I know more than a few of us like trains...enjoy this.

[charlie8575]

For those of you who haven't heard, one Big Boy will be back in operation sometime in the next few years.

http://news.yahoo.com/huge-big-boy-steam-locomotive-coming-back-life-073258235.html?bcmt=1397590024456-f2db2988-5ce8-4531-9e4f-66897e543f69

The news clip at the very end is a nice reporting job.

Charlie Larkin

[Pete J.]

I grew up in Nebraska on the western boarder and remember the steam engines going through town. I remember the big boys going out of Cheyenne when I visited my uncle at the yard. He was a Yard master for years. It is great to see that they are restoring one. The Challenger is great to see run also.

What I don't get is why they had to take the one from LA. They have one sitting in Holiday park in Cheyenne and it is only a couple of miles. Seems kind of a long way to go. Perhaps this one is in better shape. Last time I saw the one in Cheyenne it was looking pretty decrepit .

[charlie8575]

I grew up in Nebraska on the western boarder and remember the steam engines going through town. I remember the big boys going out of Cheyenne when I visited my uncle at the yard. He was a Yard master for years. It is great to see that they are restoring one. The Challenger is great to see run also.

What I don't get is why they had to take the one from LA. They have one sitting in Holiday park in Cheyenne and it is only a couple of miles. Seems kind of a long way to go. Perhaps this one is in better shape. Last time I saw the one in Cheyenne it was looking pretty decrepit .

That's what they suggested, Pete. Apparently, the climate had been much nicer to the mechanicals on 4014.

It would be nice for the Cheyenne display engine to at least get a cosmetic freshening.

Charlie Larkin

[GeeBee]

Must be a sight to see one in action, back in the 90's when I was staying in Iowa, I travelled to Omaha, Nebraska to see the Big Boy the had sitting next to a DD, very impressive machine ....

[Old Buckaroo]

Way back in 1991 my Wife and I was living in Battle Mtn. Nevada. The "Big Boy" was going to come through on its way to California. We both took the day off from work drove out to a secluded spot in the high dessert along the tracks and waited. Let me tell you - you could see the smoke for miles and hear it coming. When it rumbled by it was one of the most exciting things we have witnessed. It was pulling a huge freight train, shot up several rolls of film.

Edit - my mistake it was not a Big Boy my wife and I saw. I dug out the photos and it was UP Locomotive 844 , a 4-8-4 locomotive pulling passenger cars. Regardless it was a sight to witness traveling the rails.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Old Buckaroo

[1930fordpickup]

They are having a steam train run this year from Detroit to Fort Wayne IN. In fact tickets go on sale today. They are going to have a four hour layover in Fort Wayne.

They are have the run on July 12 and the 13 of July. Years ago I got to ride on a steam train with my Dad. It was cool.

It is not a Big Boy but still steam. 765 Nickel Plate Built in Lima Ohio.

[kitbash1]

This would be really cool to see this monster up and running again. My late father was big into Steam Trains, and would take me and brother on Steam excursions

back in the 60's, when the CNR ( Canadian National Railway) ran one of their steam trains to northern Ontario in the fall to see the fall colours.

Edited April 16, 2014 by kitbash1

[Ace-Garageguy]

For those of you who haven't heard, one Big Boy will be back in operation sometime in the next few years.

Charlie Larkin

Whoopee !!! Thanks Charlie. You made my day. I've been a fan of steam since I was very small, when there were still some large steam locomotives in revenue service. But I've never seen a real Big Boy, either static or under steam. Pretty cool indeed.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

I'm not a "train guy," but I do know the "big boy" locomotives. They are the "T-Rex" of steam locomotives. Great to see one of those monsters brought back to life.

Weren't there only a very few ever made? I'm thinking like 50 or less?

[Tom Geiger]

Hmmm, maybe I can get one of those Big Boys for my train set!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm not a "train guy," but I do know the "big boy" locomotives. They are the "T-Rex" of steam locomotives. Great to see one of those monsters brought back to life.

Weren't there only a very few ever made? I'm thinking like 50 or less?

Only 25 or so, if memory serves. Operational from 1941 until 1960 or '61. And they were BIG.

Edited April 17, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[charlie8575]

Hmmm, maybe I can get one of those Big Boys for my train set!

When I was living in the western part of Masschusetts in 2005-06, not far from me were two McGinnis scheme (royal blue with white and black herald) Boston & Maine cabooses for sale. I was seriously toying with buying one, putting it on a lot, and using it for my house until I could get a little more money up, then use the caboose for my trains.

Great minds run..."on the same track."

Charlie Larkin

[Dave Ambrose]

Thanks for the heads-up. I saw one of these close up in the rail museum in Scranton, PA. They are massive in a way that does not come across in the photographs. I think it's going to be awesome to see this running under its own power again.

[Harry P.]

They are a real piece of American RR history. Too cool!

[Helix]

Impressive, thanks for sharing Charlie, better show this to my dad who was in the Railways here 'Down-under' for 45 years, he started his career with Steam engines and finished with Diesel Electric!

[D. Battista]

Cool stuff Charlie..!

Thanks for sharing..!