UPDATE: ‘Big Boy’ move postponed; F7 Santa Fe diesel and two boxcars moved instead
July 21, 2013 / Updated September 18, 2013
Heritage
Museum of American Railroad officials postponed the move of the Union Pacific “Big Boy” hours before it was to leave Fair Park for Frisco on Sunday. Concerns over how the locomotive would negotiate a wye along the route caused the postponement, according to an email released by MAR.
The museum’s F7A diesel locomotive painted in Santa Fe Warbonnet colors and two storage box cars were moved instead.
No date has been announced when the Big Boy will attempt to be moved again.
After a few previous unsuccessful attempts to move the “Big Boy”, MAR was ready to make the much anticipated move of the vaunted locomotive.Museum officials received word on Friday that the move would begin Sunday. Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad crews, which are assisting on the move, were expected to arrive at Fair Park in Dallas at 7 a.m. today to make preparations.
“It looks like we’re finally going to get it done,” MAR CEO Bob LaPrelle said on Friday.
At least two recent attempts to move the locomotive were thwarted because of heavy traffic and a derailment along the route from Dallas to the museum’s new home in Frisco, TX. Along with DGNO, Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Trinity Railway Express are assisting in the move. DGNO was expected to hand off No. 4018 to BNSF at the Irving yard. From there, BNSF was to take the massive locomotive to Frisco.
Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.
Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.
The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.” This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.
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