UP Big Boy 4014 shoves stalled Manifest over Blair Hill (6/29/2023)

[@ottotherailfan]

If you'd like to use any part of this video for any reason please reply to this comment before doing so, thanks. Edit: Full reuploads are forbidden especially without adding anything

[@Bennyboi_]

Hey, I make youtube shorts on trains and would love to use this footage in a current event video!

[@ottotherailfan]

Thanks for asking, go right ahead as long as I'm credited

[@NorfolkAndWestern611]

Hello! I would love to make a short or a video on this I’m a small KZbinr that loves trains but this is just a magnificent shot thanks for filming this even if you don’t let me it’s still amazing to watch!

[@ottotherailfan]

@@NorfolkAndWestern611 sure, just be sure I get properly credited

[@NorfolkAndWestern611]

@@ottotherailfandon’t worry man I properly credit all my people!

[@cattlerepairmancattlerepai9414]

I think UP local rail management deserves a shoutout, too. It is one thing to have a stalled freight train/Manifest but it is another to have the open mind (and trust in the machine and the people running it) to let 4014 have a go. They could have called for additional diesel traction to do the job and keep steam out of it - but somebody there decided not to. THAT is the cool aspect for me!

[@railroadingrambler218]

Great point!

[@Joe-sn6ir]

@@rearspeaker6364 NICE!!! :D :D :D

[@jovetj]

I'm pretty sure this was no "accident"... it was staged. Doesn't mean it any less fantastic, though.

[@spamcan9208]

I thought the same thing. Then the comment above said it was staged, which makes more sense tbh. Still cool to watch but if it's true, it's not quite the same as if the dispatchers were in a genuine pinch and this was their solution.

[@jovetj]

@@spamcan9208 Just remember: I don't know for sure it was staged. It (the pushing) just strikes me as likely since 844 did the same thing elsewhere back in the day. I do not believe the wheelslip was staged. And whether it was per-arranged or not doesn't really change how fantastic this is to watch! I still have to pinch myself that there's an operating Big Boy...

[@jakebrodskype]

This is like discovering that your 70-something Grandpa can still bench press over 200 pounds. It's great seeing steam engines doing some heavy pushing. Thanks for capturing this.

[@Tibbs_Farm]

Nah, 4014 didn't disconnect its own load... grandpa just benched 350 And that wheel slip at the intersections.... grandpa winked while re-racking that 350. He knows he can do more.

[@Meteorslinger7.1]

Ha ha! Yes it does!

[@codystafford]

And hes still mad as hell about becoming old.

[@Crazyasianman286]

MCHNP: Grandpa? I don’t feel so good. 4014: C’mere kiddo.

[@DavidMiller212]

More like 80 year old grandpa can bench 5x what the young meat heads can bench.

[@fallingup90]

A wheelslip while pushing a freighter; this is the coolest move the 4014 has made since restoration

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

She was built for freight hauling

[@Morgan_Sandoval]

@@USS_Grey_Ghost Thanks Cpt. Obvious; That was indeed the point.

[@USS_Grey_Ghost]

@@Morgan_Sandoval I know that’s why I said that

[@Mr.Slaughter]

She wanted to go fast up that hill so bad. You can tell its been too long.

[@jameskratzer2014]

And also the best stack talk 4014 has made since the restoration!

[@StalinM41]

Big Boy getting to flex its muscle for once, as a mechanical engineer I can appreciate this on multiple levels

[@Electrodexify]

Big Boy is masculine and not a girl like people keep trying to say

[@clickpause8732]

@@ElectrodexifyI mean Big Boy could be a girl, we don’t know. Trains are most commonly referred to as “it”, but like many vehicles are often personified with feminine pronouns. I’ll stick with it/he though.

[@Electrodexify]

@@clickpause8732 Well all other smaller trains have been called she's; which is adequate. Now Big Boy with the name is a dead give away and plus Big Boy is the biggest.

[@clickpause8732]

@@Electrodexify I think he fits it better, but she would be common convention for a train of any size, so I think it's really just speaker's choice haha

[@daanvos194]

@@clickpause8732 lets stick with male for cargo and female for pasanger

[@CRBTrains]

To see a steam engine pushing freight in 2023 is absolutely outstanding. I bet you are super happy that you got to see this in person! Thanks for sharing

[@Voucher765]

The Big Boys were also used in World War II to pull military traffic to Europe or the Pacific theatre, The first one came just before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

[@SpawnofChaos]

@@Voucher765Your wording makes it sound like they were sent overseas 😅 3985 did the same thing for a BNSF train that'd lost a locomotive to a traction motor failure once, and 844 helped a stalled container train. All three are doing their part!

[@TheOriginalJphyper]

They're using it for its intended purpose.

[@dangeary2134]

Usually, they were PULLING freight!

[@FazbearEntertainment414]

its a normal thing in the uk

[@S0M3GUY778]

Amazing to think that this is the first time I've heard 4014 actually making the chugging sound and working hard to move something. Usually the loads they give her are easy to pull or she has 844 helping on those first excursions. But this is 4014 in her element doing what she was built for and slugging it out to get that freight moving. Incredible to see!

[@jovetj]

They were very slow and methodical to break him in, which is a good thing.

[@smh28v6]

I think on that very first excursion 844 was basically pushing it most of the way because it had a massive steam leak. But I'm glad to see 4014 doing what it was built for again

[@gbel78]

*he 😇😂

[@PereMarquette1223]

I’ve heard it make that sound, my video of the 4014 in Chicago has it. This is just a very sharp and loud exhaust

[@jmeyer3rn]

@@gbel78okay big girl.

[@SCL3618]

Gonna go out on a limb and say you just caught one of the most badass moments for this engine's second career. This is sick!

[@thunderbird1921]

Goes to show that the old giant still has it in him. Can't imagine how loud it must have been roaring with a train 2-3 miles long though during its regular service years!

[@blairterry9435]

Heh it would be awesome if 4014 was put in charge of a freight train. Charging up the line with a mile long freight making excellent time on the road.

[@15nyonker]

@@thunderbird1921 5 or 6 miles. Lighter cars back then, but still. My favorite part about the big boy is they over engineered it so much they kept raising its rated power throughout its working life.

[@stet_and_query_central_1]

We need the big boy to pull a freight train

[@bmcewen65]

​@@stet_and_query_central_1agreed! I think it's just a matter of time. It's PR. For UP

[@Delaware-Lackawanna-railfan]

I'm gonna go on and say it, 4014 working hard helping a stalled freight is an instant time machine to the days of steam. The smoke, wheelslip, everything. It's incredible just how much power 4014 shows in this video, and gives a hint to the locomotive's sheer power of pulling, and it's great to see it once again.

[@kuhltwo1]

AND pulling it's own consist at the same time!!

[@TopAirspace]

Steam has unlimited power, you simply can't stop it, if big boy was indestructible and traction were unlimited Big Boy would rotate the earth as soon as it made even 1rpm of engine speed.

[@jamesgroccia644]

That fireman is with it. That wheelslip made a huge draft and sucked out a black exhaust cloud, then right back to clear as Big Boy gets his bite. That is near-perfect dynamic firing

[@tomoconnell2320]

I don’t know what any of that terminology means but would love to understand what you mean by draft and why clear is a good thing.

[@jamesgroccia644]

@@tomoconnell2320 Draft is the air getting sucked through the fire tubes. That’s what transfers heat from the firebox to the boiler. Clear smoke is a sign of complete combustion, meaning all of the fuel in the firebox is burnt. You get black particulates in the smoke when the fuel doesn’t have time to burn completely, or if not enough air is coming through the dampers (the vents on the firebox exterior which let air in). Clear smoke is good because you have an efficient fire generating lots of steam. When you add more fuel, like when Big Boy’s front set slipped, that fuel is only partly burnt when the draft sucks it through the tubes and out the blast pipe in the stack. That’s where you get an inefficient fire. Clear smoke = efficient fire Black smoke = wasteful fire

[@HailHydra27]

Does 4014 even have a fireman now its oil fired?

[@dacartrainguy]

​@@HailHydra27 of course it still have a fireman... Instead of managing coal, it manage the oil, but still, every existing operating steam locomotive require an engineer and a fireman

[@C.I...]

@@dacartrainguy Though they are sometimes the same person on smaller locos :D

[@n0jy]

Sir, you have brought most of us something that we will never see again in our lifetime, much less being there as you were so blessed to be. And I say that at 67 years old having grown up with steam engines since 3 years old and a career with the RR. You made me smiiiiiile sooooo big! And miss my Dad... he started me on all this steam stuff! Thank you!

[@clarkpj1]

I'm 72 and one of my earliest memories is of my dad and the roundhouse foreman talking in a tavern about diesels replacing steam locomotives. So the foreman says to my dad, "lets show him one". We went over near the depot where an engine was parked and I remember looking up at the drivers and not believing their size as the foreman climbed up into the cab. Then my dad hoisted me up and I couldn't believe how hot it was when he kicked the firebox open! This happened in Marquette, Iowa in 1954 or 1955. The foreman's name was Billy Dielh.

[@Estolcles]

Man, even a bit of wheel slip. That Big Boy is definitely earning it's keep on this shove job.

[@AtkataffTheAlpha]

Push freight: check Wheelslip: check Pass by in the end: check Just like 844

[@tjkroll5965]

Yeah but if you notice, it was mostly the front set of driver wheels that slipped. Yet the back set were still fine.

[@frankely6378]

The wheel slip really shows just how hard 4014 was shoving. You don't get that unless you are working right at the limit of traction. And it sounds like 4015 was not much above idle -- certainly not working hard.

[@MiG21aholic]

​@@tjkroll5965that's what happens with dual engine unit locomotives. Only one regulator/throttle valve still too though

[@KeijiSuwa]

@@tjkroll5965 With articulated steam locomotives it's normally the front drivers that slip since there's less weight on them than the rear drivers. It's rare for the rear drivers to slip, and even rarer for both sets of drivers to slip at the same time. The only example I've ever seen of the rear drivers on a Big Boy slipping is in "Last of the Giants".

[@TheAlwards]

Could be the ultimate railfan moment of the past 65 years.

[@caydenworley5002]

When’s the last time you’ve heard a report of a UP Big Boy helping a stalled freight train? If only the majority of the men who drove these beasts on a daily basis could see this today they’d be proud to see a big boy showing how powerful it can be while barely breaking a sweat

[@themanformerlyknownascomme777]

this is the first time I've heard of big boy getting to do it, but a few years back 3985 pulled a very long load all by herself.

[@kristoffermangila]

All those old-time hoggers would tears in their eyes when they see #UP4014 push that manifester up that hill!

[@trainknut]

The last time a UP big boy helped a stalled freight over a grade was in 1959.

[@FS2K4Pilot]

The time 844 pushed a stalled freight is part of her legend now, and this will be part of 4014’s. And from the sound of her exhaust in that second shot, she was not only sweating, she was on her hands and knees pushing for all she was worth!

[@KidarWolf]

Oh no, she was sweating hard enough that if she were a racehorse, she'd need a walk down in a sweat sheet, a bath once the worst of it has been wicked away, and then a good go over with the squeegee, or you'd be risking health issues from running her hard and putting her away wet. Sharp barks from the stack tell you she was working for the money there!

[@preble316]

From being hauled as freight from a museum to pushing freight.... helping out some diesels... got me emotional. Love and respect to our modern trains and their older kin.

[@djlau1]

i feeel youre emotions i had the same!!❤️

[@clarkpj1]

That's one of the best railroad videos I've ever seen! An engineer using his whistle properly, a steam engine helping a freight train over a hill, and a fantastic shot of the front drivers of a Big Boy going into full wheel slip. Congratulations on a fabulous job!

[@steveluckhurst2350]

Why is the shot of wheels slip "fantastic"?

[@adamliebreich-johnsen6104]

@@steveluckhurst2350Because that happens when an articulated steam engine is working that hard, and it was excellent work by the engineer and fireman to keep her going.

[@clarkpj1]

@@steveluckhurst2350 Mmm, I don' t know. How many times have you managed to get a video of one (and only one) set of drivers on an articulated steam engine " let go". Personally, I've NEVER seen it happen anywhere, ever, at all.

[@G-Forces]

​@@clarkpj1But you clearly see it happening in this video. The crew of 4014 sure as heck didn't do it on purpose.

[@steveluckhurst2350]

@@adamliebreich-johnsen6104 I'm sure that the engineer is embarrassed to have been caught on camera. FYI, wheelslip is never good.

[@steam4eva]

First time a Big Boy has really worked hard since the 1950's! Awesome video and thanks for posting.

[@LIMowersAndMore]

History repeats itself! Just like 844 pushed a stalled train over archer hill I believe, beautiful video man!

[@cactuscamo9685]

3984 pulled over archer hill a few years back. God i wish that audio was as good as this cameras that would’ve been awesome.

[@jordanalexander615]

That's correct it's probably been around 15 to 20 years ago but it was glorious to see

[@andrewbabin3341]

844 didn't have an AC traction pusher coupled in behind her. 3985 hauled that American President Lines stack train unassisted. UP is coddling the Big Boy!

[@ottotherailfan]

Dude the 4015 is in idle during the push and is usually running in idle or dynamics during their runs

[@hawkdsl]

@@andrewbabin3341 The diesel is only for dynamic braking, and power generation. This clip should put your (common) idea to rest, as they could have taken the diesel out of the stack, and have it push the stalled train. Plus 4014 got excited, and spun out briefly. Again pointing out the diesel is just for dynamic braking and electric power generation. Oh, and it add significant weight, as 4014 is so powerful, it actually needs a load to pull to function correctly. The wide spread idea that 4014 needs special treatment or "coddling" is bizarre. UP has a dedicated steam shop. There is nothing they can't fix on 4014. We can tell because the fully restored 4014, which had been sitting outside for decades. It's beyond funny that they would have to be careful with 4014.. because.. I don't know... The people that built the thing from the ground up have been taken hostage by aliens? bizarre.

[@miendust]

the chance of the first train getting stuck/breaking down is low... but the chance to have a big boy behind it... holy shit, thats something you simply cant predict.

[@jovetj]

I'm convinced it was staged by UP.

[@ottotherailfan]

Trains stall on Blair Hill more often than you'd think....

[@jovetj]

@@ottotherailfan How often is that? Once a week? Once a month? Once a year?

[@ottotherailfan]

I don't have an exact count but 5-10 a month I'd say based on the amount of people complaining about highway 91 being blocked I've also heard plenty of train crew request a push from other trains on my scanner

[@jovetj]

@@ottotherailfan Dang! Is this new since CP Duffy was put in, or?

[@whistleboardproductions]

What a catch! These engines were designed to handle these big freights with ease and to see one still serving the UP really goes to show that this railroad not only celebrates its steam history but still calls on it when needed! Great video!

[@jeremycox2983]

Amen to that Steam engines are something else

[@SandBoxJohn]

All of the Union Pacific heritage fleet steam locomotives have been or are on the active locomotives roster.

[@whistleboardproductions]

@@SandBoxJohn I know! That's so incredible.

[@foamer443]

What it also says is UP has confidence in it's heritage fleet to step up if it's required and not have to wait while they scramble to get power from some place else.

[@jasonbaird1645]

@@foamer443 I'm sure it makes financial sense, too, to have a heritage locomotive do the work rather than leaving a train stalled on the main longer than necessary. 4014's fuel and maintenance after this flex won't be cheap because nothing is cheap on that locomotive, but it's gotta be worth the cost to keep traffic moving.

[@MrLancealot]

Thats absolutely amazing! You got to witness something that hasn't been done by a Big Boy in nearly 70 years!

[@MikesModelTrains]

Love to see her doing what she was built for

[@artiek1177]

4014 started having flashbacks to the ‘40s.

[@ubroberts5541]

It’s not a she- it’s BIG BOY. It’s in the name.😅😅😅😅

[@ncs8730]

​@@ubroberts5541 Don't know how it's usual in the US. In the UK, any loco is a she despite her :)) name.

[@Electrodexify]

​@ncs8730 yeah but Big Boy is unique, because he's big and strong. Not feminine at all

[@vr6gls]

@@ubroberts5541Thank you! I’m glad someone finally said it. The locomotive is male, hence the name “Big Boy”.

[@corbettbalcaitis]

I am here from Hyce's channel, wanted to see the full thing and holy hell this is cool, to see the crew spin around the knuckle to 4014 doing light work to help a stalled diesel engine. To the wheel slip and to see the engineer fix it quickly, not to mention how clean the fireman ran the fire the whole time. After this i can guarentee at least 2 people on the whole train crew was like "this is light work for this big boy, why did we retire steam engines again?"

[@OfficialDenverRioGrandeWestern]

3985 pulls a 143 car auto rack train 844 pushes a 11 ton train 4014 hold my beer

[@OfficialDenverRioGrandeWestern]

@Metra212Productionsthanks for the accurate number I kind put them in off my head 😂

[@josephchavez91]

​@@PrincessJennaTheHusky2149the train was 2 miles long

[@robertstack2144]

Imagine how embarassed the diesel engineer feels

[@classicautorepair2100]

4014 putting in work in 2023.

[@robertf3479]

@@robertstack2144 Yeah, he probably had at least one and possibly two units fail on him, or Dispatch gave him more tonnage than they had allotted muscle for on that grade or some other reason. Whatever ... WE BENEFITED by being able to watch and hear this amazing machine happily do what it was designed to do.

[@cloudedarctrooper]

This is probably one of my new favorite modern steam videos now. Right up there with that one vid of Santa Fe 3751 keeping pace with (and even overtaking) modern cars on an interstate in California.

[@MegaBrokenstar]

That 3751 video is incredible. Really shows you just how well steam holds up in the modern world. Steam was never retired for performance reasons, only because the maintenence costs were higher. 4014 here is still the most powerful locomotive on earth.

[@jonny_vdv]

You know it's either going to be a very good day or a very bad day for a steam crew when they pull out the front coupler

[@artiek1177]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen 4014 With the front coupler open.

[@justincollins8266]

How about watching the move to Cheyenne for restoration?

[@jasonbaird1645]

@@artiek1177 The only time I remember seeing 4014's front coupler (before today) was when they were moving it from the museum to the steam shop. This is one of the coolest things to happen on a railroad in a long time.

[@SamaritanPrime]

Today was a VERY good day.

[@john6218att]

@@jasonbaird1645 Ed must have been having fun doing that....

[@grievousangelic]

Amazing. My parents grew up during the steam train era. The 4014 would have been brand new when they were 7 or 8 years old. They always loved seeing a steam train, and would have loved this video. Thank you for posting it!

[@KingdaToro]

Honestly, they should have her pull one revenue freight train a year. Publicize the time and route in advance so people can actually see her working hard.

[@Cragified]

Ignoring how that manifest would be at a loss for UP. It would only end up in her being back as a static museum piece quicker. There are a lot of very expensive parts that have to be custom made now such as brake shoes as there are no trains around that use that style of brake and diameter of driver anymore. It's the main reason along with PTC (Positive Train Control) that the diesel electric 4015 is part of the excursions, along with saving fuel during the long parts of the runs between towns.

[@crystalmariepatterson9654]

I don't think we have enough available freight cars to make her actually work hard.

[@bills1785]

This goes to show how POWERFUL, ICONIC, useful & LEGENDARY 4014 "Big Boy". For being 83 years old. Still looking as good & powerful as ever. I still have yet to catch this BEAUTY 4014

[@jefesman]

So grateful you had caught this action. We were all waiting in Fremont for the scheduled 10:45 am arrival, wondering what exactly had happened in Blair. I do remember this manifest preceding shortly before the 4014's arrival. Thank you!!!!

[@georgemccoy219]

And it just doesn't get any better than that! Thank you for the fantastic capture of history being made through your lens!! This is what Big Boy is all about. Great day for the mighty 4014!!

[@Naviss]

This is amazing! I never thought we would see Big Boy move freight again! Wow!!!!!!

[@WAB-bx3ee]

How about that wheel slip too!

[@truckercowboyed2638]

He's also doing it while pulling his own consist......

[@longrider42]

The power of STEAM is incredible. And the Big Boy is the biggest and best of the breed, didn't even break a sweat. I live in Cheyenne so I was able to see the Big Boy get restored. It was a wonderful thing to watch.

[@InkblotHyena]

Hearing the raw power of #4014 is basically a religious experience. #4015 sounded like they were on high idle at the most. This was basically all #4014 from the rear, with the original units at the head end pulling. Big Boy was designed to pull tonnage up the Wasatch, after-all. All that tonnage at her front, and so much at her rear, and even through wheelslip.. Man. UP Steam Shop outdid themselves.

[@Runcy12]

I am no train geek, but even I can appreciate the beauty of this awsome feat of engineering. If only things today were made with such care and dedication! Thank you forsuch a beautiful video!

[@jovetj]

Of the 8 (IIRC) Big Boys that still exist[ed], one of which is in my city, I never EVER imagined I'd ever see one working. Props to UP for putting the literal millions of dollars into this restoration job.

[@deltavee2]

I'm not much of a train guy but that Big Boy is a breath-taking beast. At the start when the camera moved down the length of it the overpowering impression was Muscle and plenty of it. A beautiful restoration of a uniquely American legend.

[@Little_Donut1]

This is what the Big Boys were built for. The sheer freaking power still rivals diesels. Simply badass

[@laurenceperkins7468]

In terms of the tonnage they were designed to pull, they rival a PAIR of diesels... Top speed is lower though.

[@alpharailroadproductions]

4014 returns to active freight service for one day! This was such an amazing sight to see I never thought something like this would happen especially in 2023!

[@lucasquintanilla1673]

These sort of things happen every once in a while on union pacific as I know that there steam fleet locomotives sometimes will pull freight trains on their way to excursions. However, the most high profile events of this kind do happen rather rarely, but we can now say that 4014 has done this all three members of union pacific steam fleet have now accomplished such a task. 3985 challenger did a similar thing in the 1980s when a company specifically asked union pacific to pull a intermodal double stack freight train with a steam locomotive and due to the length and weight of the train 3985 was considered the perfect candidate. An old video of it is on KZbin, and it is one of the most famous railfan video recordings ever made. Another incident occurred a decade later in the 1990s when Up 844 was coming back from an excursion and it had to assist a stalled freight train on archer Hill. 844 was very much pulling its weight in that incident and it is documented in a documentary about the history of Union Pacific 844 from its creation up until the 2000s when the documentary was made. Now Union Pacific 4014 big boy has done a similar accomplishment and helping to keep the commerce running. I must say that the expertise of union pacific in order to keep their World War II era locomotives not just in running order, but being in good enough shape to accomplish feats like this, every once, in a while is a testament to their engineering prowess.

[@paulbergen9114]

Absolutely fantastic footage glad you were there to capture it. One only wonders when the last time was that the front coupler was aligned for a freight car and that Warwick boxcar got its 15 minutes worth of Fame. Actually right about 7::15 it starts to breathe almost like a weightlifter concentrating and gradually building up to the big push and when the wheel slip is added it's a true learning experience for those of us that weren't around when this was their regular task. Real iron. Real results

[@railroadingrambler218]

Spot on as always, Paul!

[@StevenSlattery]

Man, seeing this Big Boy helping out others that needed help (such as this stalled freight train) really brings a smile to my face and heart because this was what this Big Beast of a Boy was first built to do! THANK YOU ED!

[@dad90]

You can't argue with that. This is what he does best!

[@beenjammin1984]

The cadence as its working sounds like its marching up the hill!! Beautiful sounds!!

[@TRARP05]

What a sight it is to see 4014 pushing a heavy train uphill like what 844 did and to hear that chugging sound from 4014

[@MoosaiLuver]

No shit, at first I thought the report of the engine was the trucks from the freight cars clacking across the tracks. It wasn't until about 9:00 that I realized "Oh my god. That's the engine." And with WHEEL SLIP! Such an amazing catch, big props to you for sharing it for all of us out in the East to see!

[@automotiveman13]

I thought the same thing. I was like man those flats cars have some serious flat spots on their trucks and then I realized it was the Big Boy chuffing and I instantly got a big stupid smile on my face.

[@spacemanfrompluto]

Absolutely breathtaking - I had a wild grin plastered across my face from start to finish. You must feel fantastic for getting such an incredible capture!

[@Unreasonable_Gaming]

I love how UP restored her and she still is out there getting work done and making people smile

[@superbluhedgehog1]

Those exhaust beats as it's pushing all that tonnage. I think that's the first time in quite some time that 4014 has hauled or shoved anything that substantial. Love seeing that.

[@toxicdragon323]

It's nice to see Big Boy doing the work it used to do in its day. Amazing! Still has the power we all know and love! I'd love to see Big Boy do 70+ mph like it used to. The big boys were powerful beasts!

[@42bigfred]

I'm from Blair - I recognize all these locations! My dad grew up in Sidney NE in the late 40s & early 50s, and his father's Texaco station was one block south of the UP mainline and roundhouse/coaling tower. He loved the Big Boys. Took me to Elkhorn to see 844 (8444 at the time) in 1968. We visited 4014 at Home Plate in 2019, two years before he passed in 2021. I wanted to get to Blair today to see 4014 blow through, and couldn't. THANK YOU, thank you for this wonderful work. It means so much to see and hear, and remember my dad too.

[@jovetj]

I'm from Blair and it took me a few to realize exactly where this was filmed from. Wish I would have caught this in person!

[@fordson51]

The engineer must have Ben smiling ear to ear doing this. Big Boy doing what it was built too, muscling freight on tough grades. Amazing catch, especially that little wheel slip. Now 4014 and 844 have a thing in common for rescuing stuck freight.

[@ChrisCompson576]

thanks to Hyce for shareing this or i would have missed this amazing video!!!!

[@Carstuff111]

I bet at this point, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Honestly, I don't even think we will ever see (or hear) something so epic ever again after this! Oh what beautiful noises that beast makes! I bet it was more awesome (in the literal use of the word) in person!

[@milesoftrains]

Amazing catch! Good to see 4014 using more than 20% of its power

[@jmeyer3rn]

Oh yay. Saw that little yellow caboose in the middle of the consist!

[@waltslostson1056]

Goes to show newer isn't always better! Great video!

[@douglasharveyii]

My grandfather worked for ALCO in Schenectady NY, and was proud of his job, making trains for the war effort! He'd be so proud to see the Big Boy doing what he was designed to do, over 70+ years ago, and still doing an ace job at it! Thank you so much for sharing this video!

[@ChrisJones-gx7fc]

Great catch! The Big Boys were originally built for the grades east of Ogden, Utah through Weber and Echo Canyons, and were intended to be named the Wasatch class before an employee wrote ‘Big Boy’ on the smokebox door of #4000, and the name stuck. The Big Boys’ territory gradually expanded east across the Rockies to Cheyenne, where they spent their final years on Sherman Hill. Pretty much all of UP’s big power, the Big Boys, Gas Turbines, etc, were made to tackle the Wasatch mountain range.

[@tedneb3459]

No gender confusion here. That was sheer testosterone.

[@gentlegiants1974]

Kind of emotional here watching this. Thanks. I get the same feeling when I hook my horses up to tow a stuck tractor out of the mud.

[@KidarWolf]

The way the stack talk with each cylinder motion sounds like hoofbeats at the gallop is amazing.

[@rixretros]

Fantastic !!! The Big Boy working hard and earning its keep....just like it would have 70+ years ago. Kudos to UP's dispatcher for going out on a limb and calling 4014 to the rescue. What a great vid.

[@dan_o]

I got teary-eyed watching that beautiful behemoth really work it's strength! Thank you for sharing this with us!

[@bubblesezblonde]

Excellent work! This is some extremely rare and quality footage. You were well-prepared and got the shot. Without doubt, the best train footage I have ever seen. The grey day helped too as the resolution was outstanding. Str8 to faves. Kudos again.

[@ironhorsemedia2881]

That sound around the 9 minute mark was insane!

[@floridaboz1]

Most the time i do not watch videos with no commentary, watched this video twice just because it was so badass

[@amdforever20072007]

Came here from Hyce’s video; thanks for lettin him use your clip! Fantastic capture of Big Boy putting in some work!

[@erikklopfenstein1948]

That is absolutely fantastic to see!!!! The ole boy doing what he was bread for!!! Wish they let him lead instead of push, but thrilled you managed yo catch this rare moment!!!! Thanks for sharing it!!!

[@royreynolds108]

In this case, the track was blocked by the stalled freight with the 4014 and its train behind the freight. I understand there was a power failure with one of the diesel units on the freight so then there was not enough power to pull that train over the hill is why it stalled. Normally, you would be correct about pulling instead of pushing.

[@Stussmeister]

Very interesting, and reminiscent of the time #844 helped a stalled train up a steep grade. I also believe it reinforces the notion that while diesel/electric locomotives may be more efficient than steam locomotives, it is very difficult for them to match a steam engine in terms of power or (in certain instances) speed.

[@jovetj]

Can't match the GRACE and AWE of steam.

[@foxboy64]

thats a misnomer. the diesel electrics are not only more efficient, but far more powerful. big boy's max consist weight is just a smidge over 4,000 tons. a single one of those diesels can haul upwards of 6,000 tons and thats just the average between all the various types. i believe the diesels on this train were rated up to about 8,000 tons or so each. so when one of the two failed, they could no longer pull the 11,000ton consist. fortunatly one diesel (8000) + one big boy (4200) = a combined pulling power of 12,200 tons. juuuuust enough to get em over the grade, assuming the diesel in 4014's train didn't provide any assistance itself. tl;dr big boy isn't more powerful than diesel/electics, its inferior in every aspect to modern locomotives, except for pure cool factor.

[@ottotherailfan]

1. the consist was only 9505 tons not sure where 11k came from and why everyone is saying it but whatever. 2. The 4000s had weight limits depending on the grade that they would travel across realistically between Cheyenne and North Platte they were rated 9000 tons the 4000 ton limit was for the Wasatch grade eastbound I belive westbound they could haul up to 5000 tons but I'd have to check. Not sure where you got your other tonnage ratings but I'd double check them.

[@Stussmeister]

@@foxboy64 You make some good points, but the fact that #4014 is running at 80+ years of age when most diesel locomotives are replaced after 15-25 years is impressive nonetheless. Moreover, from an aestetic standpoint, diesel/electric locomotives look the same whether they're in the station or running along the line, and it's only with steam locomotives that one can see the steam/smoke as well as the moving parts. TLDR: Diesel/electric locomotives may more or less outperform steam locomotives, but crowds of people aren't quite as likely to turn up and watch them run.

[@jordanplays-transitandgame1690]

​@@Stussmeisterthen explain the emd e and f units running after 80 years?

[@KarenSions]

she was 83 when this happen in my opinion she did what she was built to do awsome video😉

[@caseywedel1969]

Even shows the the expansion link movement as he reverses to stretch the joint and push the slack back in. I've seen it on old 16mm of the Challengers while zoomed in on the drivers. Wow! The whole thing was great, but the little things catch my eye too

[@nd_gunslinger_6264]

This actually brought a tear to my eye, my grandfather worked on the UP for many, many, years, and lived in Julesburg Colorado. He worked in alot of the other Nebraska and Colorado yards right after his service in WWll. He passed before I could ever meet him, he ran the big Piggypacker loader and drove the piggy back trailers to some of the other yards that weren't on the schedule. He always told my father, "even if it was a rarity, you could definitely tell by the sound when a Challenger or a Big Boy were coming up the line, pounding the rails and making the ground shake, blowing huge steam clouds and letting the whole county know when they came to a crossing with their big booming whistles" He definitely enjoyed the big steamers over the Diesel's that replaced them. I hope to see 4014 someday soon, especially in Julesburg where my father grew up. I like to think maybe my grandfather unloaded some freight off that very engine when she was still in service back in her heyday

[@chriswest1996]

Just stunningly great to see the old iron can muscle up and do the job. Brilliant!

[@RomeKG471]

Damn! yea! bout time she works a little!!!! Wow she sounds good!!!!

[@BotherRed]

This has honistly earned the use of "Epic" to describe this. It's unreal seeing 4014 doing something it was build to do in 2023, doing actual freght work instead of just pulling entustast trains

[@Infernal71]

I'm so jealous of you for being able to see that, I would've paid to see it. 4014 is a BEAST and an og

[@johnsimms6778]

Always great to see 4014 doing some useful freight work.

[@johnsimms6778]

Can you imagine the publicity value if the 4014 was hitched to a grain train in the fall instead of a passenger consist?

[@xr7coug]

Wow, this is something I never thought I would see! Thanks for sharing!

[@Trainspotter3033]

Always a pleasure seeing this 4014 running out there, but, now pushing a train showing how it was at its days of glory, is something you don’t see everyday!

[@BB1951]

Just saying, with enough love and care, this mighty beast will continue for another 80+ years . Awesome video.

[@automotiveman13]

OH MY GOD!!!! She sounds amazing when working hard. What an awesome video.

[@jamesmason2228]

This is awesome. A real "put me in coach!" moment. While I'm a little suspicious about whether UP really needed to call in 4014 - it's an opportunity to see it do what it was built to do.

[@jasonbaird1645]

I'm more than a little suspicious. To tinfoil-hat me, this has "staged" written all over it, but I don't care because it's so cool to see this beast doing what it was built to do for the first time in my lifetime.

[@Joe-sn6ir]

4014 was behind the stalled train so why not?

[@NBSV1]

I’d read a different comment saying UP tends to run trains at the low end of how many engines they need. So, if one of them has a problem it often means they can’t pull the grade. Supposedly that’s what happened here is they lost one engine and then couldn’t keep going. I’d suspect the helper diesel with 4014 could have provided enough to get the line moving too. But, it’s way cooler to use some big steam and let it work for a bit again.

[@SamCogley]

They could have sat around for hours waiting for a diesel to be dispatched from somewhere, or they could have 4014, which would have been waiting on the line anyway, give them a shove.

[@BlakesTrainsandMore4014]

This is the COOLEST thing 4014 Has done in a while, Well done getting footage of this!

[@johnnewman732]

This is how they test the pure power of the big boy

[@stanfullerton8485]

What a cool video catch!!! The incredible sound, wheel slippage just at crest with the last heave-ho to get it done!!! Right place @ right time video memory.

[@MattH-wg7ou]

What a beautiful piece of machinery and outstanding video!

[@RailsofMichigan]

On that warm Summer day on the Nebraska plains justice was served on behalf of pipe fitters, boiler makers and plain old steam lovers the world over. 4014 has shown the world again just as 3985 and 844 have steam can still do the job today as it did yesterday.

[@johndoran3274]

The raw torque of that thing is unbelievable. Thanks for sharing!

[@ScarpawMutt]

Heck yeah! Even after 80 years she's still hard at work moving that freight!

[@Yellowstone216]

9:29 MAN THAT WHEEL SLIP THOUGH

[@brianrigsby7900]

Finally a video with 4014 puffing! Usually in other videos I’ve seen he’s pretty quiet😂

[@drby0788]

finally get to hear her stack talk. This was the moment shes been waiting for!!! Awesome stuff!

[@steverob7637]

Absolutely first rate...As an Australian these things are monstrous. I never thought that a Big Boy would have such a sharp, cracking exhaust. Obviously this engine was REALLY working, in full gear and full throttle.......fantastic.

[@tucsonorganist]

Nothing in the world compares with the beauty, power, and magnificence of this beast!

[@Tom-Lahaye]

So good to hear 4014 doing proper work, that exhaust beat is just music.

[@edtoomuchfun957]

Thank you for sharing!!!! Poor poor little diesel, don't worry..... BIG BOY is here to help you!!!!!!

[@trainzguy2472]

Crazy to see how similar this was to UP844's freight shove several decades ago, right down to the wheelslip in front of the camera!

[@TheTsunamijuan]

Man Hats off to the engineer and crew. You guys made that look easy, and you know it wasn't! What a piece of engineering!

[@Dadified86]

Thank you for capturing this moment! We were waiting for it in Arlington and wondered why it had stopped on the tracking map. What a great story and what a tremendous engine!!

[@susanhoover6444]

Awesome video! Thanks for capturing and sharing!

[@royburnham100]

1.2 million pounds and 135,000 pound feet of tractive effort laughs at this task. So happy that Big Boy is back!

[@danstill9974]

Such a beautiful machine !

[@timwerner7771]

A Steam engine working hard makes SO LITTLE NOISE! All that torque, and no roar,..just a deep almost "breathing" sound. Amazing

[@KiRiTO72987]

Well it basically is breathing it breaths air into the fire box and exhales it out the stack