Arkansas Trips – Jim and April's Roadtrips

Chasing the Union Pacific Steam Locomotive 4014, The Big Boy

September 22, 2021 Jim Pearson Comments 0 Comment

This is one of the last images from my DJI Air 2 drone before it ended up in the top of a 30′ oak tree the next day at Dexter, MO after a Fly Away. In this shot Engineer Ed Dickens waves from the cab as Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes under the signal bridge in downtown McRae, Arkansas on Friday, on August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Popular Bluff, MO.

My first over night railfan trip since the beginning of COVID was from August 26th through the 28th where good friend Ryan Scott and I chased the Union Pacific Steam Locomotive 4014, the Big Boy, from Little Rock, Arkansas to just south of St. Louis, Missouri.

The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one.

According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades.

It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.”

The Big Boy was on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming and returning to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th to finish the trip.

All in all Ryan and I had a great trip, even though my DJI Air 2 drone ended up stuck in a 30′ oak tree!

Yep, during my chase of Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy on Saturday, August 28th, 2021, my Air 2 Drone decided it wanted to take off on its own where it moved about 150 feet from where I had it hovering over the junction where the UP Hoxie sub meets the Chester Sub, South of Scott City, Missouri! Not totally sure why, but it happened and even though I had the home point set to the crossing where I took off from and my hover point where I was waiting for the Big Boy was in a clear area.

It was a very hot and humid day though and I was watching the drone hover and when we heard the steam whistle blow, I reached over to start my 4K video recording and when I looked back at the drone controller screen the drone was in the top of tree, more than 150’ from where I had it hovering! To top it all off the Big Boy didn’t even merge onto the Chester Sub like we thought it was going to and it came through a crossing that was about 25’ from where the drone decided on its own to move to. Perhaps it knew something I didn’t! LOL In all seriousness, that’s the exact reason you always keep sight of your drone! I couldn’t have looked away from the controller and drone more than 15 seconds or so and this happened!

Fortunately, it was out in the middle of the country and there were only about 6 of us railfans and a couple of locals at this location. The drone didn’t fly over anyone before it decided to fly away and land in the top of 30-40’ oak tree, about in the middle of a stand of about 2 acres of oaks! The forest was so dense that I couldn’t even walk into where it was, and I wouldn’t even think about climbing such a tree at my age!

I had a care package which would have allowed me to replace the drone for $400, but I opted to go ahead and spend the extra money and buy the newer DJI Air 2S drone instead as it has a much better sensor than the Air 2. I got the new drone in a few weeks ago and I’m very happy with the quality and performance of the drone!

Chasing Union Pacific’s Big Boy Steam Locomotive

November 16, 2019 Jim Pearson Comments 0 Comment

November 13, 2019 – UP engineer Ed Dickens leans out the cab of Union Pacific 4014 Big Boy as it heads through the curve approaching Malvern, Arkansas, as it races north on the Little Rock Subdivision with it’s passenger train on UP’s Race Across the Southwest event.

Well, I struck out on my own on November 12, 2019 to chase the recently restored Union Pacific 4014 (Big Boy) steam locomotive between Hope and Little Rock Arkansas. It’s been running close to a year now and this is the closest it’s been to Madisonville, Ky so far and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to photograph the largest operating Steam Locomotive in the United States, if not the world! It was a great thrill to see and photograph this majestic locomotive and to feel it moving the ground as it breathed it’s fire and smoke along the way. To say it was a thrill is putting it mildly.

Events like this aren’t just for us old guys that love trains!! This is friend Doyle Massey and his kids at Prescott, AR! We’ve known each other for several years and almost always run into each other on these events!

I almost went to Chicago to photograph it earlier in the year, but I’m so glad I waited for it in November because the cold air made for a great show with all the steam from the hot exhaust of the locomotive as it made it’s way between Hope and Little Rock, Arkansas over two days!

I met several railfans who are friends on Facebook with me and also made some new friends along the way and some I had already meet in past trips! The railfan community in many ways is like my military community in the fact that it’s a good, close knit group that have like interests!

Below is a video I shot of it departing Prescott, Arkansas! For full effects, turn up your sound! Below the video are some of my favorite pictures from the chase. Click on the thumbnails to view the full picture!