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-Short Attention Span Theater-

The Largest Steam Locomotive in North America Draws Massive Crowds in Midwestern Tour

2019-08-04

[LI] Over the weekend of July 27th, the city of West Chicago, Illinois played host to the largest steam locomotive in North America. The locomotive, nicknamed "Big Boy," was built in 1941 for the Union Pacific Railroad. It was retired from active service in 1959 with the discontinuation of steam service on American railroads and turned into a display piece in Pomona, California.

In 2012, the Union Pacific railroad announced the plan to acquire one of the eight surviving locomotives of its type on display and to restore it as part of the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet, which operates the only activate steam locomotive repair shop owned by a major railroad in the United States. After being removed from its display and an arduous five-year restoration process, the locomotive was officially placed in service as an excursion train in May of this year.

At the beginning of July, the locomotive began the leg of a much larger month-long journey that is currently underway, taking the behemoth of a locomotive across the Midwest states of Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois before begins its return journey to Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Posted by:Besoeker

#6 Seen it. One stopped in my small town a few years ago. It was indeed awesome.

Posted by: Secret Master 2019-08-04 19:18

#5 My youngest, his son and I traveled to see the 4014 in Altoona, Wisconsin. It Was Awsome!.

Highly recommended is you get the chance. Schedule

Posted by: Mullah Richard 2019-08-04 10:02

#4 Diesel locomotives took over from steam because they were modular, efficient, economical, and much easier to operate and maintain. However, steam built this country. The articulated locomotive of the Union Pacific—the Big Boy—and the cab forward AC-12s of the Southern Pacific were the zenith of steam locomotive design. It is good that we preserve our history with these giants so we know where we came from.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2019-08-04 09:53

#3 Aye, he would

Posted by: Frank G 2019-08-04 08:56

#2 Shipman would be ecstatic.

Posted by: Deacon Blues 2019-08-04 07:45

#1 The Big Boy was restored to take part in the 150th anniversary of the completion of the 'transcontinental railroad' at Promontory, Utah on May 10, 1869.

So called 'transcontinental', because you still had to change trains in Chicago, take a ferry across the Mississippi and Missouri to get to Omaha, where the Union Pacific began. But it was the 19th century equivalent of the July 20, 1968 moon landing.

Posted by: Bobby 2019-08-04 06:32

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