OGDEN, Utah – Historic locomotives are steaming up the celebrations for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in Utah.
On Thursday, Union Pacific hosted its own event for media and the public just south of Ogden’s Union Station. The event involved 4-8-4 No. 844 and newly rebuilt Big Boy 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 along with speeches from UP CEO Lance Fritz, Utah’s governor, and a member of Congress from Utah.
Fritz opened the ceremonies with a radio call to 4014 and Ed Dickens, the railroad’s senior manager for historic operations.
After speeches, invited dignitaries tapped spike mauls to an oversized “golden spike” and began posing with locomotives 4014 and 844 and the UP steam crew, who assumed poses reminiscent of the famed champagne photo from May 10, 1869.
Soon afterward, Dickens and Big Boy Fireman Austin Barker spoke with Trains about 4014’s performance since it departed Cheyenne on May 4.
–We are aware of some audio problems with the recording; we are sorry there’s nothing we can do about it at this time.
