Big Boy 4014

Strange title but it has strong meaning. Big Boy 4014 is a railroad steam engine that last saw service 60 years ago.  Only 24 were built. Six remain in existence. Only one has been fully rebuilt and is operational.  That is Number 4014.


Cheyenne, Wyoming is the railyard where the restoration happened over three years.  Last May it fired up and backed out of the rail barn. It was tested and passed all challenges. The plan was laid to tour the Southern Pacific Railroad system to mark the 150^th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad track.


Big Boy 4014 is just that, big.  It is 133 feet long, weighs 1.2 million pounds and is the largest locomotive ever built and used consistently. Railroad enthusiasts are fanatic about this piece of railroad history.


Why am I writing about this?  Because Big Boy is leaving Wisconsin, coming to Chicago area on the 26^th of July – today – and parking for 3 days in West Chicago, Illinois. This will be the only stop in Illinois. We expect thousands of fans to appear to see it up close and tour the accompanying exhibition.


If you are a railroad buff, the train is due in at 2:30 pm in West Chicago on Friday the 26^th. It will be open to close inspection and tours starting at 8:30 am Saturday through Monday. Tuesday it journeys on to the wide open west. Come for a visit while you can.


By the way, the exhibit is just across the street from our condo building. West Chicago began its community life in 1835 as a railroad hub, repair yard, and switching yard. Today it straddles the tracks of perhaps the busiest working railroad lines in the nation. It gives retirees living nearby much to watch!


July 26, 2019