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Looks like it may be going east of Omaha in July and into California in October.  No details yet and subject to change.  https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm

2019 Union Pacific Museum Special

The Big Boy No. 4014 will pull a special fundraising excursion benefiting the Union Pacific Museum July 15, 2019. The train will travel from Omaha, Nebraska, through western Iowa to Boone, where guests will disembark the train and motor coach back to Omaha. Ticket information is available at  http://www.uptraintix.com

RailGiants Train Museum Excursion

Big Boy No. 4014 will return to Southern California to lead a special passenger excursion on October 12-13, 2019. Details are still being determined. More information will be available at http://www.railgiants.org/Big-Boy-Excursion-Info.php.

 

KansasMike posted:

2019 Union Pacific Museum Special

The Big Boy No. 4014 will pull a special fundraising excursion benefiting the Union Pacific Museum July 15, 2019. The train will travel from Omaha, Nebraska, through western Iowa to Boone, where guests will disembark the train and motor coach back to Omaha. Ticket information is available at  http://www.uptraintix.com

 

No need to check ticket information. $750 per seat, and already sold out. There are some train fans out there with lots of time and money.   

feet posted:

Wouldn't the U P have to run on CSX track? I remember well when 3985 came through Seymour, Indiana. If they have to run on CSX tracks it will never happen unless CSX allows steam on their tracks. I don't see CSX changing it's no steam policy.

HHH (who wouldn't even allow a dead-in-tow move) is gone.  Died in 2017.  There's a new Sheriff on CSX:

Rusty

 

Last edited by Rusty Traque
breezinup posted:
KansasMike posted:

2019 Union Pacific Museum Special

The Big Boy No. 4014 will pull a special fundraising excursion benefiting the Union Pacific Museum July 15, 2019. The train will travel from Omaha, Nebraska, through western Iowa to Boone, where guests will disembark the train and motor coach back to Omaha. Ticket information is available at  http://www.uptraintix.com

 

No need to check ticket information. $750 per seat, and already sold out. There are some train fans out there with lots of time and money.   

Tinplate Art posted:

Guess the UP wants a return on its investment. And the demand for tickets exceeds the supply: American capitalism in action. If by a long shot, it should come to Memphis, I will be happy just to see it!

I don't think Union Pacific is charging the museum anything for this.

Tinplate Art posted:

Guess the UP wants a return on its investment. And the demand for tickets exceeds the supply: American capitalism in action. If by a long shot, it should come to Memphis, I will be happy just to see it!

I don't believe that it's a ROI...more of a actual operating cost these days for an excursion. Since Amtrak canceled insuring the excursion business these sponsors have to pay the premium. From what I've read that premium is for 1 billion $$$ of liability. The UP itself can not sponsor its own excursions as then it would be in the passenger business which goes directly against the original Amtrak charter.  

steam fan posted:

There's a thread on TO stating that the BB is going to the Lake Superior museum in Duluth MN the week after Omaha/Boone.. Hope it's true, I'm headed that way that week.

It will be displayed in St. Paul for one day, before proceeding to Duluth, supposedly. However, I haven't seen an official announcement from UP to this effect.

 

Last edited by jay jay
steam fan posted:

There's a thread on TO stating that the BB is going to the Lake Superior museum in Duluth MN the week after Omaha/Boone.. Hope it's true, I'm headed that way that week.

It's not officially up on UP's website, but it has been reported by Trains Newswire. I reserved a hotel room for the weekend of July 19 - 21.  If I was a betting man, I'd say Chicago and maybe Milwaukee after Duluth. Makes geographic sense, and economic sense, because they could run a bunch of sold out trips between those two.

Casey Jones2 posted:
Tinplate Art posted:

Guess the UP wants a return on its investment. And the demand for tickets exceeds the supply: American capitalism in action. If by a long shot, it should come to Memphis, I will be happy just to see it!

I don't believe that it's a ROI...more of a actual operating cost these days for an excursion. Since Amtrak canceled insuring the excursion business these sponsors have to pay the premium. From what I've read that premium is for 1 billion $$$ of liability. The UP itself can not sponsor its own excursions as then it would be in the passenger business which goes directly against the original Amtrak charter.  

Excursions are not regularly scheduled service. UP's tracks, UP's train, and UP's self insurance. Amtrak has no say in the matter.

When Milwaukee Road 261 does excursions, since the Amtrak rule changes, they use smaller railroads like the TC&W to operate over.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:
steam fan posted:

There's a thread on TO stating that the BB is going to the Lake Superior museum in Duluth MN the week after Omaha/Boone.. Hope it's true, I'm headed that way that week.

It's not officially up on UP's website, but it has been reported by Trains Newswire. I reserved a hotel room for the weekend of July 19 - 21.  If I was a betting man, I'd say Chicago and maybe Milwaukee after Duluth. Makes geographic sense, and economic sense, because they could run a bunch of sold out trips between those two.

I am a member of the North Shore Scenic Railway and receive their newsletter.  I got one yesterday that states the 4014 will be in Duluth on 7/19 after having visited St Paul.  I'm going to try to cut and paste that portion of the article here:

Weighing in at one million, two hundred and fifty thousand pounds, measuring 132 feet – 9 ¼ inches, the #4014, a 4-8-8-4 giant, is the largest operating steam locomotive on the planet earth. The Union Pacific Railroad restored this mammoth piece of their history in time for the sesquicentennial of the pounding of the Golden Spike that completed the Transcontinental Railroad. The big engine will be on tour this summer and the third stop on its itinerary is Duluth at the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. 

 

The engine will visit Boone, Iowa on a fundraising trip for the UP Museum in Council Bluffs, then come to St. Paul for a day and arrive here in Duluth on Friday July 19th. The Engine will be on display Saturday and Sunday the 20th & 21st along with a train of eight First Class cars from UP’s Executive Fleet. 

 

Lots more details to come, but here's what we have so far:

 

 

Seeing the Big Boy is FREE and so is touring the UP’s History Car in the consist. The Lake Superior Railroad Museum is planning other events such as live music, festival foods and a craft beer garden. 

 

If one steam engine is good, two must be better. We’ll have the DM&N #332 (ne D&NE #28) steamed up and running as well. Two steam engines – one great weekend-long event! We're still working on the whole plan and more details will be coming soon to be posted on our website: www.DuluthTrains.com

Sorry, the section with the dates got deleted when I hit Post.

The engine will visit Boone, Iowa on a fundraising trip for the UP Museum in Council Bluffs, then come to St. Paul for a day and arrive here in Duluth on Friday July 19th. The Engine will be on display Saturday and Sunday the 20th & 21st along with a train of eight First Class cars from UP’s Executive Fleet. 

Tinplate Art posted:

Would bridge clearances and weight limits plus track curvature allow the 4014 to visit Memphis, TN? Many Tennessee Big Boy fans would travel to Memphis to see this iconic loco close up!

I certainly hope she does. That's an eminently doable 6 hour drive for me, from my home near Atlanta.

I've never understood all the hand wringing over 4014's weight and track curvature.  Big Boy weighs less per axle (33.75 tons) than many of today's modern diesels (SD70Ace 35.667 tons, ES44AC  34.58 tons). In addition, engineering diagrams from the UP for the Big Boys (both series), the large Challengers (all 3 series) and the FEF class 800s all bear the same comment, right at the top "Locomotives Designed For 20° Maximum Curvature." The main concern is the width of the engine and the corresponding overhang of the boiler front and cab on curves. Back when they were built, the engines were cleared from Council Bluffs to Ogden, Cheyenne to Denver, Granger to Pocatello and Ogden to McCammon and even Ogden to Los Angeles via Salt Lake City. (There were some speed restrictions over bridges on the Santa Fe, through Cajon Pass). They seldom, if ever ventured to Pocatello, and with the exception of some test runs to Milford, Utah, never operated over the LA&SL. Operations east of Cheyenne were hampered by the lack of turntables that could accommodate them and prohibition against passing trains on adjacent tracks on certain curves. Anyway, they weren't needed in that relatively flat territory. Bear in mind that all 25 were originally set up when new at Omaha Shops and worked their way west on freight trains. I don't think there are too many main lines on the modern UP system where she can't go. Secondary and yard trackage are another story. FYI, the absolute limiting factor in Big Boy's design were the dimensions of the 1909 Aspen Tunnel, located east of Evanston, WY.

Last edited by Nick Chillianis

 that's great, I'm planning on being in MN that week anyways. 

The deal with the weight is not axle loading, its the total weight for the length. 1.2m pounds in 132 feet is more than some bridge loading lengths. When they moved 2156 from St. Louis to Roanoke, they went a long way around to get there because the total weight was too much for a bridge somewhere. 

Excursion tickets were offered in Omaha, Council Tucky area for 450. each 750 is quite a markup. But its been sold out within 2days of announcement.

Now question is whats gonna be here for CWS Homeplate,  That move usually occurs Tue or Wed morning prior to Fri. Opening of College World Series.

According to steam tracker 844 4014 are both in Cheyenne sat.8bgoose CWS17 094UP CWS 015

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