It’s official.
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/heritage_and_steam/2013/0723_4014.shtml
Now they’ll have all 3 of their most famous steam locomotive classes operational.
Andre
I love it, I will model it. Great NEWS!! Thanks for posting.
Richard
Can you say triple header!! Great news, I look forward to this event.
Dave
YESSS!!
I visited the museum in Roanoke in the late 60’s and saw the N&W “A” before it was restored. It was all there, completely intact and, still, its restoration cost 3 times the “from scratch” build price in the 40’s. Bringing a big boy back to steam from the museum will cost a gang o’ loot!
Good luck to the UP on restoration efforts.
Richard
The restoration will cost a bunch. So will the cost of operating it!
Good on UP!
Dave
U P did not want anything to do with an operating “Big Boy” when a group from Hollywood wanted to make a movie about one…now they want to do one …on their own?
I`ll believe it when I see it.
UP rocks.
Can’t wait to see it in action. I’d travel a long way uphill both ways in the snow to see it up close and working.
Derek
Check out this sight for pictures of the Big Boys left. It even shows pics of the damage to them. It also talks about the 4014, Saying of all the BB still around thats the one in the best shape.
MIKE
Surely good news for steam preservation, but I don’t suspect I will be making any special trips to see it if/when it does happen.
Sheldon
I have to chuckle as conditions many steamers are in .If 4014 is really been so well taken care of Kudos to the folks in Pomona though being in southern calif. it should really look much better than it does I realize the boiler jacket was removed to protect it from rain and moisture which is good but on seeing this Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Yellowstone sitting out of doors in Northern Minnesota in all weather begs the question…,How they do that!!
I just climbed around on the Big Boy in Pomona with my boys a couple years ago. Amazing to think it will be back on the rails!!!
Frankly, I’d much rather see the Yellowstone restored than the Big Boy, anyway.
Tom
I’m w/ you on that one, Tom. Sure wish at least one B&O EM-1 was saved
Being in California the jacket was probably removed to get rid of the asbestos underneath it, where the rest of us in flyover country understand that this would not need to be done since it is cloaked, and would be undisturbed.
Unless the jacket undergoes continuous maintenance, it will rust through and water will accumulate underneath it as well as leaving holes for asbestos leakage. Accumulated water underneath the jacket will rust out the boiler shell over time.
Dry as it is in Southern California (I grew up in the state and lived in the Pomona area for a few years), it still rains. You can still get dry rot in SoCal if your house isn’t watertight.
In any case, I seem to remember a CB&Q S-4 in the Quad Cities area sans jacket (this might even be it http://www.steamlocomotive.com/hudson/cbq3006.jpg I was on AMTRAK when I saw it). As a matter of fact, I believe you’ll find most display locomotives sans jacket regardless of state where displayed.
ATSF 1015: http://www.steamlocomotive.com/prairie/atsf1015-wessel.jpg (Emporia, KS)
ATSF 1108 (Ardmore, OK): http://www.steamlocomotive.com/prairie/atsf1108-wessel1.jpg
ATSF 1073 (Lawrence, KS): http://www.steamlocomotive.com/prairie/atsf1073-2.jpg
ASF 3416 (Great Bend, KS) http://www.steamlocomotive.com/pacific/atsf3416-wessel.jpg
Pennsy 6755 (Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Strasburg, PA):
Finally! Awesome news!
Flyover country.
Reminds me of a recent song by Jason Aldean called “Flyover States” that is worth a listen if you have never heard it or listened closely to the lyrics.
Bascially a song about how coast-to-coast flight has replaced the beauty and majesty of cross country railroad travel and travel by car.
Rich