Thursday, August 5, 2021

Iron Horse


 

Spent the morning in Pine Bluffs, WY viewing the passage of the Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014. It is embarking on the 2021 tour.

https://www.up.com/media/releases/210614-big-boy-tour.htm





A side note. The Big Boy is not the world’s largest steam locomotive. Most likely it is the largest one operating today. The largest was operated by the Northern Pacific and called the “Yellowstone”. It weighed 624 tons to “Big Boys” 604 tons. The Big Boys were far better locomotives. The Union Pacific owns vast amounts of coal In Wyoming and only retired the 4000 series because they are labor intensive to operate. The 4014 was converted to oil.

 An agriculture aerial applicator was busy.

Most days you would be able to see for 100 miles but all the drifting smoke from the West Coast fires continue a month+ of poor air quality.

We met up with my sister for the viewing. We then went 14 miles west to a truck stop operated by Indians (from India) where she bought lunch; chicken curry on rice. Banner made new friends with some of the kids playing on their scooters in the parking lot.

Banner and I stopped in Briggsdale, CO for treats and a cup of coffee. The town is a spot on the map in the middle of Colorado’s largest oil and gas field. 

It is a fair assumption few Xiden voters live around there.


When passing by I like to stop and look at this old truck.

No pronghorns were seen on this trip but two weaned fawns in a creek bottom had thoughts of crossing the road.

A nice morning.

6 comments:

Old NFO said...

Reminds me, I need to check the schedule for Big Boy down here.

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Closest to you 8/14 in Ft Worth.

Greybeard said...

About Briggsdale-
An old girlfriend used to say about small towns as we drove through- "This is a nice town, wasn't it"?

Well Seasoned Fool said...

True. Isn't it amazing how so many towns are named after their water towers?

LSP said...

Great post, and how neat to see the Big Boy. Curry? I do like a good chicken curry from time to time

Well Seasoned Fool said...

Asia subcontinent cuisine isn't something I seek but my sister likes it and she was buying.