He said, “It’s time to reconnect with our families after spending the last few weeks 100% dedicated to our steam program.”īig Boy made whistlestops in more than 90 communities and one-day public display events in five major cities: Fort Worth and Houston, Texas New Orleans, Louisiana St. “ In every city and town we visit, we introduce the Big Boy to new railfans who can’t get enough of it.”Įd Dickens said that when the tour concludes in Cheyenne next Tuesday, the UP steam crew will have put 3,800 miles of track behind them. The world knows that Cheyenne is home to Big Boy – and Dickens said that it “absolutely does” help increase awareness of Cheyenne as a railfan and tourist destination. It’s also been upgraded with all modern railroad electronics, including Positive Train Control (PTC), Cab Signaling, communications, and more. 4014 is likely in better condition now then when it was new. This is the first major tour since that conversion to cleaner burning oil fuel.

It’s running great, but we’re always looking for ways to make it run more efficiently and flexible from a logistics perspective.”ĭickens and his team converted the Big Boy from coal fuel to oil fuel, which helps make the engine run cleaner and more efficiently. All of the long hours we put into its restoration and continuing maintenance are paying off. Dickens said, “Number 4014 has performed outstandingly throughout the trip. The completely rebuilt vintage steam engine has been running great during this tour. Our collaboration with our colleagues across the Union Pacific has ensured that we’re consistently running on time, much to the delight of the huge crowds that have greeted us everywhere we’ve been.”

Speaking about the 2021 tour in general, Dickens said, “It’s been excellent.

How big is steam