While the majority of UP’s Overland Route from Omaha to the Southern Pacific interchange in Ogden was relatively grade free, the Wahsatch Mountains were a significant barrier, with eastbound 1.14 percent grades from Ogden to Wahsatch, Utah. Since the opening of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, UP designed larger and larger steam power to conquer the Wahsatch range. The Big Boy would be the culmination of those designs.
According to the seminal book “Big Boy” by the late William W. Kratville, the Research and Mechanical Standards Department was established in 1936 under Vice President Jabelmann. Jeffers order to Jabelmann was to develop a locomotive capable of pulling 3,600 tons over the Wahsatch unassisted. To do so, Kratville recounts, the locomotive would have to have 135,000 pounds of tractive effort and an adhesion factor of four. Engineers concluded to meet Jeffers demands would require an eight-wheeled articulated with four wheel lead and trailing trucks – thus the 4-8-8-4-wheel arrangement was born.
Within three months a design team was assembled with the builder, the American Locomotive Company, with UP furnishing members of the Research and Mechanical Standards Department to assist. Because UP had accumulated a great deal of research data, the entire project only took about one year to complete: six months to design, fabricate and acquire parts, and another six months to build the first locomotive.
Union Pacific initially ordered 20 Big Boys from Alco at a cost of $265,174 each. The engines were deliberately overdesigned. For example, they were built to run at speeds up to 80 mph, although they would never be moving freight at that speed. This was done to ensure that rotating parts, such as the rods, would not break in daily service.
While the new engines were being built, UP prepared for them. Bridges had to be rebuilt to handle their weight, curves realigned, and new 135-foot turntables installed at servicing points. Heavier 130-pound rail was laid between Ogden and the Wahsatch summit. While the normal Big Boy haunt would be between Ogden and Evanston, Wyo., as World War II progressed, the Big Boys’ operational territory was extended east from Evanston to Green River, Rawlins, Laramie, and Cheyenne. They were also cleared to operate between Salt Lake City and Pocatello, Idaho, and Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, although they likely never did.
Naming the new locomotive came by accident. While under construction, an Alco machinist chalked the name “Big Boy” on the smokebox of the first engine, No. 4000. The name stuck, although it was rumored that UP had considered naming the class “Wahsatch.” The Big Boys were 132 feet long, roller bearing equipped, and weighed 1.2 million pounds.
No. 4000 was shipped dead via the Delaware & Hudson, New York Central, and Chicago & North Western to Council Bluffs, Iowa. A UP switch engine towed the engine across the Missouri River to Omaha Shops where it was officially accepted on Sept. 5, 1941. Later that month, No. 4000 was steamed up for the first time, and then put on display at Omaha Union Station. It traveled light to Council Bluffs for servicing, then back to Omaha to pick up a train of 100 empty Pacific Fruit Express reefers. The locomotive made several stops as it traveled west across Nebraska for water, fuel and crews, arriving in Cheyenne early the following day.
No. 4014, along with Big Boys’ 4004 and 4016, was involved in a test against a three-unit diesel in April 1943 between Ogden and Evanston, Wyo. According to Kratville, on April 2, 1943, No. 4014 took 65 cars and 3,479 tons out of Ogden. All the way upgrade the throttle was open less than full, and yet No. 4014 accelerated at points on the grade from 1.8 to 4.5 mph per minute. A top speed of 42 mph was recorded on level track, while the minimum speed was 13 mph on a three-degree curve on a 1.14 percent grade. Following tests with the other two Big Boys and the diesels, the internal combustion power proved to do no better than the steam engines had, and the railroad concluded that steam would remain on the route.
As World War II raged in 1944, UP received authority from the War Production Board to build five more Big Boys, Nos. 4020-4024. They were identical to the other locomotives except for the use of heavier metals in the boilers and rods. One member of this class, No. 4023, survives on display in Omaha.
The last Big Boys operated on July 21, 1959. Most were stored operational until 1961. Unfortunately the first Big Boy, No. 4000, was scrapped in Cheyenne in August 1961, but eight other Big Boys escaped No. 4000’s fate – almost one third of the fleet. No. 4014 was retired in December 1961 after 1,031,205 miles, and was presented to the Southern California Chapter of The Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. Since 1962 it has been displayed by the society in Pomona, Calif., but now will see new life, extending the Big Boy story begun by Jeffers and Jabelmann well into the 21st century.
They were likely shipped only partially assembled…
Growing up in Iowa along the mainline tracks of the Chicago Northwestern (extension mainline for UP to Chicago), I did not get the exciting privilege of seeing Big Boys running, nor Challengers, and not even Cabforwards.of the Southern Pacific. I doubt even my paternal grandpa who was a freight conductor on the CNW got to see any since they didn’t come that far East. And I didn’t get to see them running in 1955 when my family visited our other grandpa in Burbank. CA. I feel gyped. So my oldest brother (who wanted to be a steam engineer when he grew up) made sure we got to see and touch the 4014 before it left Fairplex. Since I don’t have a car, I stayed up late during the night to watch the facinating streaming video of it being pulled out onto the mainline tracks (thank you so much Trains Mag). I sure would enjoy seeing the 4014 running past me standing at trackside to have such a great experience that I missed. But no car, just able to buy the final DVD and trust the chance to have that wish fulfilled by the railroad historical society’s request to have it visit the LA area. Hope that happens soon to this 76 year old guy. Thanks!
I’m curious – were there issues with weight, clearance, curves in delivering these? Seems like there would have been on these lines: “No. 4000 was shipped dead via the Delaware & Hudson, New York Central, and Chicago & North Western to Council Bluffs, Iowa.”
I remember looking over 4012 as a boy at Steam Town USA when it was located in Bellow Falls Vermont and wondering what it would have been like to see it actually fired up and running. Now I am almost seventy years old I may get that chance in Ogden Utah in May 2019.
How neat that you have kept and reprinted posts made five and six years ago. I hope 4014 makes a systemwide tour within the next year or so. I may not be able to make it to Wyoming or Utah, but it would be wonderful to see it in Fort Worth. I’d find a way to get out and see it.
Fact check:
The 4-8-8-4-1 and 4-8-8-4-2 Big Boys were not the same as excepted here. The second order had additional modifications to their tenders including an increased water capacity of 25,000 gals. vs. 24,000 gals on the first order.
Strictly speaking, up until 1948, the Big Boys were used in Green River, Wyo. – Ogden, Utah pool service. When the ventured east to Cheyenne during this period it was for service work. It was not until after 1948 that the Big Boys were assigned to trains east of Green River—well after WWII. Additionally, railroad documents show that a Big Boy did run once to Pocatello, Idaho, but had tunnel clearance issues. Big Boys also did run south of Salt Lake City, this according to an article in the current issue of Classic Trains.
I got to see and feel a beautiful piece of machinery when the 4014 came thru Las Vegas this summer. I also hope to see this piece of equipment running in the next 3-5 years. Good Luck Union Pacific.
Whenever something either difficult or impossible in the way of railroading needs to be done, even in the 2000's, just ask the American Railroads and their people to do it, then get outa the way while they do it.. The Big Boys, the Challengers and the N&W J's are excellent examples of this trait in steam. The FTs, FAs, F7sand the E-Units in Dieseldom are also excellent examples in internal combustion.
Thanks for the article. I just got started in model railroading for the second time after fifty years away. Models of Big Boy have caught my attention as I reentered. I will have one someday. Good work UP.
Good article, I will be watching the progress on this rebuild and hope that I live long enough to take a ride. I now live in
Cheyenne and drive past the BIG BOY in the park almost everyday. I also have a little interest in this project as I was born on September 5, 1941, the day that the BIG BOY 4000 was hauled into the shop in Omaha.
Thankyou for the envite to your page. My first experience to steam engines was with my grandpaw , he operated a steam engine at a gravel pit in louisana where I grew up. Remember the heat and shoveling coal. Still love big machinery and still a train nut. Thanks.
We Have some wonderful Locomotives in the UK, but nothing on the size of the Big Boy. I never thought I would see the day one would run again. Well done Union Pacific, you are a credit to the railway industry.
Three weeks before 4014 was moved, I went and saw it sitting right by the fence and got a few pictures. I stood on the spot where they cut the Metrolink rails and tied onto the temporary track to move the Big Boy. It was pretty neat. Union Pacific is to be commended for making the decision to do this, because it will awaken a whole new awareness of vintage railroading across America in people who never had it before. The PR gains UP will get as a result will be huge. Steam locomotives are alive and well in the US, that's for sure. Onward UP! Let's see 4014 run again!
I traveled over from Australia to Los Angeles last December for a conference. I was only there during the week and the museum wasn't scheduled to be open but I wanted to see 4014 before it was moved. I contacted the museum before I left Australia and had the good fortune to have one of the Rail Giant's museum members volunteer to stay back to meet me. He was fantastic and on two separate occasions, went out of his way to show us around all the museum but especially 4014. Well worth the effort and fantastic to meet such a knowledgeable gentleman with a passionate interest in rail history.
I'm planning to get back over there when they finally steam this sucker up!! I was over at the Cape to see the last Shuttle go up. I reckon it will be worth it to see the last of the giant steam engines run again.
I live in North Carolina, a far cry from where the Big Boys lived, but will make a trip out to see 4014 in operation with my daughter. She is only two years old, but follows in her daddy's boots… literally as I am writing this she tried to put on my boots and socks. She is a little railfan too, so by the time 4014 gets under steam she will be old enough to appreciate it that much more. Thank you to all who worked to put this together.
I saw the Big Boy in the Forney Museum in Denver 10 years ago and wished I had been able to see one in service; now the possibility exists. Wonderful.
Very informative.
Stayed up till 4:00 AM PST to see the 4014 being pulled out of the LA Fairplex with hundreds of others. It took two tries, but the crowd cheered and the 1996 engineer gave a thumbs up, when the SP1996 heritage diesel, coupled to the 4014. Then in a series of short starts and stops, in which the crew adjusted at different locations, the Gerry rigged air brake system, the Big Boy finally rolled out on to the Metrolink rail system, beyond the Fairplex parking lot fence. The feeling of American history was pervasive and strong this morning, there in the highly illuminated corner of the chilly (for So Cal, i.e.), Fairplex parking lot, next to the NHRA Pomona dragstrip.
I had been witnessing the move from the Rail Giants museum using sectioned track, by UP in November, and viewed every small detail of the massive steam locomotive. If I could post a few photos here, I would. I have some high def video.
Got to wait till 2019 to see the 4014 when it comes back to Los Angeles, and in 2022 for the LA County Fair centennial.
Nice article… but still not sure how to reserve the special issue flogged on p61 of Feb '14 Trains Mag… pls send me an email detailing price, delivery, etc. so I can order one or more copies
Thanx!
Bill Reinheimer billnila@sbcglobal.net
It will be very exciting to track 4014's progress! Hope to see her on UP rails in Oregon some day!
Wasatch NOT Wahsatch
While on a visit to Steamtown in Scranton, be sure to hop up in the cab of # 4012 sitting there at the Museum entrance. It is an experience!
When in St. Louis on vacation ( when the kids were little ) we all went to the museum of transportation . I got to sit in the engineer's seat & to me it looked like 500 ft. to front of engine ! ! It was 105 in the shade that day ; so I didn't stay long ; but it is something I will never forget ! !—-(((^;
These big engines have fascinated me since a kid. (70 now) I hope to see the machine run again in person!