The Union Pacific No.4014 "Big Boy," a 4-8-8-4 steam engine, rolling along the southern edge of the Black Rock playa in Nevada this morning. The 4014 was built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in Schenectady, New York, in 1941.
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Union Pacific No.4014 "Big Boy," a 4-8-8-4 steam engine, rolling along the southern edge of the Black Rock playa in Nevada yesterday morning. I'm off to try and catch the 4014 crossing the Clio trestle tomorrow morning. There's a forecast for rain and the humidity will be high. High humidity makes for nice steamy steam engines!
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The Union Pacific No.4014 "Big Boy," a 4-8-8-4 steam engine built in 1941, rolling over the Clio Trestle on the historic Feather River Route in Northern California this morning.
I was hoping for some steam action because it was cool and humid, as compared to two years ago when the 4014 last traveled this route, but I didn't expect this!
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The nice and steamy Union Pacific No.4014 "Big Boy," a 4-8-8-4 steam engine built in 1941, rolling through the Sierra along the historic Feather River Route in Northern California this morning.
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It was a challenging day chasing the UP No.4014. It was very slow coming up the hill in the Feather River Canyon. By the time it got in the area where I was, it was late in the day and the light was fading fast. With the rain, and snow further up the hill, the 4014 was really blowing steam!
(Keddie Wye, Feather River Canyon, Northern California.)
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The No. 4014 entering the Williams Loop, a rail spiral on the Union Pacific Railroad's Feather River Route. It was really chugging heading up the hill to the Sierra Valley & summit at Beckwourth Pass. I was standing on the upper part of the loop as the train crossed under me. Very impressive the steam / smoke / power of that engine under full load. It's water capacity is 95,000L (25k gal) & it consumes 760L per mile!
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Here's a shot of the 4014 before it passed under me to enter the Williams Loop in the Feather River Canyon of Northern California. It was really boiling steam and smoke chugging up hill in the Sierra.
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I failed to get up and go train chasing this morning. 🫤 But here's a last shot I made of it on Sunday. It was nearly dark. Also, this was the closest I ever got to the 4014 when it was in motion. That's one big chunk of iron to have blowing by you ~20ft away!
(Williams Loop, Feather River Canyon, California.)
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@elaterite Thanks for the awesome shots!
❓from that distance, did you feel the warmth of the engine as it went by?
They're fun but the UP's 4-8-8-4s were an anachronism the day they went in service. An A-B-B-A set of EMD FTs had it beat on every count.
Don't get me wrong - when I lived in Chicagoland and UP brought 3985 (4-6-6-4 Challenger) to town, I was trackside. Likewise when MILW 261 ran on the BNSF … twice, I was there. Oh, and I've ridden behind steam at Strasburg, Durango, and Bellows Falls.
But they are still inefficient, high-maintenance, labor-intensive anachronisms. :-)
Edaville! I knew I'd been behind steam somewhere else. I think Edaville is gone though? With all the equipment move (back) to Maine?
“Quick, Robin! To the rabbit hole!”
@elaterite I've a question, it's okay if you don't know the answer, it's just directed at you because your super photos have made me curious ;)
Are these trains used as everyday freight trains, or are they for photo opportunities and tourism?
@elaterite That is a fantastic shot, Bob. Well done!
I've seen a few large steam locomotives in action here in the Pacific Northwest (including 3985 before it was retired), but I haven't had a chance to see 4014 yet. It was supposed to here a few years ago, but the tour was canceled due to the pandemic.
I love this photo.
@elaterite That's over 200,000lb. of water!
Going up those mountains consumes a lot. I think that's why you find the man-made lakes like the SP Lakes in the Sierra Nevada, named after/by Southern Pacific.
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