It's bad enough that "A UP Big Boy will never be brought back to operation" used to be gospel among any "sensible" rail preservation professionals, until Union Pacific finally said, "......... Challenge Accepted!!!!" and made it happen.

Now I feel like they're just thumbing their nose at "us."

https://www.trains.com/pro/freight/clas ... cas-250th/

They are thumbing their nose at the American People who don't want anymore mega-mergers.

I would presume the vast majority of Americans--on the order of 90+% of them--have no clue what to think about a railroad mega-merger. Just like I don't have any opinion whatsoever about Comcast buying NBC Universal and then proposing to spin off some of its cable channels (I literally had to look that up, that's how little I care).

Don't assume that just because YOU have a position that the "American People" share that opinion.

More:

https://cowboystatedaily.com/2025/10/27 ... cas-250th/

They keep saying "first time" a Big Boy has gone east since 1941...my brain can't help but think "they need to add 'under steam' or 'under it's own power' for that to be true"...

Meanwhile...

I look forward to seeing pics of Big Boy on Horseshoe Curve, on one of the former Lackawanna concrete viaducts in northeast PA, maybe a stop at Steamtown, a run down the NS mainline from Alexandria to Charlottesville, a stop at Spencer and many others.

Wesley

...meanwhile, those of us in the Pacific Northwest who were twice promised a visit by 4014 know darned well we'll likely never see the loco here...

There are dozens of us.... DOZENS!

Hi
Before this can even happen,, you have to have all the railroads that the locomotive will be traveling on, or display locations,,, agree to allow this locomotive,, to be on there property..

Next all the railroads from the west coast to the east coast, now have to add,, added security along the lines the locomotive will be traveling on or displayed at..

The BNSF will not let AT&SF 2926 move on there railroad dead in tow,, and no matter how big the Union Pacific is,,, they can't tell BNSF what to do,, just because they want to TRY to go Coast to Coast..will diesel in tow,, behind the locomotive..even tho it is equipped with Positive Train Control.

On the East coast the locomotive will be restricted to certain main lines, because of weight, height, width, and rail weight..

I have to agree with a post will the locomotive be running under her power, or being pushed by the diesel,, it seems no matter where the locomotive runs,, it has its abilacow cord behind her the Diesel..

Ya I am negative about this,, when I see it happen,, then I will believe it..

One thing that MAY be at play here is the same schtick that Ross Rowland used for the Golden Spike Limited and the American Freedom Train:

"This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime event! We're marking the BIG anniversary of this country/railroading!" I promise you we won't be back to ask this again for another fifty or hundred years!"

Well, at least that's finally assured in the case of Ross Rowland.......

The UP exec.'s think "Big Boy" is the name of that specific locomotive. I've heard that in person when hearing them speak. It's kinda odd.



By "all the railroads" you mean Norfolk Southern? I'm not saying they will say yes, but they have plenty of recent experience with steam on the mainline - they know how to handle it if they want to.

Based on good practice, I doubt UP management would hint at such an adventure before getting some buy-in at NS and elsewhere.

Wesley

Hi
I agree with Alexander, what Ross Rowland made happen during the Freedom train is not the same as it is now...
Today's railroads, mainly CSX, NS, BNSF, bottom line line is keeping the investor's and the freight business in black...
All this is just another tour to make the Union Pacific look good,, is the Union Pacific going to cover the insurance costs, running over another railroad they do not own..
Then there the WHAT IF FACTOR,,, what happens if someone get too close to the locomotive and gets Hit???? or a railroad crossing accident, etc.

Once the locomotive is OFF Union Pacific property the engine becomes a HI Risk object,, for the any railroad,, CSX NS,BNSF,, because they are now responsible for this locomotive running on there tracks...
Now is a totally different time, compared to when Ross did the Freedom train,, do the railroads need, the Big Boy to create a public nuisance just for being on there property,, What IF someone get hurt,,,???? standing too close to the locomotive,,

Again I am sorry this is still a year away IF this Happens,,, it is a different time now,, sorry to be so negative, all the major railroads that plan to HOST this locomotive to make it to the East Coast,, maybe the Big Boy should just stay where it belongs,, Pat.

As Wesp stated, pretty sure UP has asked "Will you work with us on this?" before going public.

I also agree that times were different, much different, back in 1976, for many reasons. Steam was gone almost everywhere, but there were still many railroaders alive who had seen it in revenue service. It wasn't totally foreign yet.

Also, the Bicentennial excitement and patriotic pride was way bigger than anything today. Nearly every railroad have a bicentennial locomotive, most had several. The first bicentennial loco was SCL 1776. I can't find the exact date, but it debuted by March of 1971. 5 years before the event!

The entire country was in a frenzy about it, with red, white and blue -everything- showing up all over the place. The Freedom Train was seen as one of the premier events of that spirit and was welcomed everywhere we went.

Even then, the idea of putting together a trainload of priceless historic artifacts was seen as pretty unusual. Then getting approval to run it through most of the country, in cities big and small. Again, something beyond the realm of imagination today.

I can't really explain it other than to say it was almost like mass hysteria. "Going Viral" was decades in the future, but that's exactly what the Bicentennial did. The entire country was excited about it and things happened that will never happen again.

Whether you love or hate Ross, he did something amazing that's not possible any more.

From the WM Scenic FB page. Big Boy advance team on the move in the east?