Union Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 pauses overnight at Rawlins, Wyo., in May 2019. Big Boy’s bell is painted red to keep it looking clean and well-kept.
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Ryan Nicolay
Q: Why are the insides of the bells on Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 and 4-8-4 No. 844 painted red? — Scott Zygutis, Antioch, Calif.
A: The color red is the same red that used on valve handles and other important items that are to be easily seen for visibility purposes. The inside of the bell tarnishes and generally was not polished so, as a means of preventing it from tarnishing and thereby looking unsightly when the bell was in operation, they painted them with a red Epoxy called Glyptal. Many of the internal components such as the airbrakes and roller bearing housings have the same heavy duty industrial Epoxy applied to them as well. — Ed Dickens, Senior Manager Heritage Operations Union Pacific
how are drivers synced when going track speed?
Had no idea why, Ed and thanks for info. It was great seeing Big Boy finally rolling and a reward for all your hard work. When we visited Cheyenne steam shop and you showed us around, it was in many pieces, but it all pulled together. Awesome to see it running in Echo Canyon, we caught it just by chance. Got to see it up close at West Chicago too. I was also at KC with local railfan group a few weeks ago, and caught up with Susan too. Thanks to you and hard working crew, it did happen and hope to see all of you in St. Louis one of these times, everyone here hopes #4014 will come calling.
Does not the red bell interior also act as a visual warning device. As it swings, the red interior “flashes” in the daylight to catch one’s attention as well.
The bell doesn’t swing. The clapper swings. Bigger more modern locomotives all do this because the fireman is too busy managing the boiler to be pulling on a rope.