@ggbutcher Have you taken any photos of this locomotive? It looks pretty awesome.
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I have not, but one of our restoration folk has. He goes to all of the prominent rail photo events.
4014 is a great specimen from an interesting era in steam locomotives, diesels were proving themselves as the traditional builders turned out behemoths to counter. Being more challenging to run double- and triple-header steam lashups because each needed a crew (diesel units could be assembled into multi-unit consists that needed only one crew), the manufacturers made 'em larger, and in some cases such as the UP 4000s, multiple articulated driver sets. Really though, just a dying gasp, as diesels were so much cheaper to operate and maintain.
In its second life, 4014 has had a few opportunities to prove itself, assisting regular trains over grades and such. A quite powerful engine.
Edit: Oh, the ‘without a diesel’ thing is a bit misleading; until recently, the diesel was required to provide train control that participated in the larger signalling/dispatch system. They recently figured out how to interface the “PTC” boxes with the steam controls.
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Thanks. That is great information.
UP’s Big Boy was in Bunkie, Louisiana five years ago, on a typically hot and humid August morning. The place was completely overrun with people but my daughter and I drove the 45 minute trip to see it. I took a few snapshots, that was about it.
Not my usual type of image, but I was a little more pleased with this one. Not sure which I like better, color or monochrome.
(Ignore the (c) on the watermark, it was already there and I apparently hadn’t edited it)
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I vote for black-n-white. Metal surfaces and textures beg this.
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I tend to agree, although other than his vest and hat the color version is largely monochrome anyway. That’s something I like about it, the spot color nature of it
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