Before getting into our latest adventure, let’s note an anniversary: This year marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. On May 10, 1869, a ceremonial gold spike was driven at Promontory Point, Utah, connecting the eastern tracks (laid by the Union Pacific) and the western tracks (laid by the Central Pacific). The Central Pacific RR is long gone, but the Union Pacific is still with us. And so the executives at UP thought about how they might celebrate (read: leverage) this anniversary to promote their “brand.” Now, hold that thought for a moment, while we jump to a different historic event.
In November 1941, just before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the world’s largest (well, at least the world’s heaviest) steam locomotive rolled off the assembly line. It was designed for UP, and soon was placed in service pulling freight trains over the Wasatch Range in Utah. The UP called it the “Big Boy,” as it was larger than, and had twice the number of driving wheels as, most other freight engines. Here’s a picture of the Big Boy from the old days:
Some 25 of these engines were built, but the one pictured above is the one we’re interested in. It was assigned number 4014 on UP’s roster. It was in regular service from 1941 until 1959, and was officially retired from service in 1961 (the year I was born). Steam had become a thing of the past, replaced with more efficient, more reliable, and substantially less romantic diesel power. The 4041, having run over a million miles, ended up being donated to a museum in Pomona.
There it sat until 2013, when the UP re-acquired the engine from the museum, and had it “towed” to UP’s shops in Cheyenne, where it underwent a full restoration. The idea was to have the engine up and running in time for the sesquicentennial celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad. And so it was that on May 1 of this year, just a few days before the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike ceremony, the 4014 was fired up and moved under its own power, for the first time in 6 decades.
In subsequent months, the 4014 has been pulling excursion trains around the country. And this morning, it came down the Cajon Pass, into the Los Angeles basin. And I was there. As you might recall from earlier blogs, I’ve always had a fascination with trains, and the Big Boy has been an especial favorite of mine. Here was my chance to see it not only “in the flesh” (apologies to Mr. SpookyBones), but barreling along with a full head of steam.
Just before heading over the pass, the 4014 stopped for a few minutes at Victorville station. I joined a crowd of hundreds of overweight, balding, retired men with nothing better to do (and yes, I blended in perfectly) and watched as the engine was oiled and checked over before ascending the grade. (Steam locomotives require a lot of babying as they make these long journeys.) Here are a few of my pictures:
And if you have an extra minute, you really have to see how glorious it is under power:
I’m having a hard time finding the words to explain why I am so taken with this locomotive. It’s temperamental, a pain to maintain, damaging to the environment, expensive to run, inefficient, non-aerodynamic, and dirty. And yet, it has personality and a very long history. What it lacks in advanced technology it makes up for in determination. It’s powerful not because of fancy equipment, but simply because it’s huge. And I do have to hand it to UP, putting years of effort and much money into getting this behemoth back on the road. The crowds at Victorville and at all the other stops along the way, not to mention the small groups of photographers, parents with kids, and curious passersby scattered along the mainline as the 4014 thundered by, speak to the deep connection we (or at least some of us) feel with the brute force, can-do attitude of the World War II period, exemplified by this locomotive.
Oh, and in case you were wondering where is Mr. SpookyBones in all this, here’s your answer:
Chasing Phantoms 