Union Pacific No. 4005 is a 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" type articulated steam locomotive built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in 1941 for the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). It is one of the eight surviving Big Boys of the 25 locomotives of this type that were built for the UP between 1941 and 1944.
History of 4005[]
In December 1946, as part of an experimental response to a coal miners strike, 4005 was converted to burn oil instead of coal. It was one of only two UP Big Boys to undergo this conversion, the other one being No. 4014, which was restored to operating condition in 2019. However, the oil burner installed did not distribute heat evenly in the coal-designed firebox, resulting in poor fuel combustion. After fourteen months of experimentation, 4005 was converted back to coal in March 1948, marking the oil conversion as unsuccessful.
On April 27, 1953, 4005 was involved in a tragic derailment caused by a misaligned switch. The locomotive and the first eighteen cars derailed, destroying the cars and their cargo, which included dented tractors, dead pigs, typewriters, and sewing machines. The engineer and fireman were killed instantly, and the brakeman later succumbed to serious injuries. Following extensive repairs carried out in Cheyenne, scars from the derailment remain visible on the locomotive's left side. It is possible that a different tender was used as part of the repairs.
4005 made its final operational run in October 1957, was placed into storage in November 1958, and was officially retired in July 1962 after accumulating over 1,043,000 miles.
At one point, 4005 was partially dismantled for shipment to Argentina, but the sale fell through due to financial difficulties, and the locomotive remained in the United States.
In June 1970, 4005 was placed on display at the Forney Museum of Transportation in Denver, Colorado. During this transition, modifications were made to allow the locomotive to negotiate curves during future moves, including cutting and renewing parts of the trailing truck's lateral movement controls.
In January 1999, 4005 was temporarily relocated near the Platte River at 15th Street, then later moved to 4303 Brighton Blvd. To protect critical components during these moves, its main rods were removed and repairs were made to damaged trailing truck centering devices. The entire relocation effort, involving multiple historic railroad pieces, cost approximately $600,000. Jack Forney played a crucial role in preserving and relocating this valuable collection.
By 2001, 4005 was returned to indoor display at the Forney Transportation Museum where it remains today. Despite restoration efforts, including a fresh paint job, the locomotive is generally considered to be in fair to poor condition. Still, being on display indoors prevented it from deteriorating in condition, and it remained one of the most complete and well-preserved Big Boys in existence.
Gallery[]
_(26512531825).jpg "Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4005 (4 8 8 4) (26512531825).jpg (6.79 MB)")
