Why the Big Boy 4014 is such a bad train (2024)

It seemed unlikely that Big Boy was roaring down the ceremonial rails, as all eight existing units of the Big Boy class steam engines had long since been decommissioned. Built in 1941, 4014 was retired in 1961 and spent the next 52 years at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

At 40 meters long, the Big Boys' frame had to be hinged so they could navigate corners. They weighed 1.2 million pounds, meaning that any long-term forward movement necessitated that their 56,000-pound coal capacity and their 24,000-gallon water capacity be full to push the huge pistons with steam.

Its girth requires a 4-8-8-4 wheel configuration to keep it steady on the rails. With a paltry 7,000 horsepower, the Big Boys had a maximum towing capacity of 135,375 pounds, all to haul enormous loads of cargo over steep grades in Utah's Wasatch Mountains and Rockies.