CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - The Union Pacific Railroad’s gigantic Big Boy steam locomotive has arrived at the company’s Wyoming shop for restoration.
The 1-million-pound, 132-foot-long machine was towed into Cheyenne Thursday. It was sandwiched between two diesels, one bearing the same number as the Big Boy, 4014.
A crowd lining the track applauded as the train crept up to the Cheyenne depot.
Twenty-five Big Boys were manufactured for the Union Pacific in the early 1940s, and they’re among the largest steam engines ever built. They hauled heavy freight trains over the Wyoming and Utah mountains until they were replaced by more efficient diesels.
No. 4014 had been on display at the RailGiants Train Museum in California.
Restoration is expected to take three to five years.
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