Any of you guys and gals love steam engines?


 

Stefan H

TVWBB Guru
I am sucker of real steam engines. I have been on various steam trains in the US and Germany. And I have also seen the scrap like Big Boy in the Dallas railway museum which is in a really bad shape. So when UP announced a few years back that they are going to revive the Big Boy I was so exited. Finally a weeks ago I finally got to see the engine in East Texas. It was amazing. This engine is just amazing. UP has done an amazing job bringing this engine back to life. Steaming, hissing, moving.... any of you guys and gals into it as well?
 
Stefan:
I too saw the Big Boy hulk in Dallas before that outfit moved. I didn't get to see the working Big Boy when it came thru here in LV. My former Fire Department has a restored Amoskeg steamer which gets fired off once in awhile when they can get a licensed boiler operator. Originally horse drawn it was converted after WWI to be motorized. It was prominent on our FD patch for decades. Also did a few steam meets at Edaville Railroad when it was running steam engines. Those meets had steam tractors and a steam powered steamroller. Very impressive machines. Also some scaled down working models of other steam driven devices.
 
I grew up knowing UP4014. Sitting in it's corner at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, we would visit it yearly during the Fair.

In an earlier life (grin), I followed SP4449 on a couple of it's trips. One most notable "following" was from just south of Indio CA to San Luis Obispo CA. In the early morning hours, called in to my work, saying that I was "tired" and unable to make it to work.... ;)
 
I grew up knowing UP4014. Sitting in it's corner at the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds, we would visit it yearly during the Fair.

In an earlier life (grin), I followed SP4449 on a couple of it's trips. One most notable "following" was from just south of Indio CA to San Luis Obispo CA. In the early morning hours, called in to my work, saying that I was "tired" and unable to make it to work.... ;)

I happened to be at the fairgrounds when they were prepping the 4014 for it's move. We were setting up for the car swap meet and wondered over to watch. Got talking to a couple of the volunteers that were doing the work and they invited me to go up in the cab, I swear it was like looking out of a two story building. That's one huge puppy. Didn't get to see it run but maybe someday.
 
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UP 4014 passed through Illinois this past summer. My grandkids really enjoyed it. Not like riding on a current commuter train at all.
 
Hi, I am the Great-grandson of Casey Jones. I grew up learning about steam locomotives and his final trip.
At the Old Country Store in Jackson, TN, where Casey and his family were living at the time of his death, there is the original house where they lived and a replica of Engine 382.
https://www.caseyjones.com/
There is also a museum in Vaughn, MS, the site of the wreck.

I'm happy to answer any questions or just talk about growing up as a relative of a Railroad Legend.
 

 

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