Big Boy Locomotives In Their Heyday
Vintage footage of the most famous locomotive ever!
Some classic footage of the hard working Big Boy locomotives pulling heavy loads. These were the workhorses that helped lead the country to victory in World War II. No one knows for sure how the locomotives got their nickname “Big Boy”, but is most likely was written on the nose of the locomotive by a worker in the steam shop during construction. The name stuck.
Of the 25 Big Boys that were built, all but 8 were scrapped.
Big Boy #4014 is an articulated locomotive that has the front boiler sitting on a front wheeled truck that allows ridged boiler to pivot around curves that would normally be too tight.
Quick Facts about UP Big Boy 4014
- Rail Line: Union Pacific
- Driver diameters:-68 inches
- Power type: 4-8-8-4 Steam Locomotive Class 4000
- Builder: American Locomotive Company 1941
- Coal Consumption: 22,000 lbs per hour (converted to oil)
- Locomotive and tender weight: 1,250,000 lbs
- Max Speed: 80 MPH !
Let us know if you have seen Big Boy #4014 in action. We would love to hear about your experience!
