Big Boy 4014

Big Boy 4014

My home town is Cheyenne Wyoming. It also happens to be the home town of Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive. While in Cheyenne late last September the freshly washed and shined steam engine made a public relations run to Colorado. Patty and I scouted the area and chose the I-80 overpass to set up for our shot.

You can see we had a decent hike to reach our vantage point. That’s Patty catching up with me.

It’s up hill leaving Cheyenne to the west and you can see they are pouring the coal (actually oil) into the burner.

This is the shot I was looking for.

Only a second after I shot this (above) image, a eastbound freight train rolled in on the north, blocking a view of the 4014 Big Boy from spectators parked on the West Lincolnway on the left.

Here’s one final look as the Big Boy 4014 heads west on 3 track. Dyno Nobel explosives and chemical plant in the background.

This is not the first time we’ve photographed Big Boy 4014. Here’s a link to a blog from August 2021 when we photographed the Big Boy steam engine running north, south of St. Louis. Click on the photograph to see that story.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you enjoyed the photos.

I’m primarily a portrait photographer. Fall is a great time for family portraits. All my projects begin with a conversation.

You can reach me here.

Best,
Mike

Ps. Bonus train photo. We shot this freight westbound west of Cheyenne on St. Patrick’s Day 2017.