting fires. UP's #844 Northern also burns oil.

 

I have been in the cab of 4012. It was located at Steamtown in Bellows Falls VT at the time.

 

It received a cosmetic restoration over the past two years. It looks great and is the main outdoor display piece in Scranton.

 

That's nice to hear.