Big Boy No. 4014 Locomotive
All Aboard for McFaddin-Ward House Lecture on Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 Locomotive
Beaumont, TX; Jan. 8, 2024 – Union Pacific Railroad’s Manager of Heritage Operations, Ed Dickens, will share the exciting journey of the world’s largest operating steam locomotive – the Union Pacific No. 4014 Big Boy Engine – during “Restoration and Operations of the World-Famous Big Boy Engine,” a free public lecture presented by the McFaddin-Ward House on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the museum’s Visitor Center Lecture Hall (located at 1906 Calder Avenue, in Beaumont).
One of 25 Big Boys built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad and delivered in Dec. 1941, No. 4014 was retired after 20 years of service having traveled 1,031,205 miles. Dickens’ lecture will detail the process of acquiring and transporting the 132-foot-long, 1.2-million-pound locomotive to Cheyenne, WY, after 52 years on static display in Southern California to undergo its multi-year restoration, as well as overview operations of the world-famous locomotive.
“I feel the entire massive scope [of the restoration] is one of the reasons people are so fascinated with the project,” Dickens said. “We completed the ground up restoration in only two and a half years. It’s a huge, pun intended, locomotive, and my team and I made it happen, but the credit goes to the women and men of the Union Pacific railroad.”
In his unique role at Union Pacific, Dickens, who serves as lead locomotive engineer and project leader, is responsible for all aspects of steam locomotive maintenance, trip planning, logistics, and operations and has presided over two significant steam locomotive rebuild projects, including Big Boy in 2013. Working for more than 35 years as a locomotive engineer, Dickens has operated steam locomotives tens of thousands of miles throughout the U.S. and Canada and enjoys sharing these experiences.
“We thank everyone for the tremendous interest in Union Pacific’s steam locomotives,” Dickens said.
McFaddin-Ward House lectures are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Built in 1905-1906 in the distinctive Beaux-Arts Colonial style, the McFaddin-Ward House reflects the lifestyle of the prominent family which lived in the house for 75 years. The museum features free tours, educational programming, year-round events, a carriage house, and gardens.
For more information, call 409-832-2134 or visit mcfaddin-ward.org.