Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were “hinged,” or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of “pilot” wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive. The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo.
There are seven Big Boys on public display in various cities around the country. They can be found in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Cheyenne, Wyoming.
Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941. The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service. Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013, and relocated it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion.
Vital Statistics
| Tender Type: | 14-wheeled |
| Water Capacity: | 25,000 gallons |
| Fuel: | Coal** 56,000 lbs. |
| Gauge of Track: | 4 ft. 8-1/2 in. |
| Cylinder: | Diameter: 23 3/4 in. Stroke: 32 in. |
| Driving Wheel Diameter: | 68 in. |
| Boiler: | Outside Diameter: 106 9/16 in. Pressure: 300 lbs. |
| Fire Box: | Length: 235 1/32 in. Width: 96 3/16 in. |
| Tubes: | 2-1/4 in. Diameter: 75 x 22 ft. 0 in. 4 in. Diameter: 184 |
| Wheel Base: | Driving: 47 ft. 3 in. Engine: 72 ft. 5 1/2 in. Engine & Tender: 132 ft. 9 7/8 in. |
| Weight in Working Order, Pounds: | Leading: 97,000 Driving: 540,000 Trailing: 125,000 Engine: 762,000 Tender: 427,500 |
| Evaporating Surfaces, Square Feet: | Tubes: 967 Flues: 4,218 Fire Box: 593 Circulators: 111 Total: 5,889 |
| Superheating Surface, Square Feet: | 2,466 |
| Grate Area: | 150 |
| Maximum Tractive Power: | 135,375 lbs. |
| Factor of Adhesion: | 4.00 |
| **Original configuration. Now converted to No. 5 Oil |
Oklahoma Train Schedule
