"Big Boy 4014" made it through Benton County on Thursday. Built in 1941, the train has a 4-8-8-4 configuration, which means it has four guide wheels in front, two sets of eight drive wheels, and four wheels in the back. Because of its length, the design helped the train to make it around curves.132 feet long and weighing in at 1.2 million pounds, Big Boy is the largest steam engine ever to be produced. Of the 25 engines of this type produced, only eight remain today. 4014 is the only operational Big Boy that exists.
These engines started out as coal burning steam engines but 4014 was then converted to oil. The engines were designed to pull coal cars through the Rocky Mountains from Ogden, Utah to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
For 20 years, from 1941 to 1961, Big Boy 4014 traveled over a million miles before it was retired and sold to a museum. The Union Pacific reacquired 4014 in 2013 from RailGiants in Pomona, California wanting to completely restore the engine. In May of 2019, Big Boy 4014 returned in time to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.
Union Pacific has a "Heritage Fleet' which is a collection of historical locomotives and train cars that have historical significance, or even commemorative paint jobs and Big Boy 4014 is part of that fleet.
Big Boy 4014 was reported to have been carrying former late night host and comedian Jay Leno who rode in the train from Omaha, Nebraska to Denison, Iowa where he stepped off to the surprise of the crowd who enjoyed some photo ops.
To track Big Boy live, you can follow along at this link: UP: UP Steam Locomotive Tracking
Below is a list of the complete fleet:
Heritage Units
No. 1982 - Missouri Pacific Heritage Locomotive
No. 1983 - Western Pacific Heritage Locomotive
No. 1988 - Missouri-Kansas-Texas "Katy" Heritage Locomotive
No. 1989 - Denver & Rio Grande Western Heritage Locomotive
No. 1995 - Chicago & North Western Heritage Locomotive
No. 1996 - Southern Pacific Heritage Locomotive
Community Service Locomotives:
- No. 1111 - Employee Pride Locomotive
- No. 1943 - The Spirit, honoring U.S. Armed Forces
- No. 1979 - "We Are ONE" Employee Resource Group Locomotive
- Nos. 2001 and 2002 - Olympic Torch Relay Locomotives
- Salt Lake 2002 Winter Olympic Games
- No. 7400 - Pink Ribbon Locomotive
Retired Locomotives- 1996 Olympic Torch Relay Locomotives
Atlanta 1996 Centennial Olympic Games- No. 2010 - Boy Scouts of America 100th Anniversary
- No. 3300 United Way Locomoitve
- No. 3593 Desert Victory Commemorative Locomotive
- No. 4141 - Tribute to President George Herbert Walker Bush
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