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Largest Steam Locomotive Comes Alive Again!

September 17, 2020

I had to visit Utah to experience the resurrection of the Big Boy as it came to the Ogden UP station on May 12, 2019. Excitement was in the air and the crowd became ecstatic as the huge steam engine was fired-up!

The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1959. Engine 4014 was rebuilt and placed on the tracks in conjunction with the sesquicentennial celebration of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah, on May 10, 1869.
It is somehow appropriate that fans are represented here as shadows. This giant locomotive has a great multitude of alluring passengers and spectators from days gone by.
4014 is on the move!
A demonstration of true power, the result of American grit – ingenuity and determination!

The National Park Service did an outstanding job in commemorating the completion of the first transcontinental railroad with an reenactment of the driving-in of the golden spike.

The golden spike (also known as The Last Spike) is the ceremonial 17.6-karat gold final spike driven by Leland Stanford to join the rails of the First Transcontinental Railroad across the United States connecting the Central Pacific Railroad from Sacramento and the Union Pacific Railroad from Omaha.
119 was a 4-4-0 steam locomotive made famous for meeting the Central Pacific Railroad’s “Jupiter” at Promontory Summit, Utah, during the Golden Spike ceremony commemorating the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. These two beautiful reproductions of the originals are presented by the National Park Service.

As a model train enthusiast it is my pleasure to share my photos with followers of Trainkeepers. Now it is time to add a Big Boy to our collections! I will also be on the lookout for the opportunity to acquire models of the Jupiter and 119. Stay tuned – hopefully Trainkeepers will be able to offer some great commemorative models to you soon!

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