Union Pacific Big Boy steam locomotive number 4014 spent the summer of 2019 traveling all
around the Union Pacific system to celebrate 150 years since the completion of the transcontinental
railroad. After being restored to operation in May, the locomotive traveled from Cheyenne,
Wyoming to Ogden, Utah for the Golden Spike 150 Celebration. In July and August, the 4014
traveled throughout much of the midwestern United States including Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin,
and Illinois. On September 27th, the Big Boy once again left its new home in Cheyenne,
Wyoming for a third and final trip of the year, this time throughout much of the southwest.
The most important reason for this trip was for 4014 to return to the greater Los Angeles
area in California for the first time since being restored to operation. There, there
Big Boy would pull a special two day excursion over the famed Cajon Pass and return. Tickets
to ride the train were sold as a fundraiser for the Rail Giants Train Museum, the longtime
home of the Big Boy for over 50 years. This was a once in a lifetime journey that I definitely
didn’t want to miss! So I hit the road for SoCal, once again in search of the Big Boy!
Join me as I follow the 4014 Big Boy on its return to California!
I arrived in the Mojave Desert on October 9th to follow the Big Boy as it traveled between
the small desert town of Yermo, California and Union Pacific’s West Colton yard in
the Los Angeles Basin. I caught up with the train midway between Barstow and Victorville
near a place called Helendale. This section of track is owned by the BNSF railroad, but
Union Pacific has trackage rights over these rails. Shortly after reaching the summit of
Cajon Pass, the train will switch back over to Union Pacific tracks.
Finishing its descent into the LA Basin, the Big Boy passes behind a neighborhood in Rialto,
California as it nears West Colton.
Following 2 days of display, the train would make its round trip excursion from West Colton
to Barstow.
Saturday October 12th found me at the summit of Cajon Pass nice and early. Even arriving
at the summit 2 hours before the scheduled departure time from West Colton, there were
already people camped out at the well known summit overlook viewpoint. A few hours passed
as well as a few freight trains and finally, 4014 came thundering by with an impressive
23 car excursion train.
I saw the excursion for a second time as it left Victorville.
With Route 66 packed full of cars chasing and pacing the Big Boy and few additional
decent spots to see the train, I decided to call it a day. The train would be wyed before
arriving Barstow and eventually backed all the way to Yermo for storage over night.
I returned the next day to the curve at Oro Grande to see 4014 on its return trip.
Upon arriving West Colton, the train was turned on the wye and backed into the yard to let
the passengers disembark.
On Tuesday, October 15, the Big Boy said goodbye to California as it turned to the east for
a weeklong trip across Arizona and New Mexico en route to El Paso, Texas. I decided to catch
the train a few more times before it said goodbye to the golden state.
Just outside a place known as Mecca, I saw 4014 for the last time as it continued across
the Sonoran Desert, bound for Yuma and points beyond.
After a near two week layover in El Paso, the train was scheduled to complete its loop
tour of the southwest by traveling across Texas to Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado,
and then finally returning to Cheyenne on November 27th. Thanks for joining me as we
followed the big boy on its grand return to California. If you enjoyed this video and
want to see more of the Big Boy, be sure to check out my video from earlier this year
on its inaugural excursion to Ogden, Utah. Also, be sure to leave a like and a comment
in the comments section below. If you haven’t already, I welcome you to subscribe to the
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and posts to the community tab of the YouTube page. And remember, you can always stop by
every Friday at 9 AM Pacific Time for a brand new railroading adventure. Until next time,
I’m Mike Armstrong. I’ll see you down the line! Thanks for watching.