Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014 Steam Engine in East Texas

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The Union Pacific (UP) railroad has played an important part in the history and development of Texas over the years. In previous years, companies like the Texas & Pacific Railway and the Cotton Belt Route were dominant transportation giants in the area.

Today, interest in railroads remains high with residents, railfans and tourists, as witnessed in August of 2021 with the tour of the Union Pacific 4014 "Big Boy" train through Texas and other states.

And now, in 2024, 4014 "Big Boy" has returned to Texas, and can be seen in places like Big Sandy, Dallas, Hearne, Fort Worth, Bryan, West, and Houston. Read more about the 2024 schedule on the Union Pacific Steam Tour website.

About Union Pacific Big Boys

Twenty-five Big Boy steam locomotives were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds, and generated 7,000 horsepower. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves.

The giant engines had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight driving wheels, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive.

In the 1940s freight trains on the UP segment from Ogden, Utah to Green River, Wyoming typically required the usage of "helper engines" in addition to the prime engine to pull heavy loads over the steep mountain ranges. The Big Boys were designed to pull heavy trains up the 1.14% grade from Ogden to Wahsatch, Utah without a helper engine. The engines could move a 3,600 ton train east from Ogden to Green River at a sustained 18 miles per hour, without a helper. The Big Boys became a workhorse during World War II, carrying military vehicles, personnel and supplies from the mid-West to California. The engines were also used to carry freight all the way across Wyoming to Cheyenne.

The engines were originally going to be called the "Wasatch" series, after the Wasatch Mountains just east of Salt Lake City and Ogden. But a worker at the locomotive works, amazed at its size, wrote "Big Boy" in chalk on the front of one ... the name stuck! The Big Boy wording on the front of the engine also has a stylized "V", as in Victory in World War II.

History of Big Boy #4014

Big Boy No. 4014 was built by ALCO in Schenectady, New York, in November 1941 and delivered to the Union Pacific in December. The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service, and loaned to a museum in California.

Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013, and moved it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's completion.

Complete List of the Eight Surviving Big Boy Engines

Only eight of the "Series 4000" engines survive today, and only one, 4014, is operational. Union Pacific also operates Northern No. 844, with its 4-8-4 configuration, the last steam engine built for the railroad.

• 4004 - Holliday Park, Cheyenne, Wyoming
• 4005 - Forney Transportation Museum, Denver, Colorado
• 4006 - Museum of Transportation, St. Louis, Missouri
• 4012 - Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton, Pennsylvania
• 4014 - Union Pacific Steam Shop, Cheyenne, Wyoming
• 4017 - National Railroad Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 4018 - Museum of the American Railroad, Frisco, Texas
• 4023 - Kenefick Park, Omaha, Nebraska

About the Union Pacific Steam Program

The Union Pacific Steam Locomotive Shops are located in Cheyenne, Wyoming, housing Big Boy #4014 and Northern #844 along with other locomotives and rail cars. The Shops are located at 200 West Union Pacific Avenue in Cheyenne, in a 100-year old building.

Union Pacific Steam Shops in Cheyenne, WY

The steam team responsible for restoration and maintenance is headed by Ed Dickens, Senior Manager for Union Pacific Heritage Operations, a position he has held since 2010.

The Union Pacific Heritage Fleet

No other railroad in the United States has retained its historical equipment and honored its past as much as the Union Pacific (UP). The preservation of its fleet speaks to the high value UP places on its heritage and its role in America's history. The majority of the Armour Yellow passenger cars are over a half-century old, built during the height of passenger train travel. Each car is unique and chronicles a different chapter of Union Pacific's past.

Most of the heritage fleet is stabled at the UP yard in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in a covered building (see photo below). Three other historical cars are stabled at the UP Steam Shops in Cheyenne, including the Art Lockman, Howard Fogg and Lynn Nystrom as well as the water tenders Jim Adams and Joe Jordan.

Part of the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet on an excursion tour

Aerial view of the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet storage building in Council Bluffs, Iowa

 

Big Boy Heartland of America Tour in 2024

Big Boy No. 4014 departed on the "Heartland of America Tour" on Wednesday, August 28, 2024, from its home in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It stopped in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and added several Union Pacific "Passenger Heritage Fleet" cars to the consist. In all, the tour traveled across ten states: Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. The eight-week tour would conclude in late October of 2024. The tour features overnight stops and "whistle stops" of 30-45 minutes.

Big Boy in West, Texas on the Heartland of America Tour in 2024 As part of the Heartland of America tour, Big boy #4014 rolled into the city of West, Texas, on October 9, 2024. The welcoming crowd was huge! We were excited to be there, and the 2.5 hour drive to see it was well worth the trip! We viewed it downtown as it pulled in near the depot, and later watched it leaving norhtbound near the West City Park north of the city. Video of UP 4014 "Big Boy" pulling an excursion train into the City of West, Texas, on October 9, 2024 Watch the "Big Boy" video on YouTube   Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 arrives in the City of West, Texas, on October 9, 2024 (Staff Photos) Close-up of the intricate railroad technology of the 1940s ... still a complex design today that requires considerable knowledge and experience to operate Big Boy No. 4014 arriving in the City of West, Texas, with Ed Dickens at the controls Big Boy No. 4014 Name Plate - U.P. 4-8-8-4-1-68 24 24 / 32 540DB (see photo below) The engine has (4) leading "pilot" wheels which guide the engine, eight (8) drivers, another set of eight (8) drivers, and four (4) wheels following which support the rear of the locomotive. The engine driving wheels are 68" in diameter. Thus, the name plate below the window on the cab has this meaning: "4-8-8-4-1" means a 4-8-8-4 wheel configuration; engine was from the first (1) order of 20 engines. The "68" specifies the diameter of the drive wheels, i.e. 68 inches. The "24 - 24 / 32" indicates that there are two sets of cylinders, both with "24" inch diameter pistons, with a "32" inch stroke. The "540" indicates the weight on the drive wheels in thousands of pounds, i.e. 540,000 pounds weight on drivers. DB - Initials of the last name of Ed Dickens and Austin Barker, the designers and builders of the oil-burning apparatus on #4014. 4014 proudly flying the American flag! Built as ALCO 69585, November, 1941 The oil and water car behind #4014 UPP 814 "Joe Jordan" water car UPP 809 "Jim Adams" water car Union Pacific Engine 9625 helper ... GE C44ACM ... provides Positive Train Control (PTC), dynamic braking, and additional motive force to the train as necessary. The main body area is painted in UP Armour Yellow, with roof, trucks and fuel tanks in Harbor Mist Gray. The red strip above is painted in Signal Red, as are the "Union Pacific" name and engine number, outlined in black. The large U.S. Flag, placed mid-engine and introduced in 2002, has been replaced with a smaller flag on the front side of the cab. Union Pacific "Heritage Fleet" Rail cars being pulled by UP #4014 in the City of West, Texas, including ... UPP 6334 Art Lockman Restored Railway Express Agency (REA) car - now used as a tool/parts car Built in 1962 by the St. Louis Car Company as a baggage car. Today, the Art Lockman is a rolling “machine shop”. It carries tools, parts, machines, lubricants and numerous other items to maintain and repair the steam locomotives while on trips. The car also has a crew lounge area, locker room and laundry area. It is stabled at Cheyenne, Wyoming. Art Lockman was the UP steam shop foreman in Cheyenne and the last full time steam employee hired by the Union Pacific. Mr. Lockman retired as roundhouse foreman in Cheyenne after working 43 years for Union Pacific. UPP 209 Howard Fogg Power generator/dormitory car Built in 1949 by American Car & Foundry as a baggage/dormitory car. Today, it is equipped with three sleeping rooms, washer/dryer, crew break area, lockers, coffee maker, microwave, etc. It is stabled at Cheyenne, Wyoming. Named in memory of the renowned artist Howard Fogg who painted hundreds of paintings of Union Pacific subjects. UPP 5714 Lynn Nystrom Baggage car Built in 1957 by American Car & Foundry as a postal storage car, and now used as a baggage/supply car. It is stabled at Cheyenne, Wyoming. Named in memory of Lynn Nystrom, a long-term UP employee and highly respected member of the UP Steam Team until his death in May of 2010. UPP 202 Willie James Crew car/Crew sleeper Built in 1950 by Budd as a 10-roomette, six-bedroom sleeper named the Pacific Domain. Today, is configured as a Mechanical Staff Car with a sitting room/dining room. It has one round-top, with seating for six, a kitchen, four bedrooms with private bathrooms and a public restroom at the vestibule end of the car. The rail car is constructed of stainless steel and is one of two such cars remaining in Union Pacific's Heritage fleet. The support staff for special train operations uses the Willie James as a command post, and the rail car is typically found toward the front of a special passenger train consist. A dining room/lounge area and a large kitchen provide meal service to all special train personnel, sometimes as many as 40 people for a meal. Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. The car is named after long-time business car chef Willie James. He started his railroad career as a business car chef in 1984 with Union Pacific in Spring, Texas. James has worked on all of Union Pacific's Heritage Passenger Fleet dining cars over the years. UPP 2055   Power generator car In 1962, St. Louis Car Company built car No. 5780 for commissary and postal storage. In the late 1970s, it was renumbered 904823 and moved to Maintenance of Way service. The car was retired from service and sold to Ringling Brothers Circus, which rebuilt the unit into a power car. In 2017, Union Pacific reacquired the power car from Ringling Brothers, repainted and renumbered the car to its current designation as No. 2055. Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. UPP 5817 Pony Express RPO/baggage car Built in 1960. Used today as a steam support car. UPP 200 Omaha Deluxe sleeper car An 8-bedroom sleeper, each with a private restroom. The rooms share adjoining showers. Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Named after the headquarters city of the Union Pacific. UPP 5752 Promontory Museum car - Experience The Union Pacific Built in 1962 to transport mail by the U.S. Postal Service. It is named to commemorate Promontory, Utah, the site of the driving of the golden spike in May of 1869 signaling the completion of the transcontinental railroad. UPP 9005 Walter Dean Dome lounge car Built in 1955 by American Car & Foundry. Walter Dean is a Dome Lounge with a small room containing a card table and four chairs on the short end of the car, followed by a bar with seating for eight in the belly. The long end has seating for 18 and there is seating for 12 in the dome. Total car seating is 42. Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Named for Walter Dean, who began his service with Union Pacific in 1942 as a dining car waiter on the Challenger. UPP 5011 City of Denver 36-seat dining car Built in 1959 by the St. Louis Car Company as a lunch counter cafe and lounge. Today, it features six round-top tables, each with seating for six, for a total of 36 guests. Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. UPP 101 Lincoln Business car Built in 1950 by Pullman Standard. Lincoln is a platform car with the average Business Car arrangement: a kitchen, a crew room that sleeps two, a dining room that will seat eight, an exercise room with a restroom and an observation room that seats six to eight. It also has two bedrooms that share a bathroom. (Sleeps two guests and two crew). Stabled at Council Bluffs, Iowa. Named in honor of President Abraham Lincoln, who on July 1, 1862, signed into law the Pacific Railway Act creating the Union Pacific. Learn more about the Heritage Fleet at the website of the Union Pacific Railroad Experience the Union Pacific: Learn about railroading of the past, present and future Located on the rear of the train: The Big Boy Tour on the Union Pacific Leaving the City of West, Texas Big Boy #4014 leaving the City of West, Texas, northbound, headed for Fort Worth, October 9, 2024 Big Boy #4014 and water car UPP 814 "Joe Jordan" headed for Fort Worth Big Boy #4014 consist of Heritage Fleet cars, with UPP 101 business car "Lincoln" on the rear The Lincoln was built in 1950 by Pullman Standard as coach No. 5447. In 2020, the business car received a fresh interior and renamed Lincoln, in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. On July 1, 1862, President Lincoln signed into law the Pacific Railway Act creating the Union Pacific.

Big Boy in Big Sandy, Texas in 2024 On September 17, 2024, the city hosted a whistle stop for Union Pacific's UP 4014 "Big Boy" steam excursion as part of its "Heartland of America Tour". The event was attended by thousands from all over Texas and neighboring states, and streamed to more on the Internet via the VirtualRailFan webcam in Big Sandy. We were in Big Sandy for the big event! The settlement was first known as Big Sandy Switch because the Texas and Pacific (T&P) Railway intersected there with a narrow-gauge railroad called the Tyler Tap. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway (The Cotton Belt Route) ran along a basic north-south orientation, from Mount Pleasant to Tyler, while the T&P ran east-west through Big Sandy from Dallas to Shreveport. Today, up to 32 trains from the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad pass through Big Sandy daily. It lies at the intersection of the Corsicana Subdivision, Mineola Subdivision and the Pine Bluff Subdivision. Two Amtrak Texas Eagle passenger trains pass through the city daily, the westbound train #21 in the morning and the eastbound train #22 in late afternoon. The closest stops for Amtrak are Mineola and Longview. Big Sandy is also a crew change point for the Union Pacific. Because of the frequent and varied railroad traffic, Big Sandy has become a popular location for railfans. Railroad activity is even streamed on the Internet via the VirtualRailFan webcam in Big Sandy. Big Boy No. 4014 arrives in Big Sandy Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 in Texas on the Heartland of America Tour The "helper" engine ... Union Pacific 4015, an EMD SD70M diesel for backup power and dynamic braking. It is painted in a UP heritage livery with an anti-skid/anti-glare green nose and silver trucks, paying homage to the paint scheme on earlier UP E9s 949, 951, and 963B. "Under Warranty".

Union Pacific 4014 "Big Boy" Visits East Texas in 2021

The UP excursion train pulled by 4014 left Cheyenne, Wyoming on August 5, 2021. It traveled south through Fort Worth, Waxahachie, Hearne and down to Houston. After a visit to New Orleans, it headed north to Shreveport, east to Marshall and north again up to Jefferson on August 25. After stops in Texarkana, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver, the route took it back to the steam shop at its home in Cheyenne on September 7, 2021. Read more about Union Pacific heritage

We had the thrill of watching it and hearing the sounds of the engine and its whistle three different times on the segment from Marshall up to Jefferson!

When we saw the train, the engine was pulling 12 cars, some of which are shown below. The last three cars on the consist were removed in Kansas City, for movement to their home base in Council Bluffs, Iowa: UPP 9005, Walter Dean, dome lounge; UPP 5011, City of Denver, diner lounge; and UPP 119, Kenefick, business car.

Also included in the consist was UP 4015, an EMD SD70M, for backup power and dynamic braking.

Union Pacific 4014 "Big Boy" engine pulling the steam excursion train into Jefferson, Texas, on August 25, 2021 (Staff Photos)

Ed Dickens, chief of 4014's restoration project, and engineer on this excursion, at the controls as it moved into Jefferson

Water car UPP 809 ... "Jim Adams"

The "helper" engine ... UP 4015 EMD SD70M

The "Promontory" car ... carrying the "Experience the Union Pacific", a multi-media walk-through exhibition that provides a glimpse at the past while telling the story of modern-day railroading.

The "Walter Dean" dome lounge car The car is named for Walter Dean, who began his service with Union Pacific in 1942 as a dining car waiter on the Challenger. At that time, the dining car crew slept in the dining cars and kept mattresses in a hole under the floor

The business car ... "Kenefick" John Cooper Kenefick was born in Buffalo, New York, in 1921. After graduating from Princeton and completing a stint in the navy, he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he began working for Union Pacific. in 1971, he became the railroad’s president.

Union Pacific power car UPP 2066, originally built as postal storage car number 5816. Power cars have living quarters for an electrician who monitors the system, and additional refrigerators and freezers for commissary services.

Big Boy #4018 at the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, Texas UP "Big Boy" #4018 at the Museum of the American Railroad Founded in 1962 and located in Frisco, the Museum of the American Railroad is a not-for-profit Texas corporation dedicated to celebrating the heritage and exploring the future of railroads through historic preservation, research, and educational programming. The museum collects artifacts and archival material from the railroad industry to exhibit and interpret their significance in American life and culture. Among the Museum's holding is Union Pacific Big Boy #4018. In its most ambitious project to date, the Museum closed its location in Dallas’ Fair Park to relocate its collections and operations 30 miles north to 8004 North Dallas Parkway in Frisco, Texas. Phone the Museum at 214.428.0101 or visit their website at ... Museum of the American Railroad

Upper East Texas Railroad Map (courtesy of TxDOT)

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