Big Boy steam engine makes short, successful trip in Cheyenne
Jul. 24—CHEYENNE — One thing that's sure to occur whenever the Union Pacific Railroad takes out of protective storage its historic and gigantic steam engine is that onlookers will gather to watch.
On Friday, just that occurred, in at least two locations in Cheyenne. This is where Big Boy No. 4014 usually resides — away from public view, at the railroad's extensive facilities in the center of town.
Big Boy's nickname is a fitting one, for it is perhaps the world's largest functioning steam locomotive. The black-painted train seemed incredibly clean as it towered over a Union Pacific truck parked next to it.
The engine's short run on Friday was in preparation for a ceremonial trip the locomotive is scheduled to make in the coming week between here and Denver, with stops in both directions in Greeley, Colorado. On Friday night, a Union Pacific spokesperson confirmed that the test run of sorts had indeed occurred — and that it had gone smoothly.
"Our steam crew was out today. Fired up the Big Boy and did little bit of a test run" in Cheyenne, said the railroad representative, Mike Jaixen, in a voicemail responding to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's questions. Since the engine had sat idle for several months, the goal was "to make sure" everything ran OK, the spokesman noted.
The good news for rail buffs? "Everything worked fine, so they are ready to go for" Thursday's departure from Cheyenne, Jaixen said of Big Boy and the people who help run it. He noted that rail fans can find more details about the ceremonial trip at UPsteam.com.
The upshot of the testing was that 4014 could be spotted Friday along the railroad tracks extending west from the former Union Pacific Depot.
At around 3 p.m. local time, just several feet to the west of the former railroad station and around the current working rail yard, 4014 idled for a time. At several points, it blew its impressively loud horn. There were several onlookers gathered along the fence between the railroad tracks and parking lots abutting 15th Street. Some were, of course, taking photographs.
Just over an hour later, 4014 made its way to a point where it stopped just short of the railroad overpass above Ames Avenue. There, it could be seen idling, with some personnel both inside and outside of the train's cab. It was in the front, or lead, of several historic and not-so-historic rail cars, with what appeared to be a much more modern Union Pacific (likely diesel-powered) locomotive toward the other end of the perhaps 10-car-long train.
At least one curious passerby watched the action. He even ventured across one set of tracks to get a better view of the mechanical beast, whose weight upon delivery to Union Pacific is estimated at 1.2 million pounds.
After perhaps 25 minutes just shy of the railroad bridge, three loud toots of the engine's horn could be heard. It then slowly backed up, in the direction of where it is usually stored.
This story was earlier updated with information from a Union Pacific spokesperson. In the latest update, a video of the steam engine has been uploaded to be viewable with this story.
Jonathan Make is the Wyoming Tribune Eagle's assistant managing editor and editor of the Wyoming Business Report. He can be reached at jmake@wyomingnews.com or 307-633-3129. Follow him on Twitter @makejdm.
