We Heard that Train a Comin’... by Savannah Fagan
History rolled through our little town of Ashton on July 30th. Big Boy No. 4014, one of the Union Pacific Rail road’s original steam engines and the last working of its kind, came out of a nearly 58 year retirement and made its way through town as part of its transcontinental tour. Train enthusiasts, families, Crest employees, and even a day care group gathered near the crossings and on top of buildings to catch a glimpse. Big Boy No. 4014 and its 24 siblings were the largest steam locomotives in the world and built exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad in 1941. They earned the title “Big Boy” because they were and remain just that, BIG. Weighing in at a whopping 1.2 million pounds and stretching out 132 feet, the frames had to be hinged to allow them to negotiate curves. They primarily ran between Ogden, UT and Cheyenne, WY, where the steep terrain made it near impossible for any other train to handle loads. Out of the 25 originally built, only 8 remain and are on display across the country. In its 20 years of service, No.4014 traveled 1,031,205 miles before settling in to the Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, CA. It was relocated to Cheyenne, WY in 2013 to begin a restoration project to get it ready to participate in the “Great Race across the Midwest” in honor of the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental rail road on May 10, 1869. As part of the restoration project, the fuel system was converted to burn fuel oil rather than the coal. This allowed the trip to be more cost effective as well as environmentally friendly and required less fuel stops. If you missed Big Boy when he rolled through town, it’s recommended that you plan a trip to see him at his next stop if you can whether you’re a train fanatic or not. It was quite the experience going back in time just a bit and seeing the old steam engine in action.
6 Crest Ink October, November & December 2019
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