Sep 10-12: Cheyenne, WY

Why did I come to Cheyenne?
Anyone living outside the USA who has studied to any degree the development of rail transport within the Americas, will be familiar with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad (between Chicago, IL, and Sacramento, CA). From this, they will be familiar with the Union Pacific Railroad and the major railroad base of Cheyenne, WY. I certainly have been for many years and have been aware also of the big locomotives that the UPRR designed and had built over the decades to handle heavy trains at reasonable speeds over the heavy grades of the Wasatch Mountains between Ogden, UT, and Green River, WY, and over Sherman Hill, immediately to the west of Cheyenne.

Of these ‘superpower’ fleets of locomotives (which later included purpose-built diesel-electric classes and a gas turbine type), the largest of the steam fleets were the 25 4000-class locomotives (or more technically correct; 4884-1 and -2 classes, since they were built in two groups) known as Big Boys. They were commissioned exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad, the first being delivered in 1941, and they were 133 ft long and weighed 1.2 million lbs. The “Big Boy” moniker is a nickname that originated from a shop worker at ALCO (the builder) who wrote the words in chalk on the smokebox of the first locomotive of the class prior to it its delivery. That action effectively eliminated the corporate UP intention to label the class as 'The Wasatch' type, in honour of the mountain range they were to conquer.

These massive locomotives, actually two locomotives in one, were a ‘simple articulated’ type, meaning they did not use the steam twice (i.e. first in one set of cylinders and then in the other) and they had a pivoting forward frame that allowed their great length to navigate track curvature, a design that was a high point in steam locomotive technology. The class were designed for stability at 80 mph (130 km/h), which provided for a wide margin of reliability and safety, since steam locomotives normally operated well below that speed in freight service. Peak power (approximately 5,500 hp) was reached around 35 mph (56 km/h) and optimal tractive effort was maintained up to around 10 mph (16 km/h).

The Big Boys are often described—usually in railfan publications—as the largest and heaviest reciprocating steam locomotives ever built but this is not the case; there were other locomotive classes in the USA that had superior fundamental physical qualities. However, engine No. 4014 based in Cheyenne is now most certainly the largest operable steam locomotive in the world.

In 2012, the railroad made a corporate decision to locate and refurbish one of the eight Big Boy locomotives that had not been scrapped. After an inspection of these locomotives at their various locations in museums and public parks, technical staff chose No. 4014 located at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, CA. The locomotive was removed from California and UP’s steam team at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne began an extensive restoration process, which included a conversion from burning coal to oil. The project was completed in May 2019, and the locomotive was returned to operation in time for the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. It now operates in excursion service for the UP steam program. On occasion, cab rides have been sold for as much as $9,500 each to benefit the Union Pacific Railroad Museum at the passenger station in Cheyenne. The 4014 will return to the rails in 2026 to celebrate America's 250th anniversary.

Ed Dickens is the Manager of Union Pacific’s Heritage Operations, and that makes him the steam team leader, having headed the group since 2010. He has an extensive and rare background in steam locomotives. After military service, he learnt to operate steam locomotives and the business of restoring and repairing them at the Georgetown Loop railway (which I didn’t get to) before gaining additional experience working for the Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railroad (which I did get to). Ed joined Southern Pacific in 1993 and worked in the Denver area, becoming a locomotive engineer in 1994. While running diesels, he continued to impart his expertise within the steam locomotive fraternity, assisting other railroads with their heritage programs.

"There's a small group of professionals who work on steam locomotives. Many know each other, and share knowledge and experience," says Ed. "You end up wearing a lot of hats, serving as both operator and mechanic." When Southern Pacific was purchased by Union Pacific and merged, Ed became a UP employee. Now, he enjoys welding and crafting one-of-a-kind parts to fix problems just as much as he loves to run the 600-ton relic ‘over the road’. He told me that he has had the 4014 up to 60 mph (briefly) but on long excursion runs usually keeps speed below that simply as a preservation strategy for this magnificent one-of-a-kind machine.

I am reminded in this, of the owners of the coal-fired twin-screw vessel Earnslaw sailing on Lake Wakitipu in New Zealand, who—for exactly the same reasons—have reduced the vessel’s steam boiler pressure and nowadays run the engines at reduced Full Ahead revolutions than they’re capable of.

In various respects, there are similarities between Ed and me insofar as our interest and background experience with steam locomotives and Tourist & Heritage operations is concerned as well as a career-change from operating trains to assuming a technical role in maintaining tourist passenger trains. I’ve corresponded, intermittently, with Ed over recent years, so coming to Cheyenne and getting to see the steam shop and the 4014 ‘in the flesh’ has been a valued ambition for some time. The engine wasn’t in steam, but I got to sit on that right-hand seat and let my imagination run wild. I really am grateful for the opportunity to have taken up some of Ed’s time and to have been able to chat with him about various aspects of his role.

In order to ensure I left myself with the flexibility to accommodate Ed’s work schedule, I spent 3 days in Cheyenne, so was able to enjoy a look around this railroad and cowboy town. I hope all of you ‘non-steamy’ folks will enjoy seeing something of Cheyenne. I’ll post the Big Boy material on the Blog as a separate Footprint.Okumaya devam et