Union Pacific stages rare line-up ahead of moves

AMERICA’S Union Pacific Railroad Company has decided to concentrate its Cheyenne Depot Museum in Wyoming on maintaining ‘Big Boy’ 4-8-8-4 No. 4014 and FEF-3 Class 4-8-4 No. 844 steam locomotives in their present, exceptionally fine running condition and, as a result, other locomotives in the collection are being passed on to the Railroading Heritage of Midwest America museum in Silvis, Illinois.

Unlike the UK, one-off locomotive movements in the US are handled by rail rather than road. In preparation for the transfer, the ‘Big Boy’ was steamed on September 14 to test 2-10-2 TTT63 Class steam loco No. 5511 so that it can be prepared for the 800-mile journey. The following day, staff at Cheyenne took the opportunity to line up all five locomotives at their base, an event which is very unlikely ever to be repeated.

No. 5511 will be accompanied by 4-6-6-4 ‘Challenger’ No. 3985, an articulated steam loco that last ran in 2010 and has languished in the Cheyenne roundhouse ever since. The Silvis museum says it aims to return both the ‘Challenger’ and No. 5511 to working order.

Also included in the deal is ‘Centennial’ diesel No. 6936, effectively two SD40 diesels (America’s standard locomotive of the 1960) on one chassis.

DARJEELING TOURS The fabulous line-up at Cheyenne Depot Museum on September 15 with, from left, ‘Big Boy’ No. 4014, FEF-3 Class No. 844, ‘Challenger’ No. 3985, TTT63 Class No. 5511, and ‘Centennial’ diesel No. 6936.