Union Pacific studying Big Boy restoration project This may be old news?? [TABLE] [TR] [TD]No. 4014 climbing Wyoming's Sherman Hill on June 25, 1949. Photo by R.H. Kindig Union Pacific may be bringing back the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, the last of which steamed more than 50 years ago. Company spokesman Mark Davis said that the company has been approached by and is working with a third party interested in restoring and operating a Big Boy. He said the railroad is evaluating the condition of preserved UP Big Boy locomotives and that it believes two might be available for restoration. Davis declined to name the other party or give a timeline for the project. But at least one organization is already talking about its potential to put a Big Boy back on the main line. This was started last December and we are starting to hear more about it in different publications. [/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE]
It would be fantastic. There would be more than just UP and steam fans, who'd come out to see such a loco operating again.
It's not a museum, but the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, CA has old locomotives on exhibit curated by the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. They have Big Boy 4014: There were talks of UP approaching the RLHS about using 4014 as the restoration model, though I can't confirm it's been a done deal. Even a diehard diesel fan like me thinks big steam in the 21st century is exciting! Bring it on!
I believe UP had though about choosing 4014 because it was the one that they found to be in the best physical condition out of the surviving eight.
yeah, but the one at SteamTown would be the easiest to get since they are known to trade off locos....
Speaking of Big Boys, 4018 at Dallas was scheduled to be moved (in tow) to Frisco tomorrow, but the move was postponed due to a derailment on the track between the two sites. Any of you living near Dallas could get videos of a Big Boy actually in motion when it does move. The entire museum at Dallas is being moved to Frisco. 4014 is beautifully maintained by the local L&RHS chapter there at Pomona. I crawled all over it when I lived down there. Also got to crawl around on 4005 at the Forney museum in Denver, and 4012 at Steamtown. They are truly massive locomotives.
