Big Boy’s ‘Westward Bound’ recap

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Union Pacific Railroad‘s Big Boy No. 4014 is en route for its second outing of the 2024 steam season. During its “Heartland of America” tour, the 4-8-8-4 will travel eastbound toward Illinois before pointing its headlight south to Texas. Before looking more into the fall trip, here’s a recap of both the offseason work and the summer “Westward Bound” tour.

Other than its size and operations along the Class I railroad, No. 4014 is no different from any other steam locomotive in service today, according to Ed Dickens, Union Pacific’s Manager – Heritage Operations. During the offseason, crews completed the locomotive’s annual inspection for the Federal Railroad Administration while also working on both the support equipment and machinery at the steam shop in Cheyenne, Wyo. Most notably, the team implemented a standalone positive train control system.

Since 2021, No. 4014 relied on LeaPTC, utilizing the computer from a PTC-compliant diesel helper. But Dickens’ long-term goal has always been to establish a self-containing setup. After years of testing algorithms and working through the technical process, Union Pacific settled on a component mounted within the locomotive’s tender and powered by one of the rewired dynamos at 74 volts, DC.

“It’s simply putting in the PTC gear that is nearly identical to those on any equipped diesel of the Union Pacific,” said Dickens. “We want to keep things simple, to not over-complicate it, and avoid making things we don’t need to.”

From an operational standpoint, a fully PTC-compliant Big Boy means flexibility in parking the locomotive, switching the consist, and operating unassisted. Solo runs without a diesel were tested in May [See “Union Pacific No. 4014 can now run on its own” News Wire, May 24, 2024], followed by the first two days of the “Westward Bound” tour from Cheyenne to Rock Springs, Wyo. Diesel assist, including Western Pacific heritage unit No. 1983, was then provided for the remainder of the journey through the rugged western terrain.

According to Dickens, No. 4014 put in a quality performance during its month-long summer tour to and from Roseville, Calif. In addition to the unassisted operations at the beginning of the trip, highlights also included snaking down the Feather River Canyon, climbing up Donner Pass with the Union Pacific Railroad Museum’s public excursion (while also tackling the challenge of a fallen tree west of Auburn, Cali.), and the impressive turnouts at the display days in Ogden, Utah; Roseville; and Portola, Cali. – the latter being at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum with 0-6-0 No. 165 in steam.

“We see the growth in the popularity of this locomotive and it continues to grow,” Dickens explained. “From the people waving to children wanting our autographs on drawings and hats.

“It’s such a privilege and opportunity that is never lost to us. Why do we do this? We do this for the history of the Union Pacific. [The Big Boy] is such a goodwill ambassador.”

As that goodwill ambassador, No. 4014 departed the Cheyenne shops on Aug. 28 for the next tour through Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. The month-long turnaround, prior to then, involved boiler washing, servicing, and final inspection from the crew. In a trek covering thousands of miles and two months on the road, no stone was left unturned. “The way we handle and care for it, we give it lots of attention including, feeding, oiling, and cleaning,” said Dickens.

Visit the UP Steam website for more information on the “Heartland of America” tour.