Go big or go home!

[whole diary]

[Red Squirrel]

Union Pacific 'Big Boy' 4-8-8-4 No.4014, the world's largest steam locomotive, moved under its own power on 1st May for the first time on 60 years. 4014 joins 4-8-4 No.844 in UP's excursion fleet, and is due to take part in celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad this year.

Details of the tour schedule are here: https://www.up.com/media/releases/190314-big-boy-schedule.htm

YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrqzaSDiM-A&t=8s

[SandTEngineer]

Many years ago I had to dodge a thing like that when working on the track.

.....well, it was the 7 1/4inch version on the Dobwalls Theme Park railway in Cornwall



Lots more photographs here: https://www.jhluxton.com/The-35mm-Film-Archive/Railways/Forest-Railroad-Dobwalls-Cornw/

[JayMac]

I have vivid happy memories of my childhood visits to Dobwalls. Such a shame it's all gone. Also a shame that the many photos taken by grandparents of me at Dobwalls have been disposed of. 

[Robin Summerhill]

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go to the event in Ogden, Utah, on Thursday.

I'll report back when I get home next Monday.

[grahame]

I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go to the event in Ogden, Utah, on Thursday.

I'll report back when I get home next Monday.

Enjoy!   Look forward to hearing from you on your return.    I'll be following up some of the fare threads - including the one you asked "does no-one disagree?" quite soon ... I'm sure things won't move so quickly in a week that they're no longer relevant.

[GBM]

I have vivid happy memories of my childhood visits to Dobwalls. Such a shame it's all gone. Also a shame that the many photos taken by grandparents of me at Dobwalls have been disposed of. 

We also have lovely memories from there with our children.
Must have taken some photo's (?) but if so, I've no idea where they might be; or even if we perhaps didn't take any pictures at the time.

[Robin Summerhill]

Enjoy!   Look forward to hearing from you on your return.    I'll be following up some of the fare threads - including the one you asked "does no-one disagree?" quite soon ... I'm sure things won't move so quickly in a week that they're no longer relevant.

I'll look forward to it!

Unfortunately I will be maintaining"radio silence" whilst I'm out there because, unlike my home PC, my laptop doesn't log me on automatically and I've forgotten my password. And I don't want to change it for fear I'll forget it again 

[Robin Summerhill]

On their way from Cheyenne to Ogden

Point of Rocks earlier today (or yesterday!)

The engines are scheduled to be given a Rest Day tomorrow at Evanston, and do the remaining three or so hours to Ogden on Wednesday morning,

I should at least be in the right country to see them by then

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogXRHk8Hq-Y

[Red Squirrel]

I really, really like that whistle - suddenly I find the need to listen to a bit of Hank Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIo5x-q1GNo

Good to see that UP has no problems with over-enthusiastic railfans getting the wrong side of the fence...

[Robin Summerhill]

Well I got there and back

Ogden Thursday 9th May:

Ogden UTA station with many men of a "certain age" and their womenfolk in many cases


844 waiting for the star of the show:


4014 arriving after being stabled half a mile away out of sight of the crowds


4014 and 844 meet as the gathered throng watches:

[Western Pathfinder]

Great to see these pictures Robin thankyou for sharing with us.

[Robin Summerhill]

The Ogden Festival ended on Sunday, and the engines left for Cheyenne at 0800 MT (1500 BST) that morning, and I left Salt Lake City to come back to Blighty at exactly the same time.

On Saturday the place was heaving, and none of my photographs from then are worth posting because there were too many people around to get a clear view, and also strong sunshine coming from exactly the wrong direction.

4014 and 844 were both in light steam and apparently attached to the rake they took to Cheyenne. Footplate visits were available for 4014 and I stood in the queue for an hour, but by the time I got to the front they were only letting people look in so as to speed up the flow before they stopped it at 1500.

I enjoyed the experience but I very much doubt I'll ever go there again. Utah is full of people of a "certain religious persuasion" and it seems they talk about it all the time. Judging by the conversations on the trains going from Salt Lake City to Ogden and back, there must have been a couple of hundred choir practices going on somewhere on Friday night...

And besides, without the special steam visitors, Ogden is just another American town that you can "do" in a couple of hours, including the museums.  Here are a few more shots I took on Thursday and Friday:

UP CEO^▸ (Chief Executive Officer) giving his address, framed by the visitors:


4014 doing a shunting manoeuvre on Friday:


One from Friday morning - it was 844 that was in the better photographic location from where I was standing:


I didn't say anything to anybody about being there from the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) but it is a spot of luck that I didn't because I would have been severely upstaged!

During the opening ceremony the UP CEO said in his speech that someone from the UK had made a dying wish for his ashes to go into the firebox when they completed the restoration of 4014. He died last year. The UP CEO duly produced the box of ashes and in they went 

The guy's widow was there - from Swindon...

[martyjon]

I have a fond memory of my three day visit to Salt Lake City. On my first night in the hotel I replied to the waiters comment, "anything to drink sir", "yes, please", said I "what beers have you". "Beers", replied the waiter, "this is Utah sir".

[grahame]

The pictures are fascinating, thank you ... as are the descriptions of the local life and customs.  I know what you mean about the uncomfortableness of the different ways of life in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) to parts of the USA. But we're likely to stray off topic ...

[Red Squirrel]

Straying a little further, just for a moment, I'm reminded of a Stephen Fry story: On a tour in Salt Lake City, his guide explained that in the afterlife all families are reunited and you are with your family forever. He put his hand up and asked 'What happens if you've been good?' ...and was politely told to leave.