• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Union Pacific "Big Boy" Came Thru FTW Saturday

Yeeha! Stephen

0
Forum Supporter
Joined
Nov 22, 2003
Messages
2,658
Reaction score
960
Location
Bedford Texas
I didn't know our motorcycle group had such a following. About 10,000 of our closest friends showed up for our ride downtown to see the Big Boy steam locomotive. Yikes!
.
1629057464327.png

Jean Imholte Photo.
.
1629057508532.png

Keith Smith Photo
.
1629057549543.png

Keith Smith Photo
.
1629057588573.png

Yeeha Stephen Photo
.
1629057634652.png

Yeeha Stephen Photo
.
 
A lot of friends went to see that. I didn't know about it until it was over.
 
View attachment 300114
From Facebook, I thought it was pretty awesome shot.

.
Around here you'd have to sneak down the tracks somewhere to get a great shot like that.
There were WAY too many people to get a nice clean shot.
There were thousands (like 10k) of people in downtown FTW. Looked like the line to get into a NASCAR race at TMS.
A heavy thunderstorm blew thru about mid-day and sent folks scurrying away from the lightning.
Police Dept changed most of the one-way "in" streets to all one-way "out" of town to get the people cleared.
 
USED to look like that back in the late 80s. Now you will not get that impressive smoke flume. Burns really clean.
Not my picture as stated but was supposed to have been this weekend??
 
I heard it pass by in the distance...neat steam whistle sound. Trains ain't my gig but I can see how so many folks have the interest.
 
I think it could pull faster than 70mph, but was regulated to stay slower than that because of structural/mechanical limitations of the tracks.
 
I rode behind Challenger years ago , pulling 20+ full varnish heavy weights , it felt like it hit 70+ in the length of the train when we made a 90 degree turn off the rails that parallel hi 6 east of Alvin and hit straight rail headed to Bay City , all at once all the cars that had been pacing use on the county road beside the tracks were long gone . Never felt or heard a thing . Never wanted to get into another sardine can aluminum tube after that ride .
 
Back
Top