The Union Pacific Big Boy heads out of Carter, Wyoming the morning of May 6, 2019 on its way to Ogden, UT for the 150th Anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Notice the slight slipping of the drivers - which is corrected quickly by the engineer - and that upon departure - the two sets of drive wheels are slightly out of sync before righting itself.
The Union Pacific Railroad restored the largest locomotive ever built: the Big Boy. Built in 1941 - the Big Boy #4014 was one of a fleet of 25 locomotives of this design to meet the demand of our growing economy as the United States recovered from the depression. As the economy improved (in 1936 and beginning in 1939) - US railroads responded with more passenger and faster freight service; Union Pacific was just one of many railroads that placed huge orders for new locomotives, passenger and freight rolling stock.
The Big Boy steam locomotives were nearly half a city block long and just under 2 million pounds. Their 16 drive wheels could speed up to 85 mph and the nearly 8000 horse power produced could pull a train five miles long.
For a few glorious moments the sights, sounds and smells of the 1940s have returned.