That’s the question that’s on every big steam locomotive fan’s mind. In May 2018, UP announced that both No. 4014, currently under restoration in Cheyenne, Wyo., and stablemate 4-8-4 No. 844 will steam to Ogden to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad on May 10. This week, members of the Union Pacific Historical Society began receiving their Streamliner magazine with an insert letter about next year’s joint convention with the Southern Pacific Technical & Historical Society that calls for a tentative scenario like this:
• May 6 or 7, No. 844 arrives from the West
• May 8 No. 4014 arrives from the East
• May 9, official UP event at Ogden Union Station
The letter labeled the May 6, 7, and 8 moves as “possible.” A UP spokeswoman said that no schedule has been set yet. The railroad did say in May 2018 that the two 1940s steam giants will re-enact the scene made famous by the two American-type locomotives, the Central Pacific Jupiter and UP 119 on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit. Ogden is the closest major UP point to Promontory, where the railroad was abandoned during World War II.
The historical society letter goes on to detail the activities planned for the joint convention. The Locomotive & Railway Historical Society is also meeting in Ogden at the same time, and the National Railway Historical Society is nearby in Salt Lake City with plans to use commuter trains to reach festivities in Ogden.
For the latest on the Big Boy restoration, see this Trains Presents video:
http://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/videos/2018/08/trains-presents-big-boy-no-4014-summer-2018-update
