Oh Boy! Big steam engine thrills train enthusiasts
The Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 received A’s all around as the 85-year-old, 1.2-million-pound steam engine, hauling 25 cars, chugged into little Leetsdale during a whistle stop on July 11.
The Ferry family from Bethel Park gave it a triple-A rating. Twelve-year-old Elizabeth and her parents, Tyler and Olivia, waited more than five hours to glimpse the legendary train. Each chimed in unison, “amazing,” regarding the experience.
“It exceeded expectations,” continued Tyler.
“Beautiful,” interrupted Elizabeth, who became a train fan after reading about the Hogwarts Express in the “Harry Potter” book series.
“Emotional,” Olivia countered.
Kayleigh Stultz of Washington agreed. A graduate of Trinity High School, she is currently a special education teacher at South Fayette High School.
“It was awesome,” she said. “I didn’t expect to become emotional, but I did. It was very powerful.”
Though a bit behind schedule, Big Boy 4014 thundered down the Norfolk Southern tracks around 6:36 p.m. for a 30-minute stop in Leetsdale on its 7,000-mile coast-to-coast trek that began on April 10 in Sacramento, California, where the Central Pacific Railroad began construction of America’s first transcontinental rail line in 1863.
Built in 1941 to haul heavy freight over the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, the Union Pacific Big Boy is the world’s largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive. Only 25 were ever made, and No. 4014 is the sole operating engine. It stretches 133 feet long.
It also features a unique 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, with the driving wheels measuring an impressive 68 inches in diameter. It carries a fully loaded tender holding 25,000 gallons of water and 28 tons of coal (or oil in modern operation) on which it burns this supply in just 2.5 hours.
These facts and others are quite familiar to Robert Wiggers. The 21-year-old Bridgeville native who graduated from St. Vincent College in Latrobe says he still wants to become an engineer for the railroad someday and has taught Stultz, his former teacher, more about trains than she’ll ever know.
“It was retired in the 1960s but brought back into service in 2019,” Wiggers said. After rattling off additional facts about the Norfolk Southern and CSX lines, he said sheepishly, “I like all kinds of railroads.”
Wiggers traveled to New York and watched Big Boy 4014 pass through Dunkirk earlier this summer on its cross-country journey in honor of America’s 250th birthday. He also saw No. 4012, which is part of the collection and is on permanent display at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton.
“So this is my third time seeing it,” he said. “I just love trains. They’re cool and so much fun to watch.”
For Wiggers, this time seeing Big Boy 4014 was special.
“I got to hear the bell ringing for the first time,” he said.
Chris Lodge of Bulger and his father, Joe, from Bethel Park, also had seen the Big Boy on display in Scranton, but it was the first time either of them had seen the engine in action.
“It’s an amazing piece of machinery, and you don’t often get an opportunity to see it, and I’ll probably never see it again in my lifetime,” Joe said. “Standing still is one thing, sure, but I really wanted to see it in motion,
“Yes,” agreed Chris, “to see it in motion is grand.”
Welcoming Big Boy No. 4014 was perhaps the grandest event for the tiny town of Leetsdale, which boasts a population of roughly 1,100 people. According to police estimates, approximately 15,000 railroad enthusiasts descended upon the borough and lined the tracks.
Some spectators arrived as early as noon, but the municipality offered plenty of entertainment. There were planned activities at nearby Henle Park and an abundance of food trucks in neighboring lots to sate the masses’ appetites.
“When Robert told me he wanted to leave Bridgeville at 2 p.m. I talked to his mother (Stephanie), and she said, ‘No, that’s probably not early enough for him. We got here around 3, and it was already crowded,” said Stultz, whose grandfather worked for the Union Pacific. “I’m astounded seeing all these people.”
Bob Ford was amazed as well. He is the Leetsdale public works foreman.
“It’s been pretty hectic,” he said of the preparation for the event. “We’ve done everything we can within our power and within our resources to make sure it runs smoothly, and it has been. This is a first-in-a-lifetime kind of thing for Leetsdale, and we all are excited about it.”
The Big Boy No. 4014 has increased interest in railroading, says Joseph Murphy. He is Norfolk Southern Railroad’s general manager of the northern region, with a territory covering 12 states from Detroit, Michigan, all the way through to New Jersey. The Big Boy 4014 used the Norfolk Southern tracks during its Eastern leg of the journey.
Murphy is a fifth-generation railroader, whose father worked for Union Pacific for 45 years. Murphy was 23 when he entered the business in 2001.
“I’ve seen this on the west side and now on the east side. When you think about it, this has truly gone transcontinental. So that’s amazing. It’s what the country needs. It’s been fun, and it’s really sparked an interest as you can see from the turnouts.”
After the 30-minute stop, Big Boy 4014 pulled out of Leetsdale and headed for the Conway Yard for an overnight stop before departing for Ohio. It will continue through Indiana and Illinois on its way home to Cheyenne, Wyoming.
“It was amazing,” said Emily Moschitta as she packed up her belongings and traveled back home to Wexford with her husband, John, and son, Tommy. “It was the loudest thing I have ever heard and the biggest engine I’ve ever seen, but I don’t know which made me happier, actually seeing the train, or seeing all the people that were here, happy to see the train.”