Union Pacific 4014

Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014
An articulated steam locomotive with a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement (four leading wheels, two separate sets of eight driving wheels, and four trailing wheels) and its tender
Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 charges towards Norden snow shed at Donner Pass, July 14, 2024
Type and origin
Power typeSteam
DesignerOtto Jabelmann
BuilderAmerican Locomotive Company (ALCO)
Serial number69585
Build dateNovember 1941
Rebuild dateJuly 2016–May 2019
Specifications
Configuration:
 • Whyte4-8-8-4
 • UIC(2′D)D2′ h4
Gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Leading dia.36 in (914 mm)
Driver dia.68 in (1,727 mm)
Trailing dia.42 in (1,067 mm)
Minimum curve288 ft (88 m) radius/ 20°
Wheelbase
  • Locomotive: 72 ft 5+12 in (22.09 m)
  • Overall: 117 ft 7 in (35.84 m)
Length
  • Locomotive: 85 ft 7.8 in (26.11 m)
  • Overall: 132 ft 9+78 in (40.48 m)
Width11 ft (3.35 m)
Height16 ft 2+12 in (4.94 m)
Axle load68,150 lb (30,912 kg)
Adhesive weight545,200 lb (272.6 short tons)
Loco weight772,250 lb (386.12 short tons)
Tender weight441,500 lb (220.8 short tons)
Total weight1,214,000 lb (607 short tons)
Tender type25-C
Fuel typeNo. 5 fuel oil, originally coal
Fuel capacityTotal: 6,500 US gal (25,000 L)
Usable: 6,100 US gal (23,000 L)
Water cap.25,000 US gal (95,000 L)
Sandbox cap.8,000 lb (4 short tons)
Fuel consumption20–25 US gal (76–95 L) of fuel oil per mile
200 US gal (760 L) of water per mile
Firebox:
 • Grate area150 sq ft (grate removed in 2019)
Boiler:
 • ModelFire Tube
 • Diameter107 in (2,718 mm)
 • Tube plates22 ft (7 m)
Boiler pressure300 lbf/in2 (2.1 MPa)
Feedwater heaterElesco Type T.P. 502 Exhaust Steam Injector
14,000 US gal / hour capacity
Heating surface:
 • Firebox704 sq ft (65 m2)
 • Tubes967 sq ft (90 m2)
 • Flues4,218 sq ft (392 m2)
 • Tubes and flues5,185 sq ft (482 m2)
 • Total surface5,889 sq ft (547 m2)
Superheater:
 • TypeType E
 • Heating area2,466 sq ft (229 m2)
CylindersFour, outside
Cylinder size24 in × 32 in (610 mm × 813 mm)
Valve gearWalschaerts
Valve typePiston valves
Valve travel7 in (178 mm)
Valve lap1+38 in (35 mm)
Valve lead14 in (6 mm)
Train heatingSteam heat
Loco brakePneumatic, Schedule 8-ET
Train brakesPneumatic
Safety systemsCab signals, PTC
Performance figures
Maximum speed65 mph (105 km/h) in regular service
80 mph (130 km/h) (maximum design)
Power output8,157 hp (6,083 kW) @ Cylinder
6,290–7,000 hp (4,690–5,220 kW) @ Drawbar
Tractive effort138,240 lbf (614.9 kN)
Factor of adh.4.00
Career
OperatorsUnion Pacific
Class4884-1[1]
Number in class15
Numbers
  • UP 4014
NicknamesBig Boy
LocaleWestern United States
DeliveredDecember 1941
First runDecember 1941 (revenue service)
May 2019 (excursion service)
Last runJuly 21, 1959
RetiredDecember 7, 1961
RestoredMay 1, 2019
Current ownerUnion Pacific
(Union Pacific Heritage Fleet)
DispositionOperational
References:[2][3][4]

Union Pacific 4014 is a steam locomotive owned and operated by the Union Pacific (UP) as part of its heritage fleet. It is a four-cylinder simple articulated 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" type built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) at its Schenectady Locomotive Works. It was assigned to haul heavy freight trains in the Wasatch mountain range. The locomotive was retired from revenue service in 1959 and was donated to the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society; thereafter, it was displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at its Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 moved under its own power after sitting dormant for almost six decades, becoming the world's largest operational steam locomotive and the only operating Big Boy locomotive of the eight that remain in existence.[3] It now operates in excursion service for the UP steam program. No. 4014 became the first mainline steam locomotive to be equipped with the positive train control (PTC) system in 2021.

  1. ^ Drury, George H. (2015). Guide to North American Steam Locomotives (2nd ed.). Kalmbach Media. p. 319. ISBN 978-1-62700-259-2.
  2. ^ "Union Pacific No. 4014" (PDF). RailGiants Train Museum. Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, Southern California Chapter. August 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Big Boy No. 4014" (PDF) (Press release). Union Pacific. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 30, 2016. Retrieved May 4, 2019.
  4. ^ C. B. Peck, ed. (1950). 1950–52 Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice. New York: Simmons-Boardman. pp. 522–523.