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Published: November 12th 2019
According to Union Pacific Building America, there were only twenty five "Big Boy" Locomotives built exclusively for the Union Pacific (UP) Railroad in the early 1940s. The engine with tender were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. The Big Boys were originally coal burning steam engines, but later converted to #5 oil (diesel) steam boilers. There are seven Big Boys on display with one in Dallas Texas USA. The Big Boy locomotives have a "4-8-8-4" wheel arrangement, with the middle 8-8 wheels being driving wheels. The Big Boys were so large their frames were articulated to keep them from a bad de-rail on the curved railroad tracks.
This train took about five days to travel up from Houston, Texas through many railroad towns to Marshall, Texas; then to Little Rock, Arkansas.
Today Big Boy # 4014 started in Palestine, Texas, and stopped in Jacksonville, Troup, and Overton. Then Big Boy rode to Kilgore (no stop) then to Longview, Texas for the night.
I drove to Troup, Texas USA and missed the train due to a traffic jam from Hades on the small country highways. I was later lucky to catch the Big Boy Engine # 4014
in Overton, Texas.
Two days later I caught ABC news (local from Tyler, Texas) and included my pics (from my TV) to enhance this blog.
That was the end of this blog. Now for the beginning of the blog.
I departed from Nacogdoches, Texas (in Nacogdoches County) Northbound on US Hwy 259. Just before reaching Mount Enterprise I entered Rusk County. A few miles North of Mount Enterprise was a very nice picnic area where I stopped for a driving break.
When I got to Henderson I turned West on State Hwy 13 to Price, Texas. The highway dipped SW into Cherokee County then reached Troup, just past the county line into Smith County.
Troup was my stop to see the "Big Boy # 4014, but the traffic was leaving Troup going Northbound. That gave me a bad feeling inside. I talked to the nice City of Troup police that confirmed that I did miss the train, ratz! The police gave me directions for the next stop for Big Boy in Overton on State Hwy 135. I had my Texas State road map and knew that route (to hell with GPS); but I thanked the
nice policemen for being so nice and informative.
About seven miles North on hwy 135 I reached the "big city" of Arp, Texas. I had only about seven miles Northbound for my stop in Overton to see Big Boy. Before I crossed into Smith County to Overton, I hit another traffic jam from Hades. I felt that there was a real chance of missing Big Boy in Overton. (The next stop for Big Boy was in Longview in Gregg County that would put me back home after dark; but I had farm work to do at home before dark.)
The traffic was "gridlocked" in Overton, so I parked on the South side and walked about a KM Northbound to find a good spot for shooting pics and videos; just in time to see Big Boy come to me and many others. This was a great electric festival feeling coming from over 500 happy people. Many had followed Big Boy from Houston, Texas; and many would continue NE to see more Big Boy stops. There were also people from Arkansas following Big Boy. That solved my question about the heavy traffic problems on these small highways in the country
side.
Cuz of my very bad knee, I was limping back to my "Rat Rod" truck Old Blue; who was waiting for me after another KM walk. Cuz of the very bad traffic, I turned East from my parking spot for a different route to drive home. My pain was tolerable, and I was feeling great! This was a very happy day for everybody.
Cuz of the heavy traffic, I turned East and took another route back to my home.
I used my free Rusk County map to show my driving route. West of Henderson is the small State Highway 13 going West then SW into Cherokee County and Troup, Texas.
I used the Overton insert on the same county map to show the Union Pacific train route in red ink, (from Smith County) through Rusk County to Kilgore, Texas. I drew a red square on the map to show Henderson Street (roped off) where Big Boy was parked. North of that I drew a red dot to show my photo location on Overton Street where I could get better pics and videos.
The Big Boy Railroad employees (with yellow reflective vests) were shooshing everybody
Overton "Big Boy" # 4014
my photo spot at the next RR intersectionaway from the railroad tracks. When the RR employees walked pass us, we all went back to the RR tracks to shoot the best pics and videos.
completed
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