Big Boy 4014 - Missouri River
This summer, I had the privilege to witness UP 4014, Union Pacific's restored "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive, ply the rails of the UP mainline once again, this time leading the "Heartland of America" tour through the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. My portion of the trip consisted of traveling to Grand Island, NE and chasing it back east towards Chicagoland and eventually Momence, IL, where I gave up the chase.
In this photo, the display in downtown Omaha has concluded, and 4014 leaves its dynamic braking cars behind as it and its four passenger cars gingerly cross the truss bridge spanning the Missouri River, stepping into Iowa for the first time on the Tour.
In a few minutes the train will be parked in UP's Council Bluffs yard, where the crew will attach the rest of the UP heritage fleet passenger cars to the consist to form the true Tour train.
Big Boy 4014 - Missouri River
This summer, I had the privilege to witness UP 4014, Union Pacific's restored "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive, ply the rails of the UP mainline once again, this time leading the "Heartland of America" tour through the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. My portion of the trip consisted of traveling to Grand Island, NE and chasing it back east towards Chicagoland and eventually Momence, IL, where I gave up the chase.
In this photo, the display in downtown Omaha has concluded, and 4014 leaves its dynamic braking cars behind as it and its four passenger cars gingerly cross the truss bridge spanning the Missouri River, stepping into Iowa for the first time on the Tour.
In a few minutes the train will be parked in UP's Council Bluffs yard, where the crew will attach the rest of the UP heritage fleet passenger cars to the consist to form the true Tour train.