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UP BIgBoy that went from Dallas to Sherman,Tx for prep for movie role

Posted by samfp1943

on Fri, Apr 2 2004 9:33 PM

Anybody have any information? Is it in running condition now? Where is engine? Is movie to be made?

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Posted by Anonymous

on Sat, Apr 3 2004 10:02 AM

Funding for the movie and restoration of the engine never materialized. The UP 4018 Big Boy is on display in Dallas.

Posted by Anonymous

on Sat, Apr 3 2004 9:06 PM

We need Big Boys to Run

DOGGY

Posted by Anonymous

on Sun, Apr 4 2004 10:58 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by murrieta

Funding for the movie and restoration of the engine never materialized. The UP 4018 Big Boy is on display in Dallas.

murrieta [:)]

Yes you are correct. Someone who worked at the museum made a post about 6 months or more ago about this very thing. The museum required an insurance policy to guarantee the engine would be restored to normal if the movie company was unable to finish what they started. (The tearing down and restoration of the engine to running order.) In short no insurance policy and no film.

Posted by ndbprr

on Mon, Apr 5 2004 7:56 AM

This engine is never going to run again. iT was a dumb idea in the first place becasue there are engines that are stored in far better condition that would be cheaper to rebuild and where would it run? Even the UP restricted the usage of them due to the size and track damage. Nobody is going to allow it on their tracks and I would bet the UP won't even let it run even if the money was found.

Posted by Anonymous

on Mon, Apr 5 2004 2:53 PM

The UP Challenger and 4-8-4 that are running are both oil burners. All the Big Boys are coal burners, which would add another big challenge to running them. It is a difficult enough issue to get fuel delivered to the engines when they are on the road, but to have to make provisions for coal would be an added burden.

UP converted one Big Boy to oil temporarily in the 50's, and the conversion was less then successful and the engine was converted back to coal firing. There are several Big Boys that were preserved, two retired just after having major overhauls. UP, according to articles I have read the past few years on their steam operations, would not consider another articulated engine in their program, even if it was oil fired. The size of the Big Boy would just add to the complexity of the operation, beyond the fact that it is coal fired, and a expensive locomotive to maintain.