Steamtown's Big Boy
Of the 25 massive, 4-8-8-4, "Big Boy" Locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company for Union Pacific, eight survive in preservation. The only one in the eastern portion of the US is this one, #4012, which is now in the collection of the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. Like most of the extant Big Boys, the 4012 is displayed outdoors, as she's far too big for any of the park's indoor facilities. Built in 1941, this locomotive pulled long, heavy freights on the UP System for almost 20 years. Even when she was retired, she was held as reserve power by UP for another couple of years. In 1962, she was donated to the original Steamtown USA collection of F. Nelson Blount, where she was displayed at the roundhouse in North Walpole, NH until 1984. She came to Scranton later that year when the collection was moved there, and shortly thereafter came into the custody of the National Park Service. Fortunately, for the 4012, the NPS has given her some periodic spruce-ups, the most recent and comprehensive of which was completed in 2021. Today, she sits on a display track, looking almost serviceable, as she greets visitors on the access road to the main parking lot.
Steamtown's Big Boy
Of the 25 massive, 4-8-8-4, "Big Boy" Locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company for Union Pacific, eight survive in preservation. The only one in the eastern portion of the US is this one, #4012, which is now in the collection of the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, PA. Like most of the extant Big Boys, the 4012 is displayed outdoors, as she's far too big for any of the park's indoor facilities. Built in 1941, this locomotive pulled long, heavy freights on the UP System for almost 20 years. Even when she was retired, she was held as reserve power by UP for another couple of years. In 1962, she was donated to the original Steamtown USA collection of F. Nelson Blount, where she was displayed at the roundhouse in North Walpole, NH until 1984. She came to Scranton later that year when the collection was moved there, and shortly thereafter came into the custody of the National Park Service. Fortunately, for the 4012, the NPS has given her some periodic spruce-ups, the most recent and comprehensive of which was completed in 2021. Today, she sits on a display track, looking almost serviceable, as she greets visitors on the access road to the main parking lot.