BIG BOY - UNION PACIFIC LOCOMOTIVE IN NEW ORLEANS - LAGNIAPPE CHAPTER of AACA OUTING

[Marty Roth]

Members of Lagniappe Chapter AACA caravanned 60 miles from Houma, Louisiana to Audubon Park, New Orleans to view Union Pacific's BIG BOY.

Chapter President Whitney Richard furnished video of the train steaming eastward toward the Huey P. Long Bridge, one of the very few rail crossings of the Mississippi River. The BIG BOY was on stationary display today, Saturday, August 21st as part of a multi-city visit.

 

Please click on this link to scroll through Whitney's attached photos per this link,

before you look at my attached pics , below. His are much better:

 https://photos.app.goo.gl/m6Firnz9bGiMpk5C7

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_4014

 

I drove the red '88 Corvette, and it was really hot, but a very worthwhile time, having previously visited Steamtown on an AACA Founders Tour, many years ago.

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Marty Roth
Add pics (see edit history)

[Paul Dobbin]

Thanls for posting this old iron, still on the railroad, like our old cars are still on the roads too.

Today I went for a ride in preparation for our groups ride in the mountains tomorrow.   I don't know yet how many old cars will show up, but I'm hoping for 20.  I stopped to vist they guy who dropped a Model A on his foot a couple months ago, to make sure he had a ride for tomorrows tour.

Also visiting him was this 1913 Dorris touring car that had just taken the injured guy for a ride up to Highlands. 

The Dorris is a real locomotive of a car with a 35 HP 4 cylinder engine.  Built by Dorris Automobiles in St. Louis MO., 1906-1926, who later made trucks.

The Dorris will be carrying the injured guy because he can't drive his Model A or Model T yet,

I had never even seen a Dorris before,  Have You?

Edited August 25, 2021 by Paul Dobbin
spill check, added a thought (see edit history)

[Marty Roth]

1 hour ago, Paul Dobbin said:

 I had never even seen a Dorris before,  Have You? 

Yes, and a very nice car-

Thanks for the pic, as well as for the way you support the touring end of our hobby.

 

See you on the Glidden Tour in Saratoga Springs !

[mrspeedyt]

I think that locomotive 4014 is the one that used to be on display at the LA County fair grounds in Pomona CA. I got to check it out maybe 20 or 30 years ago? I’ve got a few pictures somewhere. 

[Terry Harper]

There is simply nothing like big iron. Love it!

 

Thanks for sharing

[hidden_hunter]

We’ve got a couple that still do passenger runs on the main lines, was supposed to be going on one a few weeks back but Covid restrictions meant it’s been rescheduled a few times.

[oldcarfudd]

I've seen St. Louises and Dorrises.  The (great?) grandson of the guy who built them is a national director of HCCA.

[kevin1221]

I saw the same engine, 4014, in Logandale NV in October 2019. Logandale is about 50 miles north, northeast of Las Vegas, just off of Interstate 15. It was quite the site. There was a good sized crowd to view it, even though the area is very rural. Definitely worth the trip to see it, if it’s in your area.

 

Kevin

[ply33]

2 hours ago, mrspeedyt said:

I think that locomotive 4014 is the one that used to be on display at the LA County fair grounds in Pomona CA. I got to check it out maybe 20 or 30 years ago? I’ve got a few pictures somewhere. 

It is the same locomotive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Pacific_4014

[Bhigdog]

Steamtown museum in Scranton, Pa has a non running example. 

Truly a colussus......bob

[Robert G. Smits]

Big BoY went through College Station a mile from our ranch.  Quite a site

[Graham Man]

Nothing better than STEAM... it now runs on waste oil, now that is recycling!

 

 

 

 

[prewarnut]

For those who are interested UP has a "steam club" and web-page. It took quite a bit of planning and arrangement to select, purchase and transport (along active rail) which Big Boy and completely overhaul it with a huge percentage of completely new parts having to be designed and selected. There are a number of on-line videos including a tutorial by Ed Dickens and other engineer and firemen describing operations. I believe it was once said that a 4-8-8-4 would never be restored because the only two western turntables long enough to turn it are only 11 miles apart. Whether this is true or how it's been surmounted is unclear to me. Sadly UP took #3985 out of commission as a compromise. Nonetheless this is a notable feat for a company to invest in and maintain. Pre-Covid UP brought this and #844 to meet with the historical 4-4-0s to celebrate the 150 yr celebration of driving the golden spike in Promontory. I always relish celebrating triumphs of ingenuity. Thanks for sharing!

[alsancle]

That train is pure awesomeness!

 

But it floats in to my brain too much these days that many complex mechanical devices such as this will cease to run when the expertise/interest/money isn't there anymore.   There is a sliding window in time where parts & know how are focused around certain devices.  I fear we are more towards the end than the beginning of the IC powered automobiles.

[58L-Y8]

My cousin Mark and his sons Carson and Oliver toured Steamtown in Scranton, PA a few weeks ago.  I do what I can to introduce them to old cars and railroad machinery as the occasions arise.   Eventually, some of it might 'take'.    Also, impressive engineering structures such as the Starucca Viaduct, Lanesboro, PA...just happened to have a Step-Down Hudson handy to frame in the picture.

[John Bloom]

10 minutes ago, alsancle said:

That train is pure awesomeness!

 

But it floats in to my brain too much these days that many complex mechanical devices such as this will cease to run when the expertise/interest/money isn't there anymore.   There is a sliding window in time where parts & know how are focused around certain devices.  I fear we are more towards the end than the beginning of the IC powered automobiles.

I have the same perspective.   Find a grandson/granddaughter/niece/nephew.......tell them you can see the future and will position them well to negotiate what is coming. Teach them the basics and encourage them to keep learning.  Restore a car with them and see if you can get them a part time job in high school/ college at a machine shop that works on old iron.  Have them work at a quality restoration shop in your area.   Take the long approach.  They can still pursue a main career (engineer, teacher, nurse, etc...) but their side gig is understanding the mechanical perspective on these cars.    

if you think finding someone to work on old cars now is difficult and expensive, you ain’t seen nothing yet. 

 

if by 2030 half the new  cars are electric, and by 2040 all are.....the skills to fix cars will focus on that large/broad market. A 15 year old kid now will be coming into his late thirties by then.  Most of the guys maintaining high end stuff in our hobby now will be gone or unable to work on them. The cars won’t go away (those in collections with sizable value).  If you are logical and can keep this stuff running, I can see a scenario where you name your price to work on them.   Ahhhh. To be young again with all your important choices in front of you.......

 

everything about that train is fantastic. The person who led the project to bring it to where it is today is to be commended. Like the conductor of a symphony. I can’t imagine all the resources (human, material/parts, capitol) it took to pull it off.  

[Terry Harper]

59 minutes ago, alsancle said:

That train is pure awesomeness!

 

But it floats in to my brain too much these days that many complex mechanical devices such as this will cease to run when the expertise/interest/money isn't there anymore.   There is a sliding window in time where parts & know how are focused around certain devices.  I fear we are more towards the end than the beginning of the IC powered automobiles.

 

Having worked on and run steam locomotives I can tell you its an experience you will never forget! The dedication in the steam community is amazing! At the moment there are a number of steam locomotives under restoration - one the Maine Central 470 is about a 3 hour drive from me. You are correct. The only reason the "Big Boy" is in operation is because of UP's deep pockets, their current appreciation for history and of course publicity. When you think about it just like the automotive industry there was a vast array of outside manufactures supplying components and parts to the big locomotive manufacturers such as ALCO, Baldwin and Lima as well as to the railroads. All that is now gone and there is a very finite supply of existing components. 

 

However, they keep moving forward. I too predict that someday operational steam locomotives will be extinct. They are extremely expensive to rebuild- think millions as opposed to thousands and due to regulations that rebuild lasts a finite number of days (1,472) in regards to the boiler before it has to undergo a major rebuild - usually flues, stays as required and if your unlucky.... fire box sheets and or tube sheets. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

A great place to visit is the Strasburg Railroad and if you can arrange it  - a tour of their shops. Its amazing what they are doing. They are THE go-to-place if you need parts fabricated or a complete locomotive rebuilt. The big issue these days is lack of foundries that are willing or able to handle large steel castings. However, the work is still getting done. In fact one group  - the T1 Trust is building a massive locomotive from scratch https://prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org/

 

On the other end of the spectrum the Wisscasset Waterville & Farmington Railroad in Maine is building a new 2 ft. Gauge locomotive from scratch. If you are ever touring in Maine the WW&F is a MUST visit!!

 

https://www.wwfry.org/

 

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Terry Harper (see edit history)

[alsancle]

One of the many ways I dream of heating myself by lighting money on fire is a 15" gauge steam railway running around my yard.

 

https://discoverlivesteam.com/discoverforsale/locomotive.html

 

[alsancle]

20 minutes ago, John Bloom said:

I have the same perspective.   Find a grandson/granddaughter/niece/nephew.......tell them you can see the future and will position them well to negotiate what is coming. Teach them the basics and encourage them to keep learning.  Restore a car with them and see if you can get them a part time job in high school/ college at a machine shop that works on old iron.  Have them work at a quality restoration shop in your area.   Take the long approach.  They can still pursue a main career (engineer, teacher, nurse, etc...) but their side gig is understanding the mechanical perspective on these cars.    

if you think finding someone to work on old cars now is difficult and expensive, you ain’t seen nothing yet. 

 

if by 2030 half the new  cars are electric, and by 2040 all are.....the skills to fix cars will focus on that large/broad market. A 15 year old kid now will be coming into his late thirties by then.  Most of the guys maintaining high end stuff in our hobby now will be gone or unable to work on them. The cars won’t go away (those in collections with sizable value).  If you are logical and can keep this stuff running, I can see a scenario where you name your price to work on them.   Ahhhh. To be young again with all your important choices in front of you.......

 

everything about that train is fantastic. The person who led the project to bring it to where it is today is to be commended. Like the conductor of a symphony. I can’t imagine all the resources (human, material/parts, capitol) it took to pull it off.  

 

The parts availability for the disposable items on the car worry me more than the expertise.   Hard to run a IC engine without spark pugs, points, etc.

 

[prewarnut]

19 minutes ago, Terry Harper said:

 

A great place to visit is the Strasburg Railroad and if you can arrange it  - a tour of their shops. Its amazing what they are doing. They are THE go-to-place if you need parts fabricated or a complete locomotive rebuilt. The big issue these days is lack of foundries that are willing or able to handle large steel castings. However, the work is still getting done. In fact one group  - the T1 Trust is building a massive locomotive from scratch https://prrt1steamlocomotivetrust.org/

 

 

 

I'm rooting for T1. I hope they can do it! Like Ed they're trying to see how fast the thing will go when finished. Not sure which RR line will give them an exemption to try.....

[John Bloom]

24 minutes ago, alsancle said:

One of the many ways I dream of heating myself by lighting money on fire is a 15" gauge steam railway running around my yard.

 

https://discoverlivesteam.com/discoverforsale/locomotive.html

 

Yikes, I looked at this site you posted for about 5 minutes and had to shut it down.  It exploits virtually all my weaknesses for hobbies.  

[SC38dls]

 1 hour ago, John Bloom said:

 

....if by 2030 half the new  cars are electric, and by 2040 all are.....the skills to fix cars will focus on that large/broad market. A 15 year old kid now will be coming into his late thirties by then.  Most of the guys maintaining high end stuff in our hobby now will be gone or unable to work on them. .....

 

But we will always have ED - he's going to be doing this until he hits 3 digits in age!  

dave s

[Terry Harper]

2 hours ago, alsancle said:

One of the many ways I dream of heating myself by lighting money on fire is a 15" gauge steam railway running around my yard.

 

Why go small? (LOL) 

https://ozarkmountainrailcar.com/railEquipment.php?itemId=2083&category=Locomotives

 

And another site that is a very good "time hole"

https://prestonservices.co.uk/

[ply33]

In semi-related news, the volunteers who maintain Sante Fe 3751 are getting it close to being back into operation: https://www.sbrhs.org/news/from-the-yard.html/article/2021/08/09/santa-fe-3751-returns-to-steam-

[pfloro]

The UP 4014 passed through Tucson, AZ on October 17th, 2019.

 

I was able to position the camera on the side of the tracks with the sun to my back.  Unfortunately, because the 4014 was late,

those on the other side missed seeing it because the freight passed and blocked their view.

 

The sound of the steam "whistle" is amazing...

 

At time 1:44, you can see a hint of the oil burner flame just above the rear set of driving wheels.

 

Can you identify the music used during the slow motion replay...?

 

Enjoy...!

 

Paul

 

Union Pacific 4014 Passing Through Tucson, AZ

Edited August 23, 2021 by pfloro (see edit history)

[ericmac]

Thanks for posting this. What a great video. Oh....to be the engineer who gets to "drive." Every little boy's dream.

[Bill Stoneberg]

They stopped in South Texas on their tour 2 years ago. I was close enough to be able to watch them grease all the rods that connect the wheels.

it wad done with a pneumatic grease gun the size of a small jackhammer. The grease came in tubes like you put in your grease gun at home but it took 1 tube per fitting.  Took almost an hour to do the whole drive train.
Talked to the engineer and he bid for the job and because of his senority he got the job. Lots of engineers wanted to drive it. 
here is a picture of them greasing one fitting.

[wayne sheldon]

5 hours ago, pfloro said:

Can you identify the music used during the slow motion replay...?

 

 

Theme song from the television series "Petticoat Junction".

 

I am sorry I know that.

 

Although, in the tv series, the out-of-the-way and culturally backward community was served by a steam train.

If I recall correctly, the steam train they used for the series was one owned by Railtown outside Jamestown in California. Over forty years ago, my to-be wife and I drove our 1925 Studebaker to there from the San Francisco Bay Area to attend their "Supper chief" event with an antique automobile club (I have no idea if they still do that or not?). A couple of hours riding the antique rail cars, dining car, seeing the open countryside, and dinner. And listening to that steam whistle! It was a lot of fun, and some fond memories.

 

Sorry for the drift. But I did want to answer the question.

[ply33]

5 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Theme song from the television series "Petticoat Junction".

 

I am sorry I know that.

 

Correct on both counts.

 

A uncle of a former in-law was the producer and the cousin was one of the stars. I actually met them a couple of times a lot of years ago.

[bryankazmer]

4014 is going to visit one of her sisters at the St Louis Museum of Transportation next week, I believe

[tomcarnut]

Thanks for posting. Amazing story that Union Pacific’s Management made the tremendous financial commitment to restore one of eight Big Boys left after 60 years since the last one ran. No one ever thought the  Nirvana of steam engines would ever run again on the rails. I have been following 4014 on Facebook for the last few years. Hope to see it out west somewhere next year when I retire. May even pony up for ride. Hey that could be an AACA tour activity. 
 

Tom Muth 

Cincinnati, Ohio

[plymouthcranbrook]

17 hours ago, pfloro said:

The UP 4014 passed through Tucson, AZ on October 17th, 2019.

 

I was able to position the camera on the side of the tracks with the sun to my back.  Unfortunately, because the 4014 was late,

those on the other side missed seeing it because the freight passed and blocked their view.

 

The sound of the steam "whistle" is amazing...

 

At time 1:44, you can see a hint of the oil burner flame just above the rear set of driving wheels.

 

Can you identify the music used during the slow motion replay...?

 

Enjoy...!

 

Paul

 

Union Pacific 4014 Passing Through Tucson, AZ

When I watched the vid I wanted to wave st the folks on the train.

[Robert G. Smits]

Some technical data on a poster I purchased at Pate 30 years ago. Took me 3 days to find it

[bryankazmer]

My grandfather worked at ALCO, but I'm not sure he built 4-8-8-4 Big Boys.  He did work on the earlier 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone (ALCO built only the first one) and had a framed photo with specs on the back.

[cahartley]

Here's the Big Boy schedule >>> https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

[ejboyd5]

[ply33]

3 hours ago, ejboyd5 said:

I stumbled across a video on YouTube which was filmed in the late 1950s about a "Farewell to Steam" special excursion. Lots of scenes similar to those that modern train chasers film and post. But one thing struck me: All those old style telephone/telegraph tines along railway lines are gone now. A sure tell if a video was filmed recently and antiqued to look old or if it was actually transferred from a film shot back in the day.

[Bill Stoneberg]

A friend took this picture and did some Photoshop work on it while the train was in Texas week or so ago. Best one I have seen of the engine.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Bill Stoneberg (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

Nice shot, well composed. But in my opinion totally ruined by the photo shopping. It would be far more emotionally engaging if shot in high contrast B & W with the proper filter to enhance the clouds, ala Ansel Adams...........Bob

Edited August 26, 2021 by Bhigdog (see edit history)