A few weeks ago, while watching the news, I learned something exciting was to happen in our town. On July 16th, one of the only working Union Pacific Big Boy engines would be steaming through our little town. Without knowing the exact time, I wrote an entry into my daily journal so we wouldn’t forget.
Yesterday, the early morning news reminded us again that the Big Boy was sitting at the biggest little city to the west and would soon roll east.
In our little town, we have a few parks. There’s Out-of-Town Park that is out of town. Then, there is the In-Town-Park, which is in town. Another stretch of empty land used to be the home of the Burning Man Artichoke. A thing of beauty made of flattened bottle caps.
This sculpture was a favorite of mine until the entire thing was removed. They didn’t ask our permission, but removed it quietly in the night, citing safety issues. Okay, there was a ladder to the second story and in today’s world, that could be a deadly feature. At any rate, it’s gone.
That piece of empty land is sandwiched between Main Street and the railroad track, so I’ll name that land Beside-the-Tracks Park. When HHH realized I would pester him until we were standing there waiting for the train to pass, he agreed that we’d go. Being a long time local, he knew exactly the place we’d park.
Well, one thing led to another and with some distractions, suddenly it was 10:03 and I hadn’t checked the Big Boy Locomotive tracker. The train was now speeding towards our town. We hoped we’d have time to make it to the tracks. On an earlier outing, HHH reported two cars next to the track, so neither of us were thinking many people would be there.
At this point, we had another 20 minutes to wait. We weren’t paying attention to the parking lot behind us as it quickly filled up. Hundreds of locals were all waiting to wave as the Union Pacific Big Boy Locomotive steamed by on its way to the next stop.
This engine is the biggest steam engine IN THE WORLD and it rolled right through the center of town. Right past senior citizens and babies alike. A historical day that saw all of us sweating through the desert heat to witness.
We could hear it before we could see it. And then, it was rolling through.
Just like that, the excitement was over. Please note the size of the engine compared to the small SUV to the side!!!!! It was truly worth the wait to see this coal driven engine steaming along our track. Something I’ll never forget.
The train is returning home to Cheyenne, Wyoming after its Westward Bound Tour.
Whatever you do today, watch the news. Perhaps there is something wonderful steaming through your town. Somethings only happen once in a lifetime. HHH and I are so lucky we experienced this!
More tomorrow.