This is a US made TV show which is currenlty airing in Britain on Channel 5 about people who have to move exceptionally large objects, including buildings. Last night’s show focused on two groups of people, one who were moving a station building which UP wanted to demolish to a different site in the Texas town where it was located, and the contractors UP employed to shift Centennial diesel loco #6900 and a Big Boy 4-8-8-4 to a new museum UP planned on top of a hill in Omaha, where UP’s HQ is.
What I thought was a bit daft was that the site where the two UP locos are now displayed is open to the elements; they’re no longer under cover so will surely deteriorate with time.
I believe that those two engines are in a great location, as they are visible to the general public just after they cross the Missouri River on Interstate 80. It is a nice way to celebrate Omaha’s history as a railroad town.
Since Omaha is the headquarters of the Union Pacific, I have no doubt that from time to time employees from the railroad will remove any sign of weathering that may occur.
Those two engines - the Big Boy and the Centennial, have been out in the open for many years. They were in Kenefick Park until that area was redesigned. I saw both of them up close and personal a few years ago and they were both well preserved. The Big Boy cab was open and really looked like a large room with very little in it. I think the preservationists in the area take good care of both of them.
I think those two engines are in a great place. I always enjoying seeing them whenever I go past them on the interstate. It wasn’t too long ago that I got a close look at them and they are well preserved. I think I remember a story in the news last fall about a whole bunch of people getting together to clean them and make sure they’re in good shape. I imagine that will happen again this spring.
go to www.steamlocomotive.com/bigboy/ and scroll down a ways. Find the one for Big Boy Kenefick Park. There are some good pictures and looks like there are some movies of the move.
The only complaint I have about them is that there is no good vantage point where one can stop and get pictures of them. I’ve snapped a picture or two out my front window while driving across the river on the freeway [:O], but that’s about the only way to get a shot.
…Aren’t those the engines that were moved roughly a year or so ago and we did see a bit of the move on various programs. I might be remembering the wrong equipment moves but seem to remember the Big Boy was “caught” on the rise of the road and tracks they were crossing and crushed one or so of the support boggies under the moving frame of the steam engine. Believe it was “caught” even over night until they figured out how to overcome the problem and resume the move…
That’s the one. I haven’t been to the new location, but understand it is up on kind of a bluff and not as easily accessible as the old ones were. Before you could just drive down a road, park and go touch. Now it involves a little more meandering - as I understand it.
Maybe Willy has been there and can explain it a little better. But believe me, those really were Big Boys!
You can see them up close. There is a little park up on top of a bluff and you can get right up next to them. Getting there does take some work. It’s been a couple of months, but if I remember correctly, you have to go through the entrance of the Botanical Gardens to get there. Getting to the Botanical Gardens involves driving through some residential neighborhoods, so reaching the park is rather complicated. Later today I’ll try to post a Mapquest or something of that nature.
The railroad museum in Dallas at Fair park lets you into the cab. You can ring the bell and everything. They have some good stuff there, including a Bigboy and a Challenger. They are really hard to photograph though. All the equipment is crammed into about 3 tracks.
Yes, they are in the same general area as the Zoo.
From the Zoo, go north on either 10th St or 13th St. Shortly after you cross Interstate 80, you will find a street named Bancroft. Turn right (east) on it. In about a mile, it will dead end in a Botanical Garden. Enter the Garden, the Big Boy is on the same grounds.
You cannot get into the cab but can stand on the steel plate that bridges between the loco and the tender. The bells on big boys challengers and northerns were all electric and I am pretty sure the only switch mounted outside of the cab lights the firebox so you can see how big it is. There is a chainlink fence restricting you from getting to either the fireman’s or engineer’s seat, this is to keep all the valves and knobs from dissapearing. You can howeve ring the bell on the Frisco 4-8-4 and get into its cab. The russian decapod is in resto mode at least for paint. 7 spot is still in pieces of sorts and its been in that state since the late 70’s when my grandpa was a member. I guess they are still trying to get it to running order. I read in the news about 6 months ago of a possibility of the museum moving to a larger location. Beleive it or not they have even more equipment stored elsewhere. I wish they would remove the cut rods on the big boy and just slip in some faux pipe so it doesnt look so ugly. If you look between the tender and loco you can see one of the draw bars is also cut.
