UNION PACIFIC BIG BOY RESTORATION

[UP3985]

Anybody gotten wind of this?
TRAINS NEWS WIRE

Union Pacific looking to restore Big Boy for excursion service

Published: December 7, 2012
CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Union Pacific Railroad has had conversations with the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society to obtain and restore its ex-UP 4-8-8-4 Big Boy, No. 4014. The museum's board is scheduled to meet Dec. 8 and plans to vote on the proposal from the railroad to buy the locomotive, says a source familiar with the matter.

Alco built 25 Big Boys for UP in 1941. No. 4014 resides at the chapter's museum on the grounds of the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona, Calif., and is one of eight surviving Big Boys. UP donated the locomotive to the chapter in 1962.

Joshuah Barr at the Forney Transportation Museum in Denver, and Jacqueline Frank, director of the National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis., both told Trains News Wire that nobody from the railroad had been in contact with their museums about their Big Boys. This is contrary to reports circulating on the internet that UP has vetted all remaining Big Boys.

Trains News Wire has contacted Union Pacific for comment and is currently wait for a reply.



I was told of this by one of the steam guys I made friends with last year. He made it a point to keep it secret, but I see no point in that now!!!

UP STeam program is expanding!!!

[Bananarama]

They must be smokin' crack. Resurrecting/DNA-cloning a dinosaur is for the movies.

I doubt it'll ever happen 1) the drivers were cut when retired so that the locomotive could never return to service - might as well create a new locomotive from scratch (needs a whole new boiler anyway); 2) the liability of such a monster would make most Fortune-500 companies pee their pants - no city (or EPA official) in their right mind would allow the thing to fire, and finally 3) UP would never want to repair theirs or anyone else's rails the locomotive crosses. The latter point is the most critical given any circumstance - the whole thing would be ciaos-in-motion, dangerous, and serve no useful purpose. If it was to be saved, it should have been done 50-years ago.

[UP3985]

Well, it's up to you to believe it or not, but I have direct from source info. There's also a huge budget to get it running again, and the steam guys are dreading getting it to oil fire. I'm just trying to spread the word.

He also said that the 844 is harder on curves than the 3985 because of the rigid frame. They aren't THAT hard on tracks, and if the 3985 can run fine, a big bou would run just as good. This thing has been out since the '60s, and it will be a big project. He'll be comin round the mountain when he comes...

[buzz456]

All I can say is UP is a interesting company. They don't exactly march to the normal risk adverse corporate model. Let's hope.

[FourEightFour]

"Subject: UP Steam Bombshell
Gentlemen:
I attended a meeting on Tuesday evening of the Southern California Chapter of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society in San Marino.
An outside guest was there for the “informational” side of the meeting, with a proposal for the chapter membership and board to consider.
Ed Dickens; he’s the manager of UP’s Historic Equipment program at Cheyenne. He announced that UP has decided to restore and run a Big Boy as a public relations gesture—and that millions of dollars have been budgeted for the project.
Engineering staff has surveyed all seven surviving Big Boy locomotives and found that the 4014 on display at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds in Pomona (owned by the SCC-R&LHS) is the one of the seven in the best condition and therefore the first choice for the UP restoration project.
At the meeting, UP offered to “obtain” the 4014 from the Chapter, move it across the Fair parking lot on snap track to live (Metrolink) rails and then haul it to Cheyenne for a multi-year restoration project. He didn’t say “buy” and he didn’t say “repossess,” and he did leave open the possibility of loaning another steam locomotive to the Chapter to fill the empty space. UP to pay all costs.
At least one Board member is adamantly opposed to accepting UP’s offer. His concern is that the Chapter and Fairplex facility management in Pomona have frequently clashed in the past and that removing the “star” of the R&LHS exhibit would give Fairplex the opportunity to evict the entire rail museum—leaving it homeless. No decision was reached during the meeting. I suspect that the Board will want to poll the entire Chapter membership, but that is just my own opinion. Apparently a Board meeting is scheduled for this weekend.
If a deal is reached, UP wants to make the move by February 2013."


As I know some people, all I can say is:

THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

[Bananarama]

Well, it's up to you to believe it or not, but I have direct from source info. There's also a huge budget to get it running again, and the steam guys are dreading getting it to oil fire. I'm just trying to spread the word.

I wasn't calling you out, but pointing out that it's unlikely that the project will be completed to everyone's satisfaction. I just don't see the Big Boy being much better at PR than UP's Northern or Challenger.

[XDriver]

Here's a link.

http://trn.trains.com/en/Railroad%20New ... rvice.aspx

[arizonachris]

I've seen 4014 in person, and she's perfect. May need a little wash on the outside from rain and what not, but she was restored by many, many volunteers years ago. No missing con rods or anything like that. Drivers are all fine. She is shiny perfect.

Don't see why Pomona is teed off about losing her, you can only see her on the last Sunday of the month (unless the Pomona County Fair is running)

[SouthernPacific-Mike]

I truely hope UP, does suceed in restoring this unique piece of locomotive history and once again we can have the oppprotunity to see and ride on this legend.