Union Pacific 4014, or UP 4014, is a Big Boy-type (four-cylinder articulated 4-8-8-4) steam locomotive owned by Union Pacific Railroad. 4014 was retired from service on July 21, 1959, and donated to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society in Pomona, California, in December 1961. The locomotive reached its destination in January 1962 and was thereafter displayed in Fairplex. In 2013, Union Pacific 4014 was moved to Union Pacific's Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, where it is now being restored to running condition. When 4014 returns to operation, it will displace UP 3985 as the largest, heaviest, and most powerful operational steam locomotive in the world.
Video Union Pacific 4014
History
UP 4014 was one of 25 4-8-8-4-class locomotives developed by Union Pacific and Alco to overcome problems with its 4-6-6-4 Challenger-class locomotives. UP determined that its goals for the new class could be achieved by making several changes to the existing Challenger design, including enlarging the firebox to about 235 by 96 inches (5.97 m × 2.44 m) (about 155 sq ft or 14.4 m2), lengthening the boiler, adding four driving wheels, and reducing the size of the driving wheels from 69 to 68 in (1,753 to 1,727 mm).
The Big Boys are articulated like the Mallet locomotive design, though without compounding. They were designed for stability at 80 miles per hour (130 km/h), allowing a wide margin of reliability and safety, as they normally operated well below that speed in freight service. Peak horsepower was reached around 35 mph (56 km/h); optimal tractive effort, around 10 mph (16 km/h). The locomotive without the tender was the longest engine body of any reciprocating steam locomotive in the world.
Alco delivered No. 4014 to Union Pacific in December 1941 and it was retired on December 7, 1961. 4014 traveled 1,031,205 miles (1,659,564 km) for Union Pacific during its 20 years in service.
The last revenue train hauled by a Big Boy (No. 4015) ended its run in the evening of July 21, 1959. 4014 completed its last run earlier the same day at 1:50 in the morning. Most were stored operational until 1961, and four remained in operational condition at Cheyenne, Wyoming until 1962. Their duties were assumed by diesel locomotives and gas turbine-electric locomotives (GTELs). Of the 25 built, eight were preserved at various locations around the United States. In 1961, Union Pacific donated 4014 to the Southern California chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society; it reached its destination of Pomona on January 8, 1962.
Maps Union Pacific 4014
Restoration
In late 2012, Union Pacific announced that it was interested in obtaining a Big Boy and restoring it to operating condition.
On July 23, 2013, Union Pacific announced that it had reacquired 4014 from The Southern California chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, with the goal of restoring it to service.
On November 14, 2013, UP 4014 was moved from its home at the museum, on temporary track, on to the adjacent parking lot, with plans to take it to Union Pacific's rail yard in Colton, California, before its move to Cheyenne. Union Pacific personnel carried out the transfer of 4014 from its display to the cyclone fencing at the northeastern edge of the Fairplex property at several feet from the Metrolink track by attaching tethers to a front end loader, allowing the loader to pull the steam engine across the parking lot.
On the morning of January 26, 2014, UP 4014 (recently re-numbered on the U.P. active locomotive roster to avoid confusion with an EMD SD70M diesel locomotive using the same number) was pulled out of the Los Angeles County Fairplex by the Southern Pacific-liveried diesel locomotive UP 1996 (part of UP's Heritage Series of locomotives). UP 4014's destination for restoration to full operating condition was the Union Pacific Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming under the guidance of Heritage Fleet Operations director Ed Dickens. On February 2014, UP 3105 (née Missouri Pacific 6027), an EMD SD40-2C, UP insulated boxcar 453665 and bay window caboose UP 24567 (née Rock Island 17149) took No. 4014's place in the museum. On May 8, 2014, UP 4014 arrived in Cheyenne. On August 12, 2016, the UP steam crew announced work on 4014's restoration had begun. Part of the restoration includes converting the locomotive's engine into an Oil Burner, changing it's fuel from coal to no. 5 oil. This process will include replacing the coal burning grates in the with a fire pan and using a Oil Burner to "flow and atomize the fuel oil into a fine mist". This mist will mix with combustion air, resulting in a fireball that will generate power for the steam engine.
When 4014's restoration is completed, the engine will join the railroad's never-retired 4-8-4 #844 and the 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3985 in excursion service, and will officially be "the world's largest operational steam locomotive," displacing the 3985. Union Pacific hopes to return the Big Boy 4014 to active excursion service between 2018 and 2019. The Union Pacific's official YouTube channel regularly publishes "Steam Shop Updates" chronicling the progress on the restoration Plans for operating the locomotive include the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad in May 2019 and the 75th anniversary of Union Pacific 844 as well. The restoration officially began on August 11, 2016, after the 844's overhaul was completed.
In May 2018, it was reported that the process of putting the locomotive back together had begun.
Notes
References
- Allen, David (August 8, 2013). "David Allen: Famed Big Boy Locomotive To Depart Pomona's Train Museum". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. News. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
Built in 1941, the Big Boy No. 4014 logged 1,031,205 miles hauling freight until its retirement on July 21, 1959.
- Glionna, John M. (July 29, 2013). "Union Pacific To Restore Famed Steam Locomotive 'Big Boy 4014'". The Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times. Nation Now. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
Now Union Pacific plans to transport 4014 back to Cheyenne, restore it to operating condition and use it for nostalgia trips, as it does with two other restored, but smaller, steam locomotives, railroad spokesman Aaron Hunt said.
- Union Pacific Public Relations (August 15, 2013). "Big Wheels Not Yet Turnin'". Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific Railroad. Community Ties. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
Members of the UP Steam Team have been in Pomona, Calif., since early August, and will return later in the month for additional assessments.
External links
- RailGiants Train Museum website
- The UP 4014 Project YouTube playlist Videos charting the progress of the restoration of 4014
- Big Boy main page
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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