Podcasts Culture Rolling Home The 'Big Boy' comes to town!

The 'Big Boy' comes to town!

Published: Aug. 28, 2021, 10:22 p.m.

Vintage tech can be super cool, and in this edition of Rolling Home we get up close and personal with one of Union Pacific's "Big Boy" locomotives, No. 4014. It is a massive machine that must be seen in person to really be appreciated. Union Pacific built 25 Big Boys during the Great Depression.

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The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds, according to Union Pacific. The frames were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They had a special wheel arrangement: four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels, which guided the engine; eight drivers; another set of eight drivers; and four wheels that supported the rear of the locomotive, according to Union Pacific.

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In December 1961, Union Pacific retired the train. It had traveled 1,031,205 miles in 20 years. Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, Calif., in 2013 and restored it. Since 2019, the train has gone on tour, allowing the public to view it.

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This is the video version of the Rolling Home Podcast, which can be found on Anchor, Apple Podcasts, and many more platforms. Please consider liking, following, and subscribing! Visit http://rollingforhome.wordpress.com for more information and previous podcasts.

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