The railroad added at 11:40 a.m. mountain time that repairs had been completed and the engine would depart soon. Another tweet at 12:19 p.m. mountain time said the engine was moving east. Video showed the engine with two auxiliary water; backup diesel ES44AC No. 8167; tool cars Art Lockman, Howard Fogg, and Lynn Nystrom; and some 21 covered hoppers on its way east to Sidney, Neb.
The locomotive is starting a 1,500-mile, 30-day tour of the Midwest, going where no Big Boy has gone before. The locomotive has not been on the road since its return on May 21 from a 1,000-mile round trip to Ogden, Utah.
The locomotive is set for display in Omaha this weekend during the city’s railroad days festival and will pull a public excursion on July 15 to Boone, Iowa. From there, it’s bound for Duluth, Minn., and Chicago, before turning west. The full schedule is available at www.upsteam.com. The last time UP steam visited
Big Boy locomotives in the 1940s and 1950s in regular service worked primarily Ogden, Utah-Cheyenne with side trips to Milford, Utah; Denver, Colo.; and North Platte, Neb. Their use east of North Platte was limited to initial runs west after delivery from Alco in 1941 and 1944. The last visit by UP steam to Chicago was 2002 and to St. Paul 2008.
On Tuesday, No. 4014 runs from Sidney to North Platte, Neb., where it will lay over until Thursday.
Trains will live stream portions of the journey on Facebook:
• July 11, North Platte – Grand Island, Neb.
• July 12, Grand Island-Omaha.
• July 14, switching moves in Omaha.
• July 15, Omaha-Boone.
• July 16, Boone-Mason City, Iowa.
• July 19, St. Paul-Duluth.
• July 25, Adams-Butler (Milwaukee).
• July 26, Butler-West Chicago.
• July 30, West Chicago-Clinton, Iowa.
It seems like the editor of this publication is married to 4014.Maybe a job with Union Pacific should be next
Can’t wait to see the live streaming. his trip will be seen by a huge number of people. Drive safe everyone!