Union Pacific’s Big Boy rolls across the Colorado plains

Let’s call it Train Tuesday! I’ve “chased” all sorts of wildlife in the past but this is only the second time I have gone after this metal beast. 😉 

Two years ago, Union Pacific Railroad rolled out Big Boy No. 4014 for the first time after a multi-year restoration. I photographed it then on a clear, fall day and then two days later in a massive blizzard.

This time, the weather was quite summer-like in eastern Colorado as my wife and I enjoyed a road trip to follow along.

We first met up with the Big Boy east of Deer Trail where we were caught a bit off guard as it was running 20 minutes or so ahead of schedule. I barely had time to grab my camera and nab a few shots as it barreled by. We then headed west to catch it again after its stop in Deer Trail, just outside of town. Lastly, we photographed it a third time outside of Strasburg, a location that gave me my best captures of the day.

I don’t know that you can fully appreciate what an engineering marvel these machines were / are until you see them up close and personal.