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COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

Union Pacific postpones Big Boy West Coast Steam Tour to resolve network operational issues

April 26, 2022 / Updated July 25, 2023

Heritage

Union Pacific has postponed its Big Boy No. 4014 West Coast Steam Tour to focus on easing supply chain congestion, the railroad announced last week. The tour was scheduled to depart Cheyenne, WY, June 26.

“We know many rail enthusiasts make travel plans and communities prepare to act as host, which is why we made this decision now,” said Scott Moore, senior vice president/corporate relations and chief administrative officer. “We have a duty to continue our efforts to reduce supply chain congestion and provide customers the service they deserve; given the impact of a steam tour on our operations, that focus must be our priority.”

Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 rolls through Keller, TX, in August 2021. The venerable locomotive was scheduled to tour the Pacific Northwest beginning in June, but officials postponed the trip so the railroad can focus on easing supply chain issues. – Cowcatcher Magazine

UP will communicate updated plans for a steam tour once service performance levels return to normal.

Earlier this month, UP announced a tour to honor the railroad’s 160th anniversary with a run in the Pacific Northwest. The Big Boy was to be on display in Sparks, NV; Roseville, CA; Portland, OR; and Boise, ID. Brief whistle-stops were scheduled in dozens of communities in Wyoming, Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.

The tour would be the third since No. 4014 was returned to working order in 2019. Plans included access to the “Experience the Union Pacific Rail Car,” a multimedia walk-through exhibition that provides a glimpse at the past while telling the story of modern-day railroading. A Q&A was planned with the crew.

Despite record QI, railroad experienced declines in productivity

Highlights included a 17 percent increase in operating revenue to $5.9 billion, driven by higher fuel surcharge revenue, volume growth, core pricing gains and a positive business mix. Business volumes, as measured by total revenue carloads, were up 4 percent.

However, in an earnings call, Lance Fritz, UP chairman, president and chief executive officer, said that while the railroad had solid financial results, it did not reach operational goals.

“Operationally, we did not meet expectations, which is having an impact on our customers,” he said. “We are taking actions to improve resource utilization, increase crews and locomotives where needed, and reduce freight car inventory levels to restore fluidity.”

During the quarter, operational inefficiencies and incidents impacted service and productivity. UP experienced declines in freight car velocity (5 percent) and locomotive productivity (6 percent). Average maximum train length was flat, and the railroad’s reportable personal injury rate slid to 0.97 per 200,000 employee hours compared to 0.85 in 2021.

The Big Boy last ran in August, when it saw parts of Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. It was the first tour since the locomotive was restored for 2019’s “Great Race” that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion. The Big Boy and Living Legend No. 844 rolled through the West, Midwest and Southwest on a 12-state tour following a multi-year restoration that took place at UP’s steam shop in Cheyenne after a retirement that spanned six decades. Twenty-five Big Boys were built for UP to haul heavy freight during World War II. Of the eight still preserved, No. 4014 is the only one functioning.

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Tuned In

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.

Tariffs Cause Concern

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.

Managing Freight Cars

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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A vintage Lionel store display is always a crowd pleaser, Atlas' N-scale True-Track is the right solution for a new test track on the Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, The Green Diamond was Illinois Central's gem on the St. Louis-to-Chicago route and more!