I have had so many "non-train" friends ask me about the Big Boy. People at church, people at the senior center asking me if I had heard about this giant steam engine that was coming to our area. They asked if I had heard about it? Was I going? what would be the best way for them to see it? It has been on the local news every day for 6 days with pictures. In the local newspapers with pictures on the front page.
We went to West Chicago and did not have enough time to find a parking place, walk a fair distance, and fight the crowds on Monday. But I had planned a trip to film it with train friends and my grandson on Tuesday as it left for Rochelle, IL. We went to Cortland, IL, which is a small town just east of Dekalb, IL. Got there at 8:00 AM, got a great spot close to the tracks and backed my pickup in. I setup my tripod in the bed of the truck and checked to be sure I could see over everyone nearby. A crowd gathered as the Big Boy was late arriving due to a late start from West Chicago. While we were waiting a mixed manifest freight went by on the track closest to us. We realized that if that happens when the BB goes by we wouldn't be able to see it. We were lucky and it didn't happen. We were getting reports on the BB's progress and began seeing small planes circling in the sky so we knew it was getting close. We estimated there were about 300 people watching at our spot in this small town and it was made up of seniors, families with young children and everybody in between. Two senior ladies came together, one on a golf cart and one on a riding lawnmower. Two different people beside us had taking time off work to watch the Big Boy. This was the most excitement in this town in a long time, very exciting event.
The Big Boy came through at I would estimate 40 MPH with it's whistle blaring, smoking and putting on a fabulous show. Wow! A sight no one will soon forget. The crowd cheered after it went by! No one was disappointed.
Then we raced out of town, back to the Interstate and tried to get to Rochelle to see it there. We got very lucky. Got through road construction on the south side of Rochelle, navigated through the local neighborhoods with cars parked everywhere beginning about 6 blocks from the railroad park. Parked in a spot that partially blocked a sidewalk that was one and half blocks from the park. A lady sitting in a lawn chair across the street told me I couldn't park there, but after a polite discussion we left to see the Big Boy just as it pulled up to the railroad park. Huge crowd at Rochelle! A sea of people waiting for the BB.
I will post pictures and videos, but a fabulous day of train watching.
Art
