Living here in Florida, I know there is zero chance of me seeing the 4014 rolling through Pensacola. I have family in Little Rock, Arkansas and Union Pacific has a major repair facility there among other things. Is there any hope that the 4014 would eventually make it to Little Rock? A couple of years ago I saw the 844 in Memphis. Memphis would be even better for me, not as far to drive.
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I'm hoping that the 4014 can visit sister 4012 in Scranton, PA!
Little Rock maybe, Memphis more likely. Personally, I'm hoping for St Paul. Hopefully they will have a schedule soon.
It will depend on UP policy. Plus, it depends if the track geometry can jamdle BB and/or tender.
Now, getting a 2-6-6-6 fired up, and getting a "fly off" would be Interesting.....
Where the UP roams, there’s a chance the tour could go as long as the big boy can fit. Remember there was a big boy in Vermont when steamtown was located there. Ive been told when they located the engine to Scranton the issue wasn’t the engine but the tender when moving her into the park.
Chicago?
Remember when the 844's tender had one wheel come off the track a few years back, possibly around Pomona?
While the weight of the 844, 3985, and 4014 is an issue, I think the tender winds up being the bigger headache......IIRC.
PAUL ROMANO posted:I'm hoping that the 4014 can visit sister 4012 in Scranton, PA!
Would NS allow such a big loco on their line, though? The tender is a pretty big issue, but I’m sure it is equivalent to an SD80MAC or SD70ACU’s wheelbase, right? Also, wouldn’t the loco have to go over Amtrak lines to get up to scranton if it went through Harrisburg? The questions could go on and on. I’m not saying it will never come easy, but it is highly unlikely. Maybe they will do a tour and pose it with the 7 other big boys!
We had the Challenger in Sioux City, IA several years ago. It spent several days parked in the UP yard. Quite a sight when it left town headed to Omaha about 90 miles south. We also had Milwaukee 261 years ago. It spent overnight at the BN yard.
Dick
Berkshire President posted:Remember when the 844's tender had one wheel come off the track a few years back, possibly around Pomona?
While the weight of the 844, 3985, and 4014 is an issue, I think the tender winds up being the bigger headache......IIRC.
According to HW and other's in the know, the issue is the drive wheel base, 8 versus 6 axles, not the centipede tender.. From what these people say, the 3985 was able to go places that 844 was not, and by default also 4014.
I don't hold hopes of seeing either 844 or 4014 in Texas, as they haven't had UP steam down here in a long time, 2012 was the last. I was fortunate in that I got to see 3985 up close and alone back in 2004 during the Super Bowl. It was on a siding and Steve Lee was actually walking around it and I got to talk to him for a while. Super nice guy, let me get pictures, and offered to take me into the cab. Unfortunately I had to get to a meeting and they were leaving before I would be done.
A BB had nothing on a2-6-6-6 concerning weight.
NS6770Fan posted:PAUL ROMANO posted:I'm hoping that the 4014 can visit sister 4012 in Scranton, PA!
Would NS allow such a big loco on their line, though? The tender is a pretty big issue, but I’m sure it is equivalent to an SD80MAC or SD70ACU’s wheelbase, right? Also, wouldn’t the loco have to go over Amtrak lines to get up to scranton if it went through Harrisburg? The questions could go on and on. I’m not saying it will never come easy, but it is highly unlikely. Maybe they will do a tour and pose it with the 7 other big boys!
IF, it wouldn’t be under steam.
I'm hoping to see the Big Boy in Arizona one day. If the 844 could make the "0-27" curve through Tempe, perhaps the 4014 could as well? The 844 came a few months early for our state Centennial celebration in late 2011. Amazing to watch it run at speed out in the rural part of the county. At my spritely age of a mere 50 I've been around a lot of live steam but never anything that went much more than 25mph. To see the 844 run at 50-60 mph was something I never thought I'd witness.
Has the 4014 been restored to the level that it can run close to it's original speeds? Wasn't that about 80mph?
Hello guys and gals
So what's happening to the Challenger # 3985 as of this time ?
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence.
NKJV Psalm 91:3
Tiffany
Well at least there is hope for a Memphis visit. Hopefully UP will post a list soon of places they will visit.
GG1 4877 posted:I'm hoping to see the Big Boy in Arizona one day. If the 844 could make the "0-27" curve through Tempe, perhaps the 4014 could as well? The 844 came a few months early for our state Centennial celebration in late 2011. Amazing to watch it run at speed out in the rural part of the county. At my spritely age of a mere 50 I've been around a lot of live steam but never anything that went much more than 25mph. To see the 844 run at 50-60 mph was something I never thought I'd witness.
Has the 4014 been restored to the level that it can run close to it's original speeds? Wasn't that about 80mph?
Big Boy was never operated at 80 MPH. Her reciprocating and revolving machinery was over-engineered for 80 MPH to provide a safety factor to prevent failures in the normal operating range. Freight train speeds during the period when Big Boy ruled the roost topped out at 50 MPH. That's plenty fast enough to move manifest trains and reefer blocks. Much of Big Boy's time was spent slogging it out at 12 - 15 MPH, ascending mountain grades. The fast running was mainly on the downgrades and only where conditions allowed. One of the places they really rolled was descending the west slope of Sherman Hill from Tie Siding to Laramie.
Tiffany posted:Hello guys and gals
So what's happening to the Challenger # 3985 as of this time ? ...
Hi Tiffany
Nothing from UP, and nothing that I actually heard, but … an unbiased poster in Ogden stated that UP Senior VP Moore thought that 3985 would no longer be part of their running steam stable. Explaining that they've had two great steam engines in the past, and will do the same now with 4014 and 844.
The people at the top wanted a "Big Boy." That's what they got. Time rolls on.
There's always hope.
There's more hope that 4014 will run to the extreme southeast section of the UPRR Ranch than there is that UPRR will return the 3985 to operation anytime in the visible future.
Typically, railroad enthusiasts hope that someone else will pay for a desired preservation/restoration project. I did not have a great deal of enthusiasm to head off into the Transcontinental Railroad Anniversary and the grand first trip of a Big Boy since I was in 7th grade, but I'll get up to see it run somewhere in the next couple of years. It's there, now.
Never say, "Never." But hope. Always hope.
EBT Jim posted:Tiffany posted:Hello guys and gals
So what's happening to the Challenger # 3985 as of this time ? ...
Hi Tiffany
Nothing from UP, and nothing that I actually heard, but … an unbiased poster in Ogden stated that UP Senior VP Moore thought that 3985 would no longer be part of their running steam stable. Explaining that they've had two great steam engines in the past, and will do the same now with 4014 and 844.
The people at the top wanted a "Big Boy." That's what they got. Time rolls on.
The danger with something coming from the top is in the future, the top could say, "Only one steamer," or worse, "None!" Same could happen with business car fleet.
Harry's Trains posted:Chicago?
I certainly hope so.
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