I mentioned in the Field of dreams IOtD I knew some guys headed for the Utah Golden Spike anniversary celebration and Big Boy back on the rails.
Union Pacific 4014, is a four-cylinder articulated 4-8-8-4 Big Boy-class steam locomotive Built in 1941 by American Locomotive Company, it’s the only operating Big Boy of the eight that remain in existence.
UP 4014 was retired in 1959 and donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 for display at Fairplex in Pomona, CA. In 2013, UP re-acquired Big Boy and for 6 years spent a shit-ton of money doing what the car guys call a frame off restoration and converting from coal to oil, at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, WY. On May 1, 2019, UP 4014 ran under its own power for the first time in almost 60 years. It’s the biggest operational steam locomotive in the world, and will be used for excursion service.
Union Pacific 844 is a 4-8-4 "Northern" type steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company in December 1944 for the Union Pacific Railroad. Constructed as a FEF-3 class of 4-8-4's, it was the last steam locomotive delivered to Union Pacific.
Originally built for high-speed passenger work, the FEF-3 class was pressed into dual-service work. Union Pacific ended commercial steam operations in the late 1950s, but No. 844 was retained by the railroad for special activities.
UP 844 and UP 4014 ran together the almost 500 miles from Cheyenne to Ogden, UT, for 150th anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory point.
They mostly ran during the day for safety because about a zillion people lined both side of the track to see Big Boy and at the same time other trains are using the same line.
I knew a couple of the guys were heading out to see Big Boy and the celebration, but I was surprised 28 showed up from the US and Canada. The Chevy dealer let them park in his lot and take a bus out to Promontory point.
The head honcho from Union Pacific, Utah's Governor, and some other politicians gave speeches. A couple descendants of the original participants were acknowledged and it was done for another 50 years.
There's a lot of railroad fans in the country, some being rabid.
The pictures ain't great but I think they convey how the people there saw things. I read an interesting article recently explaining the US has the cheapest and most efficient rail freight system in the world, which surprised me.