Forget baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and (gulp) Chevrolets...this locomotive "IS" America! Big Boy rolled thru Roseville California in July. It was here 2 1/2 days and drew thousands of people from all over...including me. What a glorious piece of American history! What a magnificent machine!
Sometime late in the last century, my parents took the trans-Siberian railroad across Russia. My father, a retired U,S, Air Force intelligence officer and attaché, got off the train at some remote Siberian town. During the brief stop, he wandered over near the railroad station and noted a railyard with several steam locomotives with their boilers going to keep them warm during the cold winter. Upon looking closer, he noticed that they displayed "Union Pacific" logos on the engines. They were part of a shipment sent to Russia during WW II to be used as scrap, but the Russians kept them going for almost a half a century.
Maybe not sent to be used as scrap, more likely sent there through the lend - lease program as more powerful motive power for their trains during the war.
The National Railroad Museum in a Green Bay has one of these on display indoors. You can’t believe the size of it until you’re standing next to it. At this museum, you can climb up in to the conductor’s area. Highly recommended. A truly awesome display of American ingenuity.
I saw it recently! It was stopped in a nearby town and we got to go look at it. It is such an amazing piece of machinery. I also saw it once in 2019 when it literally passed straight through our town and it was one of the best experiences of my life
I'm an engineer's kid - aeronautical, but his original degree was mining engineering w/lots of general mechanical as well. He's gone now (at the Columbarium at ANC), but would have driven across 2 states to see this work of art. I remember when we moved to Northern Virginia and he took us to a TRAIN MUSEUM down in Lorton? Woodbridge? Amazing machines... part of our national history.
There is something magical about the sound of a steam whistle, especially if heard from a distance. It tugs at us, saying, "Come ride across country and over the mountains. Leave the office and kitchen and become a wanderer!"
You cen walk up to a Stationary Big Boy in Cheyenne Wyoming..fencing keeps it unaccessible but absolutely impressive by how massive it is. Its wheels are huge. A must see.
I traveled from Northeast New York State (nowhere near NYC BTW) to Rochelle last weekend to see it. Flew out of the airport in Albany -- 20 to 30 miles from 4014's birthplace in Schenectady. The diesel locomotive accompanying 4014 on this trip was 4015.
It appears that 4015 was assigned to the steam crew a few years ago for the use of it’s PTC equipment and the dynamic braking ability. You’ll notice 4015’s trucks are painted silver like the trucks on the passenger cars. All other UP diesels have their trucks painted gray.
Came through Milwaukee some time ago. We stood within 25 feet of the tracks as it powered through Milwaukee, massive reminder of when I was growing up near stations in Holyoke MA>
The steam locomotives would be sent I think once a year in the summer in the 1950's from Aurora to Chicago on the Burlington tracks. I lived across a field from the tracks. First we could hear the sound of the engine in the distance. Then as it got closer you could see the black smoke plume above the trees. Everyone in the neighborhood would run towards the tracks just to see the old locomotive. Great memory indeed.
They totally deballed that engine by switching to oil. 'Better for the environment'? Gimme a damn break! The coal necessary to power one Big Boy locomotive will never be enough to do any significant damage to the environment. Stupid!
Another fact: California won’t allow any coal burning locomotives in the state, even though they invite UP to bring Big Boy to the state. Even then the California PUC stills writes violations for “excess emissions “.
@@arizonaarmadillo5829 These people with the same logic are sending electric chainsaws to the hurricaine victims in the mountains WHERE THEY HAVE NO ELECTRICITY.
I’m so jealous of my friends in Illinois that got to see this magnificent machine in action up close. A couple of my friends recorded it going through Tuscola. UP has another 4000 series big boy that is in good enough shape to be pulled on the rails , but she isn’t operational. Would love to see them get funding to restore a second one to operational status.
BIG BOY is known to us TRAIN NUTS ..... my son loved this and other classic engine/coal car combos as well as diesel - SANTA FE CHIEF etc . We have SPENCER RAIL COMPLEX in N.C. and their ROUNDHOUSE has some great Engines as well. GBjj
Being from the South east USA i found his amazing ive seen videos on 4014 and ive rode a rolling history the Southern Railway 4501 (A 2-8-2 Milkado) built in the 1910s by the Baldwin locomotive works and 4501 still runs today in Tennessee at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga The with her sister 630
Steam power is one of the fundamental bedrocks upon which our modern world was built, from the early industrial revolution to modern day, the last 200 plus years of human history.
That’s exactly why it was routed down the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad outside of city limits. The UP’s home rails would’ve taken it onto the dreaded Rockwell Subdivision which is rather notorious for train looting & the trespassing of vagrants.
Big Boy is a great example of the creativity and excellence that innovative people inspired by the “American Dream” produced to resolve a difficult need. We should never attribute those traits to any level of government.
It actually is not under power. The diesel locomotive behind it is really pushing it If it was under its own power it would be blowing huge clouds and showering rocks of coal all over I rode in a coal powered locomotive and after an hour I had 2 pounds of coal in ky hair
It is oil powered, now, not coal powered; not as much smoke. It absolutely IS under power; the diesel is NOT pushing it. The diesel is there to provide electricity to the coaches, to comply with PTC requirements, and, probably most importantly, to help provide braking power. The brake shoes on the Big Boy are very expensive and it's better if they don't have to be replaced too often.
I did as well. We had to take a different route In because we got there late and didn’t want to wait in traffic. I still can’t believe the line was backed up into the highway.
I got to see it in West Chicago a few years back. With all the older gentlemen there I remember thinking it would be a great place for older women to meet a guy.
True if a woman wants a single guy this is the place a lot of rail fans are single because women don't care about railroading,my beautiful wife wanted to learn everything that fascinates me and because of that she is writing several railroad poems
I have lived in West Chicago my whole life. I went downtown to see it a few years ago. I wanted to bring my 100 year old Grandfather but he was not up for the outing. So I took some video of it to show him. That whistle was super loud, and just idling down you could feel the ground shake. Super cool experience!
something I want to mention to the news reporter is that "driving" a train is incorrect !!! in America it's important to stress the fact that the Engineer doesn't "drive" the train He should've said "operating" the train.
I’m actually disappointed the crowds were so sparse, especially in Chicago. Of course with the media only promoting the event after the fact, many people, even train enthusiasts like myself, probably missed the event either because they didn’t know about it or because they forgot it about it without a morning reminder on the news. Very disappointing. Of course UP could have scheduled more extended stops. That would have been nice and easier to promote, but it was probably a scheduling nightmare as it was.
Well, Dane….the conversion from coal to fuel oil has much more to do with the availability of the fuel oil than the supposed more environmentally friendliness over coal. It’s a good spin, though…as coal has been deemed as being something evil instead of the cheap & abundant domestic resource that it is. Carbon is still carbon.
Omaha is its home base, she is a beastie, twice the size of anything else. As you drive west on I-80 across the Missouri River, two of them are up and to the right of the interstate.
Instead of just telling us what it is and how big it is maybe they could provide some actual news, like what is the schedule? Where will it be, and when? You know, so maybe we could see it for ourselves.
I can't believe the big boy locomotive still runs, I ever thought they stopped it and put in a train museum but I guess that was false and I must be wrong.
Big Boy is a locomotive, not a train. A train is what it pulls.
Correct. So many don't get that. Kudos.
Aye....also , one doesn't "drive" a train...lol
🤓
A locomotive is a vehicle that carries passengers and freight
I said that as soon as she said that in the beginning of this
i live in the chicago area, im still so upset i wasn’t able to see this big guy.
I seen it before on videos
I'm disappointed myself, I live in the NW suburbs.
@@creedrichards137 Where I live, news only reported Big Boy AFTER if passed through town.
Forget baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and (gulp) Chevrolets...this locomotive "IS" America! Big Boy rolled thru Roseville California in July. It was here 2 1/2 days and drew thousands of people from all over...including me. What a glorious piece of American history! What a magnificent machine!
Joke Bidumb drives a Chevy.
Not A Joke!
Saw the beautiful UP Big Boy in California this summer. Unforgettable experience!
I saw one of the Big Boy engines at the Green Bay WI train museum. I would have loved to see this one in motion!
I've been there too! I believe it's UP Big Boy #4017 that's at the railroad museum which is identical to #4014
Sometime late in the last century, my parents took the trans-Siberian railroad across Russia. My father, a retired U,S, Air Force intelligence officer and attaché, got off the train at some remote Siberian town. During the brief stop, he wandered over near the railroad station and noted a railyard with several steam locomotives with their boilers going to keep them warm during the cold winter. Upon looking closer, he noticed that they displayed "Union Pacific" logos on the engines. They were part of a shipment sent to Russia during WW II to be used as scrap, but the Russians kept them going for almost a half a century.
Russia keeps dozens of steamers ready in preparation of a grid down situation
Wow great info History ✅✌️❤️🙏🥸🌍🧐😎🫡
Maybe not sent to be used as scrap, more likely sent there through the lend - lease program as more powerful motive power for their trains during the war.
The sound of a locomotive's steam whistle is one of the greatest sounds ever.
The National Railroad Museum in a Green Bay has one of these on display indoors. You can’t believe the size of it until you’re standing next to it. At this museum, you can climb up in to the conductor’s area. Highly recommended. A truly awesome display of American ingenuity.
they should occasionally use them say once a year to pull loads. Just to keep the heritage alive.
And while you're there feel the large groove in the drive wheels to show you how many miles it must have run.
Then when you hear them breathe... it's even more impressive.
I saw it recently! It was stopped in a nearby town and we got to go look at it. It is such an amazing piece of machinery. I also saw it once in 2019 when it literally passed straight through our town and it was one of the best experiences of my life
What a magnificent piece of machinery! And how lucky that reporter was to be able to take a ride on the Big Boy 4014 locomotive!
I'm an engineer's kid - aeronautical, but his original degree was mining engineering w/lots of general mechanical as well. He's gone now (at the Columbarium at ANC), but would have driven across 2 states to see this work of art. I remember when we moved to Northern Virginia and he took us to a TRAIN MUSEUM down in Lorton? Woodbridge?
Amazing machines... part of our national history.
82 and still looking good!!!
There is something magical about the sound of a steam whistle, especially if heard from a distance. It tugs at us, saying, "Come ride across country and over the mountains. Leave the office and kitchen and become a wanderer!"
Same as in England when 'Flying Scotsman' is on the tracks. Wonderful!
You cen walk up to a Stationary Big Boy in Cheyenne Wyoming..fencing keeps it unaccessible but absolutely impressive by how massive it is. Its wheels are huge. A must see.
I stopped and saw twice back in 2013 and 2 1/2 months ago on my across the country road trip
Oh yeah, This is what a rail fan wants to see on the news, lol. So cool. Bummer I’m in Ma, thank you for sharing:)
Wow! That’s impressive and amazing. Thanks for sharing!
It's a steam ENGINE, not a steam train.
I traveled from Northeast New York State (nowhere near NYC BTW) to Rochelle last weekend to see it. Flew out of the airport in Albany -- 20 to 30 miles from 4014's birthplace in Schenectady.
The diesel locomotive accompanying 4014 on this trip was 4015.
It appears that 4015 was assigned to the steam crew a few years ago for the use of it’s PTC equipment and the dynamic braking ability. You’ll notice 4015’s trucks are painted silver like the trucks on the passenger cars. All other UP diesels have their trucks painted gray.
This is such a wonderful train. Somewhere there is a video of an entire run and it's just amazing.
Came through Milwaukee some time ago. We stood within 25 feet of the tracks as it powered through Milwaukee, massive reminder of when I was growing up near stations in Holyoke MA>
I'm not into trains but this would have been awesome to see
If you're ever in Green Bay, WI, go to their train museum. They have one there (possibly this one). The immense size of it is awe inspiring!
@@DanaMentgen not the same one, This is UP 4014, Greenbay has UP 4017
@@Dodener Thanks!
power personified
The steam locomotives would be sent I think once a year in the summer in the 1950's from Aurora to Chicago on the Burlington tracks. I lived across a field from the tracks. First we could hear the sound of the engine in the distance. Then as it got closer you could see the black smoke plume above the trees. Everyone in the neighborhood would run towards the tracks just to see the old locomotive. Great memory indeed.
I’ve only seen the Big Boy standing still in Steam Town PA.
I heard it in South Holland Illinois! Amazing!
What a example of human tech.
“Why is it important to keep these trains alive?”
-Jack Wagon
America's TRADITIONS to GREATNESS, OK ?
It's our history...
Excuse me... I thought you were referring to a local comedic personality.
His middle name is “Hoff”
‘Nuff said!
They totally deballed that engine by switching to oil. 'Better for the environment'? Gimme a damn break! The coal necessary to power one Big Boy locomotive will never be enough to do any significant damage to the environment. Stupid!
"Better for the environment"? Nah. Cheaper and easier to get trackside to refuel Big Boy? Absolutely.
@@mikepowers8607 All about the money.
Another fact: California won’t allow any coal burning locomotives in the state, even though they invite UP to bring Big Boy to the state. Even then the California PUC stills writes violations for “excess emissions “.
@@coachbb899 Not in the least bit surprised. 😏
@@arizonaarmadillo5829 These people with the same logic are sending electric chainsaws to the hurricaine victims in the mountains WHERE THEY HAVE NO ELECTRICITY.
I’m so jealous of my friends in Illinois that got to see this magnificent machine in action up close. A couple of my friends recorded it going through Tuscola. UP has another 4000 series big boy that is in good enough shape to be pulled on the rails , but she isn’t operational. Would love to see them get funding to restore a second one to operational status.
ROLL ON, BIG BOY! 🚂 🇺🇸
Hot and heavy here in Bald Rock Ky right now SW Laurel Co Ky.
Bring back the big boy steamers 💨
BIG BOY is known to us TRAIN NUTS ..... my son loved this and other classic engine/coal car combos as well as diesel - SANTA FE CHIEF etc . We have SPENCER RAIL COMPLEX in N.C. and their ROUNDHOUSE has some great Engines as well. GBjj
Trains built America and continue so.
Everything gets to us on wheels. Even this message comes to you by hardware delivered on wheels.
Being from the South east USA i found his amazing ive seen videos on 4014 and ive rode a rolling history the Southern Railway 4501 (A 2-8-2 Milkado) built in the 1910s by the Baldwin locomotive works and 4501 still runs today in Tennessee at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga The with her sister 630
Awesome engine!
I climbed on one Big Boy in the Green Bay museum in 1967 with my cousin. We looked like small bugs on that thing!
I'm always amazed the rails can support one of those monsters. What a machine, and what talent to keep her running. Go UP!
It is hot and heavy in Bald Rock right now in SW Laurel Co.
Can't wait to see this beast in HTX, literal rolling history
It’s a thrilling sight! So glad I was able to see it when it came through Minnesota a few years ago! WoooOooooo Oooot!
Right thru my town and stopped and I did not know about it. Not happy.
i remember when my nana and papa took me to see the big boy many many years ago
great video. it is an amazing piece of history! glad to see it alive and running!
Bringing Governor Pritzkers weekly allotment of food in three rail cars….😅
Not the first time that male reporter has seen a big one 😂
This is so cool !!! ❤
It's a *locomotive* not a *train*. The *train* is the locomotive plus the cars it pulls.
Good thing that it didn’t stop for long in Chicago, the wheels would have been stolen and it would have a new paint job.
Great news piece,now if only other steam excursions like the 765,1225,611 can get this much coverage
Truly amazing to see up close !!!
Steam power is one of the fundamental bedrocks upon which our modern world was built, from the early industrial revolution to modern day, the last 200 plus years of human history.
And it passed through east central Illinois today too!
clickety clack clickety clack watch the train go down the track 🤓🙋♂️❤👍
I was in Scranton PA's Steamtown back in April and saw this. Huge. Needed my wide-angle lens to capture all of it.
Yup, Steamtown Museum in Scranton PA has Big Boy 4012. Wish this was refurbished too like 4014.
Noticed the engineers cabin has an LCD display. Union Pacific had advanced technology for 1936
Coincidentally, "big boy" was pritzker's nickname in highschool. 😂
I’m surprised some of the local gangs didn’t try to rob it.
That’s exactly why it was routed down the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad outside of city limits. The UP’s home rails would’ve taken it onto the dreaded Rockwell Subdivision which is rather notorious for train looting & the trespassing of vagrants.
500 H.P. 250 000 foot pounds of torque.
Big Boy is a great example of the creativity and excellence that innovative people inspired by the “American Dream” produced to resolve a difficult need.
We should never attribute those traits to any level of government.
BEAUITFUL!!!!!! 🚄
Absolutely Beautiful
This is exciting! I would have loved to see this!
I saw that train in Sacramento California last month 4014
Right up to date. The Big Boy came through on the 9th.
It actually is not under power.
The diesel locomotive behind it is really pushing it
If it was under its own power it would be blowing huge clouds and showering rocks of coal all over
I rode in a coal powered locomotive and after an hour I had 2 pounds of coal in ky hair
It is oil powered, now, not coal powered; not as much smoke. It absolutely IS under power; the diesel is NOT pushing it. The diesel is there to provide electricity to the coaches, to comply with PTC requirements, and, probably most importantly, to help provide braking power. The brake shoes on the Big Boy are very expensive and it's better if they don't have to be replaced too often.
I just got to see it Sunday (9/8/2024) in Rochelle IL! Man! Nothing prepared me for it's immense size!
I was there too and it was just awesome! A lot more people showed up than they expected!
@@stevebeegreat I heard 55,000 people showed up.
I did as well. We had to take a different route In because we got there late and didn’t want to wait in traffic. I still can’t believe the line was backed up into the highway.
Good to see it is backed up by diesel/electric.
I got to see it in West Chicago a few years back. With all the older gentlemen there I remember thinking it would be a great place for older women to meet a guy.
True if a woman wants a single guy this is the place a lot of rail fans are single because women don't care about railroading,my beautiful wife wanted to learn everything that fascinates me and because of that she is writing several railroad poems
Any luck?
I have lived in West Chicago my whole life. I went downtown to see it a few years ago. I wanted to bring my 100 year old Grandfather but he was not up for the outing. So I took some video of it to show him. That whistle was super loud, and just idling down you could feel the ground shake. Super cool experience!
I have seen the big boy 4012 in Scranton PA
Hot and heavy right now in Bald Rock SW Laurel Co. Ky. Cops everywhere.
something I want to mention to the news reporter is that "driving" a train is incorrect !!! in America it's important to stress the fact that the Engineer doesn't "drive" the train He should've said "operating" the train.
. It was made in China
This pasted right through my neighbor hood but I was at school and missed it😢
This is the only locomotive more impressive than SP 4449, but no where near as beautiful.
Great story!
God bless America 🎉
I’m actually disappointed the crowds were so sparse, especially in Chicago. Of course with the media only promoting the event after the fact, many people, even train enthusiasts like myself, probably missed the event either because they didn’t know about it or because they forgot it about it without a morning reminder on the news. Very disappointing. Of course UP could have scheduled more extended stops. That would have been nice and easier to promote, but it was probably a scheduling nightmare as it was.
they keep calling the big boy a train- it's not a train - it is a locomotrive.
It has a 155 mm howitzer farther back, for cases of banditry, or if it needs to shell robbers' hideouts in the mountains.
Well, Dane….the conversion from coal to fuel oil has much more to do with the availability of the fuel oil than the supposed more environmentally friendliness over coal. It’s a good spin, though…as coal has been deemed as being something evil instead of the cheap & abundant domestic resource that it is. Carbon is still carbon.
That's a choo-choo train!
Omaha is its home base, she is a beastie, twice the size of anything else. As you drive west on I-80 across the Missouri River, two of them are up and to the right of the interstate.
I wonder if it will ever come east, Though I dunno if it would fit under the wires of the NE Corridor.
Big Boy needs 26 miles to stop.
The train wait is 500 tons
It wasn't anywhere neat Chicago this time. It was at least a 90 minute drive away.
that's a diesel/electric pushing it down the tracks from behind. lol.
The engine comes to Omaha during the college mens baseball tournament.
Hey don't forget Down state folks come on now...😢
When did it go to Lagrange in Lagrange Park?
Big boy!!!!
The state where every house is $550,000 on up now.
I got one in Dolton
An artist painted all the locomotives....showed his paintings in alpena, mi 40 years ago.
Instead of just telling us what it is and how big it is maybe they could provide some actual news, like what is the schedule? Where will it be, and when? You know, so maybe we could see it for ourselves.
I like train’s 😊
So you guys got a free ride in the cab of a Big Boy where others had to pay from 6-10 thousand dollars for an hour and a half ride to do the same.
From when giants ruled the earth!!
Bigga boy!
I can't believe the big boy locomotive still runs, I ever thought they stopped it and put in a train museum but I guess that was false and I must be wrong.