Big Boy #4014 Over And Under

Published Mar 6, 2020 By Robert Blue

Big Boy 4014 outside of Victorville in the Mojave Desert

While on his Southern California excursion in October of 2019, Big Boy #4014 criss crossed some icon desert scenery along the way. Seen here somewhere around Victorville and Barstow, California, this over and under shot is perfectly timed so that the end of each train clears the bridge at the same time.

Big Boy was designed to operate safely at a maximum speed of 80 mph which was unheard of for steam freight locomotives in that time.

Peak horsepower was achieved at around 35 MPH with optimal tractive effort coming in at 10 MPH.

There were 25 Union Pacific “Big Boys” built overall beginning in 1941 for the specific purpose of handling freight up the 65 mile grade of the Wasatch Mountain Range starting inOgden,Utah and ending in Wyoming.

Let us know if you had the chance to see this magnificent machine in person. We would love to know your thoughts.