Steve Johnston

The Union Pacific steam locomotive 4-8-8-4 “BigBoy” is the biggest, most powerful railroad steam engine in the world. Built in 1941, it operated into the 1950’s hauling freight, WWII soldiers, and civilian passengers primarily over the mountains to the west coast and back. It most recently paid Kansas City a visit on its Legacy Tour.  One of the prints is a blending 49 individual frames to show how massive and articulated the machinery is of this locomotive. It spans 100+ feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. The 16 driving wheels stand nearly 6 feet tall. One photo shows 4014 streaming out of Union Station passing Kansas City’s Cross Roads Arts District just after the many hundreds of people came to see it.