Big Boy 4014 - Colo, IA
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.
This is the town of Colo (pronounced KOE-low), IA. This was not an originally planned stop on my route, but being as it was featured in a railroad video from my childhood - Pentrex's "Best of the Midwest, Volume II" - I thought I'd bring things full circle and step foot in town myself.
Am I ever glad that I did! When I arrived, I found that a nice gentleman had already posed his 1951 Buick Eight sedan near the tracks. We engaged in a friendly conversation about the car and I snapped a few pics for posterity, then we all awaited for Big Boy's arrival.
Pretty cool to capture such a classic car with a classic train, and somehow, despite its age, the car is still newer than the locomotive!
Big Boy 4014 - Colo, IA
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.
This is the town of Colo (pronounced KOE-low), IA. This was not an originally planned stop on my route, but being as it was featured in a railroad video from my childhood - Pentrex's "Best of the Midwest, Volume II" - I thought I'd bring things full circle and step foot in town myself.
Am I ever glad that I did! When I arrived, I found that a nice gentleman had already posed his 1951 Buick Eight sedan near the tracks. We engaged in a friendly conversation about the car and I snapped a few pics for posterity, then we all awaited for Big Boy's arrival.
Pretty cool to capture such a classic car with a classic train, and somehow, despite its age, the car is still newer than the locomotive!