Category: Heritage

Today’s scheduled move of the “Big Boy” has been put on hold. The Museum of the American Railroad announced Saturday that the planned transfer of the Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy from Fair Park to Frisco, TX, was cancelled because of a derailment along the route in which the locomotive is to be escorted. A new date has not been announced. “We regret any inconvenience this may cause to our stakeholders and supporters,” said a statement from the museum on Saturday morning announcing the delay. “We are very appreciative of all the efforts put forth by the local railroads as we continue to move the collection from Dallas to Frisco.” MAR is making the move with assistance from the Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad and BNSF Railway. On Saturday, MAR hosted museum supporters, volunteers and media members for an “exercising” of the Big Boy and photos.

FRISCO, TX – The Museum of the American Railroad’s Union Pacific “Big Boy” steam locomotive is scheduled to make its much anticipated move on Sunday if traffic on the rails is slow enough to permit the 55-mile creep from Dallas Fair Park to Frisco. MAR CEO Bob LaPrelle said the long move of No. 4018 is expected to begin about mid-morning but that could change if activity along the Dallas, Garland & Northeastern and BNSF Railway lines is brisk. The railroads are working together to move the massive 4-8-8-4 locomotive, which last operated in 1957, to the museum’s new site in Frisco. MAR officials won’t know until early Sunday morning if there is a green light. And even so, the locomotive may not make the entire trip. “The railroads have said they’ll have crews on Sunday but that can change,” said LaPrelle, who has coordinated the move of the museum’s…

By TIM BLACKWELL/Cowcatcher Magazine DALLAS, TX — The Museum of the American Railroad has set a tentative schedule to begin moving its signature steam locomotives to Frisco, TX, in what will be the final steps to relocating the half-century-old museum from Dallas’ Fair Park to the suburbs. The museum has already moved much of its 40-piece collection, including 10 pieces that were transported in mid-April, to its new location north of Dallas. MAR announced on its website Saturday that Frisco “Meteor” No. 4501 is tentatively scheduled to move May 19. “Big Boy” Union Pacific No. 4018 will move “within a few weeks” – likely on a Sunday – of the Frisco engine. The locomotives – along with the F7A Santa Fe diesel and two storage box cars – are all that remain in Dallas, where the museum first set up shop in 1963. Moves of both locomotives will be made…

By Tim Blackwell/Cowcatcher Magazine With two aged steam locomotives now resting on new track in Frisco, TX, the Museum of the American Railroad is about to clean house at Fair Park. If everything goes well with a scheduled 10-piece move, nearly all of the collection should be in Frisco by the end of May. The process began last summer. Now the remaining rolling stock has a place to be. On Tuesday, cranes lifted Frisco No. 1625 “Decapod” and Dallas Union Terminal No. 7 from flatcars onto the museum’s new RIP track before several onlookers and media representatives. Once BNSF removes the flatcars, track will be clear into the site to accept more pieces. On April 7, MAR plans to move a consist of locomotives, passenger cars and freight cars that has been assembled at Fair Park. Only the Union Pacific Big Boy, Frisco “Meteor” No. 4501, F-7 diesel and two…

The first move of the Museum of the American Railroad’s locomotive collection arrived in Frisco earlier this month with some engines rolling under their own power and a couple along for the ride. A consist of two steam locomotives loaded on flat cars and three diesels rolling on their own trucks towed by a Dallas, Garland & Northeastern locomotive left Irving Yard on the morning of Jan. 10 and arrived at the museum’s new site at about 1:30 p.m. CST. Three flat cars hauled St. Louis-San Francisco No. 1625 Decapod and Dallas Union Terminal No. 7, along with their tank and tender, while the museum’s Centennial, Santa Fe FP45 and Fairbanks Morris diesels rolled behind. In Frisco, the vintage locos joined 20 other pieces from the museum’s collection that have been moved since last summer. MAR still has its Union Pacific Big Boy and Frisco 4-8-4 locomotives to move. A…