Caution, Big Boy!

After a couple year hiatus from Depot Days, I decided to go back this year. Only because we have a new attraction in town - a second Union Pacific Big Boy Locomotive - the largest steam locomotive ever built.

Photo of the locomotive as it was pulled into town. Taken by the local newspaper - not my photo.

 A park in town near the railyard has Big Boy 4004 on display, where its been sitting since the early 60's. Just a little over a week ago, the UP brought Big Boy 4014 into town from a where it had been on display in California.

Diesel 4014 pulling Big Boy 4014 on the approach to town. Taken by the local newspaper - not my photo.

Why is it here? Because the UP wants to get it back into operating condition, and add it to it's 'Heritage Fleet' of operating steam engines. There are currently two old steam locomotives maintained here, #844 'Living Legend' and #3985 'Challenger'. They hope to have this Big Boy ready to roll within 5 years. I hope they pull it off. It would be quite a sight to see this beast moving under its own power.

There were 25 Big Boys built, 8 are still in existence. The 4014 from California was considered the best overall condition for a restoration, that's why it was used, instead of the 4004 here in town.

So, on to the Depot Days and my photos. Having skipped Depot Days for the past couple years, they have changed several things. And none of them am I a fan of! More on that later.

A closeup of the front end of 4014, inside the Steam shop. No work has begun on it yet, but I suspect it'll begin soon after the open house.

4014 on the left, 844 on the right. 844 is currently having some maintenance work done. Really hard to capture the size of this locomotive all tucked away inside the building. Inside it was between the 844 and the other side of it was roped off, so you really couldn't see a whole lot of it. Plus there was a pretty good sized crowd, and there were always people in the way. Shot with my fisheye lens.

Outside of the Steam Shop. There was enough clearance for me!

All aboard the 401! Next stop.......Oblivion. This engine won't ever travel the rails again. But maybe parts of it will - there are a couple other restored engines in the yard just like this one.

Caution! This old locomotive has always been sitting in the Roundhouse, never moved. It looks to be in decent condition, but since it never moves and nothing is ever done with it, maybe its in worse shape than it looks.

Now the changes I mentioned. All the times I attended this event previously, going to the trainyard was free. Not anymore. Ten bucks a person. Grumble!

Displays were all look - don't touch! In the past you could climb into the engines, the couple really neat restored passenger cars, etc. Now - nada. Everything closed up. The limited view of the 4014 I don't understand - that should really have been outside in my opinion at least for the weekend so you could walk around it up close. Cause once they start tearing it apart its not gonna move again for YEARS. Even the 3985 Challenger - it was stored in the Roundhouse, but as far away from the viewing area as possible. Is this a train show or what? Gripe!!

My biggest complaint - all the damn yellow Caution tape EVERYWHERE. Inside the Roundhouse and Steam shop, severely limiting where you could go. Outside - nightmare! My favorite part of this whole event BY FAR has been wandering the scrapyard area outside the Roundhouse, with old cabooses, passenger cars, engines, boxcars, snowplow and other railroad bits and pieces. ALL OFF LIMITS with the tape. I loved wandering through that, finding interesting things to photograph, seeing the insides of the old worn out trains. No more. I know its a 'liability' issue now apparently. But I still really really don't like it. Complain!!!

So the Big Boy train adventure ends for now. Considering all the restrictions, I doubt I'll be going back anytime soon. Just nothing interesting left to see. Maybe when the Big Boy is ready to roll again...