News & Reviews News Wire News photos: UP Big Boy arrives in the Midwest

News photos: UP Big Boy arrives in the Midwest

By Bob Johnston | September 7, 2024

Family Days employee gathering a prelude to Sunday public event; run through Chicago on Monday

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Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 is displayed at a railroad “Family Days” event Saturday, Sept. 7, in Rochelle, Ill. The locomotive is traveling with two tenders, a diesel helper, and Union Pacific heritage passenger equipment. Bob Johnston

ROCHELLE, Ill. — The vast expanse of Union Pacific’s Ike Evans Global III terminal just west of Rochelle played host to a “Family Days” event for Chicago area UP employees today (Saturday, Sept. 7) prior to a public display featuring Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 on Sunday at the same location.

It proved to be an excellent venue to savor the locomotive.

Three-quarter view of steam locomotive
Visitors can walk along the train and get close to the engine. The Rochelle intermodal facililty offers ample display space. Bob Johnston
Inside of railcar with informational displays on UP's Big Boy and Union Pacific.
Inside the “Experience” baggage car, the only one on the train open to visitors, displays explained when the 4014 was built (1941), regions that the UP serves, and a “Preserving our passenger heritage” section with historical photos. Bob Johnston
Yellow passenger car with open rear platform
Resplendent in Armour Yellow, business car Lincoln brought up the rear. It was preceded by the heritage City of Denver dining car and Walter Bean dome lounge, cars that once made the City streamliners such special trains to ride. Alas, they weren’t open to visitors. Bob Johnston

The Rochelle open house at Global III (at 2701 Intermodal Drive) will be staged from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. The complete schedule of stops and movement days is available here.

Monday’s schedule and route around Chicago

After making a 15-minute stop at the Railroad Park in downtown Rochelle at 8:45 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, the big 4-8-8-4 will move east on the ex-Chicago & North Western main line to Proviso Yard west of Chicago, where the train will stop briefly to re-crew at about 11:30 a.m.

It will then skirt downtown on the Indiana Harbor Belt, passing under the BNSF Railway “Race Track” at La Grange, then through Argo, Chicago Ridge, and Blue Island to Dolton, Ill. That’s where the train will rejoin UP rails, formerly the Chicago & Eastern Illinois, for the run down to Watseka, Ill. It is scheduled to make a 30-minute stop at North Street crossing there at 5 p.m. before tying up at Villa Grove, Ill., Monday night.

As with all Big Boy moves, the schedule is subject to change.

2 thoughts on “News photos: UP Big Boy arrives in the Midwest

  1. When is UP going to quit with the “Big Boy” chalk mark on the smoke box? It was appropriate for its first few outings after restoration but that’s no longer the case. The mark wasn’t on any of them in regular service so I don’t see a reason to continue with.

    Another point about original service: were auxiliary water tenders painted anything other than black?

  2. Many years ago chatting with an ex-CB&Q conductor inbound from Aurora I casually used the term “racetrack” when discussing current traffic on the line. He snorted derisively with words to the effect that only foamers used it, never the Q.

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