Back on home turf. After spending decades as an outdoor display in California, the newly restored Union Pacific Big Boy #4014 is not only back on UP rails, she's back on home turf as well. The original route of the Transcontinental Railroad through Utah and Wyoming was the 4014's stomping ground for the roughly 20 years that she spent in freight service on the UP. How fitting that she should make her first official trip as the newest locomotive in the UP Heritage Fleet through the very territory where she earned her living. Here, we see her charging through the little town of Purple Sage, on the eastbound run to Rock Springs, just a couple of miles ahead. This particular location wasn't on any internet list of railfan hot-spots. I just picked it off Google Earth and hammered the coordinates into my GPS. When I got here, there were two other guys with cameras. Within 5 minutes, there had to be 30 or more. I guess I chose reasonably wisely. Unfortunately, this would be my last shot of the Big Boy....at least for now. After stopping for lunch in Rock Springs, I had some driving to do to make it back to Salt Lake City, for a flight home the following day.
