Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 Arrives at Denver Union Station

Welcome to another mainline steam adventure, featuring Union Pacific BIG BOY Number 4014!
For the 2022 Steam season, plans were initially developed for a tour with the locomotive out to California and the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, the trip had to be canceled due to staffing and traffic issues that were plaguing the entire Union Pacific system. As a trade off for this cancelled venture, UP decided to coordinate with the Union Pacific Railroad Museum-as well as Denver RTD-to run the "Union Pacific Museum Special"; a public fan trip that would travel from Denver, Colorado up to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
The MAIN highlight of this little excursion would come the day before, as plans were made in cooperation with Denver RTD to park the locomotive and train actually AT the platform of Denver Union Station! The last locomotive to do this was the UP 844, way back in July of 2009. And to our knowledge, a Union Pacific Big Boy had never visited Denver Union Station back in the days of steam. Combining all of this with Union Station's 2015 rehabilitation, we could tell that this was going be a VERY historic run within the history of the UP Steam program.
In this video, we'll follow Number 4014 as it is taken from North Yard, and down across the vast array of Union Station trackage to platform track Number 5. There was a ton of careful planning and logistics that went into this move. It is all plainly shown as a mass of highly trained railroad staff work to get the locomotive safely through the tight curvature of the station tracks. Tomorrow, it's off to another high iron chase to Cheyenne!
A fan trip out of Denver Union Station in the year 2022? Who knew??
Rate. Comment. Subscribe. ENJOY!!! Copyright Nick Valdez Railroad Photography 2022.

[@valiantval6539]

Well done as per usual.

[@jackchen7003]

Wow, it is very rare to see steam under wires, especially in the USA

[@MackeyBigBoy4014]

The Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL is like that.

[@jackchen7003]

@@MackeyBigBoy4014 I don’t really count that since it’s not a revenue passenger line. It’s an excursion line

[@2xKTfc]

Happens regularly here in Germany, they run special trains on electrified mainline for events. Sometimes one-off, sometimes scheduled. Of course, there's never been a 4-8-8-4 here, though (I wish!).

[@crazyfvck]

I really hope that reproduce another one of those whistles to put back on 844. That whistle was perfect for that locomotive!

[@Michael-eg3rs]

844's whistle is just an old big boy whistle so it's more fitting on the 4014

[@crazyfvck]

@@Michael-eg3rs Yeah, I know. It's the one that originally came off of 4014. 844 has been using it for a number of years. But it also sounds great on 844.

[@MackeyBigBoy4014]

They will probably put the whistle that was on the Big Boy from 2019-2021 on #844.

[@ChargerusPrime]

I think they might use 838's whistle on 844 or maybe just buy one of the whistles of one of the other surviving union pacific 4-8-4's

[@northerncalirails2008]

Nice. It looks like the same consist from 2021

[@ChargerusPrime]

And now the lionel whistle for these is the most accurate sounding whistle for any model ever lol

[@johndavey72]

Hello Nick . Great to see you back , keeping us entertained . Well , Denver is a very busy terminal and the size and length of the goods trains are always impressive.And when you hear that whistle you know "Big Boys " back in town ! That was a tricky manouvre running that very tight bend . I guess the track was never intended for these monsters . Did l notice you listen to the crews talking ? I don't recall hearing that before but then again l'm old and deaf ! Excellent camera work Nick . Thankyou .

[@Locos-del-oeste]

Wow nice video my friend like and Greetings 💪😉

[@1chuck96]

God, this video is so INCREDIBLY perfect!!! Excellent production ya'll!!!

[@lilfrostygamplays1665]

Thx Nick I was patiently waiting for you to upload this trip of the UP 4014