The UP4023 Big Boy will be on the move this Friday morning going to it’s NEW Home some where in South Omaha. From what I understand it will cross the UP&BNSF Main’s going across on the East side of the Amtrak Depot and going up to 10th Street. The Tender & the Main Locomotive are being Transported seperate. The Locomotive is currently located just north of the Amtrak Station. And if you do get a chance to see this move,well best wishes to you, So…
If anyone has any other info on the Move of UP4023,Please feel free to step in.
Thanks,BNSFrailfan.
I nearly broke a paw nail to open this. May have to try to make Omaha this weekend. Wonder if you can even get any where close to the action? 99% of Omaha will be there.
Friday and Sat both I would imagine! Maybe even Sunday? Will check the Omaha paper and see if any blurbs!
I sure would be interested in seeing the pictures, too.
I can’t imagine what kind of truck would pull something like this, or what kind of trailer would hold it.
I am no authority, but have seen videos of engines being moved. I am going to guess that the Big Boy has no innards any more, or at least not everything it would need to fire it up. Probably not much more than a shell.
They will probably use some kind of truck power to either push or pull it. I wouldn’t think you would use another engine, since I wouldn’t think you would have the control you would with truck power. I watched them move a very small switch engine from Lincoln to Iowa for refurbishing on a flatbed truck and they had all kinds of trouble just getting it there. Took many days!
And on the videos, they use platforms and wood blocks to get the engine from point A to point B, very slowly! I don’t think this isn’t going to be a load it up and run it down the street type of move.
maybey the will pull it with a bulldozer of some sort i know a D10 or D11 CAT would have the power to pull it. But, the tracks would probably tear up the blacktop.
The Big Boy has had lead and trailing trucks removed and is loaded on a a structural steel frame that has dozens of dualie wheels under it. Its not even moving on the tracks. They spent Wednesday building a ramp across the UP and BNSF mains to drive it across the tracks to a parking lot next to the Amtrak station. From there it will be moved to a display location at the botanical gardens which is right at the west end, north side of the I-80 bridge across the Missouri.
…That’s a bunch of weight to move…Engine and tender loaded would be over 500 tons…So the engine alone minus some wheel trucks might weigh…300 tons or so. still very heavy for city streets but weight being dispersed by the dozens of supporting wheels it should be ok…They move large buildings that weigh that much and more…They can use several trucks to move it…just by adding as many as it takes to make it move.