Big Boy - schedule

Larry Fine said:
If we can make it, here's the schedule we will be working around:

July 7 — Lebanon, PA
  • Lebanon Station, 250 N 8th St, Lebanon, PA 17046
    • Arrive: 12:30 p.m. EDT
    • Depart: 1:15 p.m. EDT

July 8 — Lewistown & Altoona, PA
  • Roundhouse Road crossing, Lewistown, PA
    • Arrive 12:45 p.m.
    • Depart 1:15 p.m. EDT
  • Railroaders Memorial Museum,1200 9th Ave, Altoona, PA 16602.
    • Arrive 5:15 p.m.
    • Depart 5:45 p.m. EDT

July 9–10 — Altoona, PA
  • Static display event
    • Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
    • Free admission
    • Shuttle access from Peoples Natural Gas Field required.
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We're aiming for staying in or near Altoona the nights of the 9th and 10th.
 
My friend and I reserved two single-king-bed rooms for Thursday and Friday nights at one motel, and one two-queen-bed room at another motel as a just-in-case backup or if our other friend decides to go.

That will give us Friday morning to get our fill of the BB, and the rest of the day to see some of the rest of Altoona's railroad attractions, eat some good food, and maybe watch Saturday morning's departure.
 
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I've been frustrated by the website- cannot get it to sell me a ticket for Steamtown. First it says "Cannot verify that you are human. Try refreshing your browser." and when I do it immediately says it has received too many requests per unit time from my IP and claims I must be a bot.

ARGH.

[EDIT 20260619: I was finally able to get a Steamtown ticket for Wednesday the 24th, using my phone instead of my desktop computer. What a PITA.

I've also identified a couple opportunities and vantage points to catch the thing in operation on its way west after it leaves Philly.]
 
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The remainder of the PA schedule:

June 17–30 — Scranton, PA
  • Steamtown National Historic Site
    • Ticketed, distant viewing of locomotive maintenance during park hours: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. EDT

July 2 — Reading & Pottstown, PA
  • Reading & Northern Outer Station, 3501 Pottsville Pike, Reading, PA 19605
    • Arrive 2:15 p.m. EDT
    • Depart 3:00 p.m. EDT
  • Pottstown Train Station, 35 S. York St., Pottstown, PA 19464
    • Arrive 4:15 p.m. EDT
    • Depart 4:30 p.m. EDT

July 4–5 — Philadelphia, PA
  • Independence Day weekend display at Intrepid Ave. & League Island Blvd.
    • Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. EDT
    • Free admission

July 7 — Lebanon, PA
  • Lebanon Station, 250 N 8th St, Lebanon, PA 17046
    • Arrive: 12:30 p.m. EDT
    • Depart: 1:15 p.m. EDT

July 8 — Lewistown & Altoona, PA
  • Roundhouse Road crossing, Lewistown, PA
    • Arrive 12:45 p.m.
    • Depart 1:15 p.m. EDT
  • Railroaders Memorial Museum,1200 9th Ave, Altoona, PA 16602.
    • Arrive 5:15 p.m.
    • Depart 5:45 p.m. EDT

July 9–10 — Altoona, PA
  • Static display event
    • Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT
    • Free admission
    • Shuttle access from Peoples Natural Gas Field required

July 11 — Cresson & Leetsdale, PA
  • Horseshoe Curve National Historic Site Ticketed Viewing - SOLD OUT
    • Arrive: 9:30 a.m. EDT
    • Depart: 10:00 a.m. EDT
  • Cresson Railroad Park, 501 Front St, Cresson, PA 16630
    • Arrive 10:45 a.m.
    • Depart 11:15 a.m. EDT
  • 1st St/Avenue A and Ferry St. Leetsdale, PA, 15056
    • Arrive 5:45 p.m.
    • Depart 6:15 p.m. EDT
 
Okay, new update: We have no idea what we're doing yet. Either of two scenarios:

1. Our other friend Rick will be up to a one-day trip to Lebanon on Tuesday.

2. He won't be, and Alan and I will stick to the original Altoona two-night stay.

Rick has health issues and is concerned with getting home from an overnight trip.

We agreed that Rick going is more important than going to Altoona . . . barely.

He could surprise us at the last minute and go overnight with us, but I'm dubious.

So he has to let me know by Sunday afternoon so I know when to start packing.
 
Mike M. said:
I stopped by SteamTown while Big Boy was there, just by luck.
Click to expand...

There's another (No. 4012) on permanent display there. They had the two of them side by side when I was there last week.
P1110247.JPG

P1110243.JPGP1110269.JPG

I was a little puzzled by the heiroglyphics stenciled on the cabs so I had to ask Google.
  • 4-8-8-4 is the arrangement of wheels on the engine
    • 4 wheels on the leading truck
    • 8 driving wheels
    • 8 MORE driving wheels
    • 4 wheels on the trailing (cab support) truck
  • 1 indicates the engine was part of the first series built (20 were built in 1941, with five more built later)
  • 68 indicates the diameter, in inches, of the driving wheels. They're an inch smaller than the driving wheels of the class they replaced, to provide a bit more torque and driving force.
  • 24 24 / 32, or 23 1/2 23 1/2 / 32, are the bore and stroke of the pistons. Two sets of driven wheels required to sets of pistons and cylinders.
  • 540 is the total weight, in thousands of pounds, on the driving wheels.
  • DB or MB is the abbreviation for the type of automatic stoker installed. No. 4012 is still configured to burn coal, where No. 4014 has been refitted to burn No. 5 fuel oil.
 
I believe there is video of 4012 actually moving while 4014 was there. It was only a few feet, and I'm unsure if it was on her own or was being pushed. Still good to see she wasn't rusted in place.
 
jdmccright said:
I believe there is video of 4012 actually moving while 4014 was there. It was only a few feet, and I'm unsure if it was on her own or was being pushed. Still good to see she wasn't rusted in place.
Click to expand...

If 4012 moved, it wouldn't have been under its own power. It takes a LOT of effort to get up steam in one of those things, and can take days to cool the boiler down afterward. You don't just jump into a steam loco, turn the ignition key, and drive blithely away. :)
 
Well, we have decided to call it off. Altoona rain forecast percentage:

Day \ Place - Altoona - Potomac
Wed . . . . . . . . . . 33 . . . . . . 62
Ths . . . . . . . . . . . 47 . . . . . . 73
Fri . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 . . . . . . 50
Sat. . . . . . . . . . . . 39 . . . . . . 54
 
Okay, both of my reservations are canceled, and Alan expects to cancel his later today.

We are so disappointed.

1783446553831.png
 
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