Big Boy Coming to town

[Breedlove]

Big Boy is coming to a little town about 20 minutes from where we live today . he spent the night in Houston . Big Boy is the worlds largest steam locomotive . They said when he came to downtown Houston his whistle could be heard all over downtown .
This locomotive with his coal tender weighs more then a 747 . He will make a 30 minute stop in Navasota Texas downtown. If I was not retired I probably would have never been able to see this part of History .

 

[Ronstar]

I tracked down Big Boy a while ago. Amazing.

https://youtu.be/MPl5_8sScZQ

 

[ckelly78z]

Very cool 4884 with 7000HP.

It reminds me of the one at Henry Ford Museum.

Henry Ford Museum - www.rgusrail.com

 

[Bamaman]

We have a relative that worked for the GSA, and he was in charge of construction for the U.S. Government. He supervised installation of bullet proof glass in the White House and hanging the airplanes in the Space and Air Museum at the Smithsonian--for example.

His hardest feat was building train tracks across the Mall in D.C. and moving that huge locomotive into the basement of the Smithsonian Museum.

It's hard to believe that diesel/electric locomotives only came into existence in the late 1940's and 1950's. My hometown is in the process of taking a non-working locomotive out of their park and refurbishing it for excursion trips.

 

[rdy2go]

I saw the Big Boy Wednesday when it stopped for 45 minutes in Luling, Texas. It is an amazing piece of engineering, just massive! The whistle is so loud it is painful. I recommend that anyone going to see it needs to have ear plugs or better for hearing protection. There were probably a thousand people there to see the train. The schools let some of the kids out to see it, and I bet they never forget the day. The local food businesses (City Market BBQ for sure) were quite busy with the huge crowd. I have seen a number of steam engines over the years, ridden half a dozen, but this one is special.

 

[Marc]

Thanks for this thread; I am going to see if I can talk my wife into a road trip to Jewett tomorrow.

Marc

 

[Breedlove]

Anyone that has a chance to see Big Boy needs to take the time and do it . When he came to downtown Navasota you heard the whistle for miles away then the train roared into town . There was about 2000 people there lawn chairs and all . This train is incredible when the maintenance men stood beside the train the steel wheels looked as tall as the men . This train is big and when he takes off is so cool . He no longer is coal fired . He is fired by fuel oil . But still the steam and smoke makes you feel like 1950's . Everyone was laughing because the Big Boy shook the whole town of Navasota . Tomorrow he leaves from College Station and will stop in Hearne . Don't know where all he will go but go see a piece of Americana. Sometimes I get to sentimental about this stuff but looking at this monster Locomotive makes me think of an engineering feat this was in 1941 and today fully restored Big Boy looks so big and proud . All I can say is magnificent .

 

[snappytom]

Saw Big Boy in West Chicago IL a few months ago, definitely worth the time.
We were there on the morning when it was departing and watched it leave ..... yes .... it is loud !

 

[catii]

Saw him up in Wyoming years ago. Shock & awe!

 

[Texas Proud]

Dang, missed it!!!


We saw a 2-8-8-2 at a museum in Virginia... it was impressive.... would love to have seen the Big Boy...


I have a HO model of it on display in my house... bought by my dad back in the 70s... he loved that engine... do not know if he ever had it running...