Genesis BIG BOY4-8-8-4, BIG BOY 4005, BIG BOY 4006, BIG BOY 4019, BIG BOY 4024 User Manual

BIG BOY

4-8-8-4

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• Big Boy History Page…2

• Big Boy…The Model Page…3

• Model Features Page…4

• Sound and DCC Features Page…5

• Operating the Big Boy Page…6

• Lubrication and Maintenance Page…9

• CV Charts Page…11

• Big Boy Tender Diagrams Page…12

• Big Boy Locomotive Diagrams Page…14

Jack Pfeifer photo

The Union Pacific was built as the eastern portion of the
Transcontinental Railroad. The original line was built west
from Omaha across Nebraska and Wyoming, into Utah to
a meeting with the Central Pacific at Promontory. Within a
few years the junction was moved east to Ogden. In the early
1900s, the mainline of the Los Angeles and Salt Lake, an UP
subsidiary, joined the original Overland Route at Ogden. The
majority of UP’s traffic went through Ogden.
The line across the Nebraska prairies from Omaha to
Cheyenne, Wyoming had no serious grades as it followed
the Platte River most of the way. West from Cheyenne, it
was a much different story. First, the railroad had to cross the
Continental Divide on Sherman Hill. West of Sherman Hill,
the railroad encountered several grades near one percent as it
traversed the Basin and Range country. Eastbound trains faced
their toughest challenge immediately after leaving Ogden. The
Echo Canyon line through the Wahsatch Mountains was the
steepest grade on Union Pacific’s part of the Overland Route.
It meant that most of UP’s eastbound traffic had to contend
with the grade.
From 1918 through 1924, UP acquired a group of 65
compound 2-8-8-0 locomotives to replace double-headed 2­8-0s on the grades of Wyoming and Utah. The 2-8-8-0s could
handle the tonnage, but being compounds with 57-inch driv

­ers, they were not very fast. 2-10-2s, three-cylinder 4-10-2s,
and the three-cylinder “Union Pacific” type 4-12-2s were also
used. They could not handle as much tonnage, and the 2-8-8­0s remained the primary locomotive between Cheyenne and
Ogden. By the 1930s, speed was becoming a much bigger
factor, but with the grades, pulling power was still the most
important part. UP finally found a solution by splitting the 4­12-2 design into a simple articulated locomotive. This resulted
in the Challenger 4-6-6-4 locomotives. Fifteen Challengers
were delivered in 1936 and twenty-five more in 1937.
The Challengers were much faster than the 2-8-8-0s and
only marginally less powerful. They were equipped with 69­inch drivers and designed for 80 miles per hour. The Challeng

­ers were rated at over 5,000 tons across Nebraska and 4,290
tons across Wyoming. But on the grade over the Wahsatch
Mountains, they were limited to 3,100 tons eastbound. UP
wanted something that could make the same speeds as the

Challengers and could handle the same 4,290-ton trains
over the Wahsatch without a helper. In 1940, Union Pacific
President William Jeffers gave orders to the Department of
Research and Mechanical Standards.
Formed in 1936, the Department was under the leadership
of Vice President Otto Jabelmann. The easiest solution was to
scale up the successful Challenger design by adding another
pair of drivers to each half of the locomotive making a 4-8-8­4 design. The task before Jabelmann’s department was to fit
such a large machine into the real world. To be of any use,
the new locomotive had to negotiate the existing curves and
fit within the weight limits of the railroad’s bridges.

They had an advantage in that the new locomotive was
intended for a limited operating area, where the mainline was
engineered for high-speed and heavy traffic. The basic Chal

­lenger design was lengthened, given a larger firebox, and
larger cylinders, while the driver diameter was reduced one
inch to 68 inches. Other changes were the result of improved
technology such as the cast frame with integral cylinders
instead of the built up frames of the Challengers. Like the
Challengers, they were designed to burn the semi-bituminous
coal from Wyoming mines. The tender used the successful
“centipede” design from the 1939 built 4-8-4s. The coal and
water capacity was based on calculations of usage on a run
through Echo Canyon with yard delays and meets factored in.
Not every limitation could be overcome. One was the
length of the locomotive. The boiler overhang would have
resulted in sideswipe collisions on some double track curves.
These curves were widened a few feet to eliminate that prob

­lem. The length also meant the new locomotive was too
long for existing turntables, so new 135 foot turntables were
installed at Ogden and Green River, the western and eastern
terminals for the planned operation of the new locomotive.
In 1941, UP placed an order for twenty 4-8-8-4’s, num

­bers 4000 – 4019, with the American Locomotive Company,
or ALCO as it is better known. Each engine cost $265,174.
According to legend, an unidentified machinist at the ALCO
plant is responsible for the name “Big Boy”, having written it
in chalk on a partially complete locomotive. Although there is
some evidence that UP intended to call it’s newest and largest
locomotives “Wahsatch” in honor of the grade they were built
to overcome, the Big Boy name stuck.
The first Big Boy, number 4000, was formally accepted
by the UP at Omaha at 6 P.M. on September 5, 1941. Traffic
during World War Two resulted in 5 more Big Boys, numbers
4020 – 4024, being built in 1944. These were slightly heavier
due to wartime restrictions of various metals and had a differ

­ent arraignment of boiler tubes and flues.
In service, the Big Boys started out on the Ogden to Green
River segment. A typical freight train powered by a Big Boy
took four hours to go the 75 miles from Ogden to Evanston,
Wyoming, consuming 20 tons of coal and 12 to 13 thousand
gallons of water. Big Boys were also cleared to run from

Big Boy Locomotive Weights and Dimensions

4000 - 4019 4020 - 4024

Tractive Effort 137,375 Lbs. 137,375 Lbs.

Cylinders, diameter and stroke (4) 23.75 in. x 32 in. 23.75 in. x 32 in.

Driver diameter 68 in. 68 in.

Grate area 150 sq. ft. 150 sq. ft.

Steam Pressure 300 Psi. 300 Psi.

Total Evaporating Heating Surface 5,889 sq. ft. 5,755 sq. ft.

Superheater Type Type E Type A

Superheating Surface 2,466 sq. ft. 2,043 sq. ft.

Total Engine Weight 762,000 Lbs. 772,250 Lbs.

Weight on Drivers 540,000 Lbs. 545,200 Lbs.

Boiler Diameter 95 in. 95 in.

Driving Wheel base (each) 18 ft. 3 in. 18 ft. 3 in.

Driving Wheel base (total) 47 ft. 3 in. 47 ft. 3 in.

Total Engine Wheel base

72 ft. 5 in.

72 ft. 5 in.

Engine Length 85 ft. 9 in. 85 ft. 9 in.

Tender Weight (full load) 427,500 Lbs. 436,500 Lbs.

Tender Coal Capacity (level) 28 tons 28 tons

Tender Water Capacity 24,000 gal. 25,000 gal.

Tender Length 47 ft. 47 ft.

Overall Wheel base 117 ft. 7 in. 117 ft. 7 in.

Overall Length 132 ft. 10in. 132 ft. 10 in.

Total Weight (full load) 1,189,500 Lbs. 1,208,750 Lbs.

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G9150 BIG BOY UNDECORATED W/O DEFLECTORS
G9151 BIG BOY UNDECORATED W/ DEFLECTORS
G9152 BIG BOY #4005
G9153 BIG BOY #4006
G9154 BIG BOY #4019 WITH DEFLECTORS
G9155 BIG BOY #4024

Ogden to Pocatello, Idaho and from Granger, Wyoming to
McCammon, Idaho, but they were not used on those lines.
Because Cheyenne was their home shop for heavy work, the
Big Boys regularly ran from Ogden to Cheyenne for shop­ping. When released from the shop, it was customary to
use the Big Boy as a helper for Sherman Hill for a few runs
before releasing it back to the freight pool. Before long, the
run from Ogden to Cheyenne was the normal Big Boy operat

­ing area. Each Big Boy ran about 7,000 miles each month
throughout their careers. Producing about 6,000 horsepower,
the Big Boys were very well suited to hustling hot Pacific Fruit
Express trains over the grades of Wyoming.
Big Boys had been cleared to run the LA&SL to Los
Angeles from the beginning with some speed restrictions
on the tighter curves found in several areas. .None ran into
Nevada or California, but during World War Two, traffic on
the LA&SL route to Southern California was near the line’s
peak capacity. Several Big Boys operated for a while from
Salt Lake City to Milford, Utah to see if their power could ease
the traffic crunch. Since the LA&SL used oil instead of coal,
a clamshell coal loader was used at Lynndyl, Utah to supply
coal to the Big Boys. The biggest problem encountered was
the lack of water and very poor quality of the water found in
the desert.
Another experiment was the conversion of number 4005
to an oil burner just after the end of World War Two. The
experiment was not a success as only one burner was installed
and it heated just one spot of the crown sheet so much that the
crown sheet leaked considerable amounts of water into the
firebox. After a short period of testing, the 4005 was convert

­ed back to coal. Without dieselization, it is probable that more
Big Boys would have been acquired including oil burners for
the LA&SL.
Despite the influx of diesels following World War Two,
the Big Boys and Challengers remained the prime power on
the Overland Route from Ogden to Cheyenne. Helpers were
used on Sherman Hill including double-headed Big Boys.
They also saw service as helpers, leading gas turbines and
diesels over Sherman Hill. They remained active on through
the 1950s, not being retired until the early 1960s.

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Jack Pfeifer Collection

Dave Martindell photo,
Clayton Tinkham collection

UNION PACIFIC

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The Genesis™ 4-8-8-4 Big Boy is the culmination of
the art of design and tooling integrating the latest inno

­vations in electronic technology. The Big Boy model
has been developed from its inception as the finest three
dimensional operating miniature representation of the
prototype available.

Enclosed in the premium quality box are the following
items:

1. History and Instruction Book that includes a warranty

and instruction card

2. HO scale 4-8-8-4 Big Boy Locomotive

3. HO scale tender with full electronics package

installed

4. Hand Held Wireless DC Controller

Upon inspecting the locomotive and tender note the
many details that have been incorporated in its con

-

struction.

Locomotive and tender features

• Boiler backhead with full details and printed manual
controls.

• Individually applied detail parts such as piping,
valves, generators, etc.

• Blackened metal RP25 wheels.

• Eccentric cranks operating on both sides in correct
direction.

• Front and rear engines (cylinders and coupled drive
wheel sets) both pivot in order to manage 18” radius
curves.

• Pilot has open/closed positions. Coupler pocket can be
inserted to mount coupler.

• Adjustable cab windows.

• Headlights and tender lights have directional light
change, while the number boards are permanently
illuminated.

• Five-pole, skewed armature motor with two fly­wheels with very smooth-running features.

• Cab hatches can be either closed or open.

• See-through running boards.

• Each undecorated version includes all parts for that
specific ver

sion.

• Locomotive is smoke-unit-ready. No soldering
needed.

• 6-pin connector plug between loco and tender.

• Current pick-up on all 16 driver wheels and 8 tender
wheels.

• Consumer-friendly disassembly features for spare part
replacement.

• Detailed instruction sheets with exploded view draw­ings and history booklet.

• Cabin is closed with opening door feature.

Prototype Specific Features

• Coal load.

• Coal rack for additional coal storage.

• Wood tender deck.

• Smoke deflectors.

• Ashpans applied to coal fueled versions only.

• Closed cab with opening door feature.

M o d e l F e a t u r e s

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DCC Features:

The decoder provided with the GenesisTM Big Boy Locomo­tive will operate with any NMRA compatible DCC system.
The default setting is address 3. The decoder is rated at 2 amps
and will support either 2 or 4 digit addresses. The decoder
functions are fully programmable by the adjustment of CVs.
A CV table is included in the operating instructions. Either 14
speed steps or 28/128 speed steps are supported by this system.
Available accessory and sound functions are as follows:

• Directional Lighting • Bell (4 types)

• Whistle (12 types) • Air Release

• Coupling • Brake Squeal

• Sound On/Off • Fire Box Door

• Water Injector • Sand Release

• Cylinder Cock/Flange squeal • Blower Hiss

• Conductor’s Voice or rail clack

In addition to Function Ø (Directional lighting) there are nine­teen additional sound functions to allow the operator to capture
the full range of unique sounds found on an operating steam
locomotive. You can now fully immerse yourself in the com

­plexities of prototype operation and add a new level of realism
to your railroading experience.

Dual-Function decoder is made by Model Rectifier Corpora

­tion for Athearn, Inc.

The installation of sound in a locomotive adds a new dimen­sion to operation. Sound makes a technically perfect static
model come alive and enhances the experience of operation.
You will find that you will no longer "run" the engine but,
rather, operate it in the context of your layout. Whether you
are using conventional DC control or a DCC system, the incor

­poration of advanced electronic technology will provide the
ultimate railroading experience.

The Genesis

TM

Big Boy Locomotive includes a factory
installed Dual Function DCC Decoder with speakers. The
board is mounted in the tender. The DCC decoder automati

­cally senses the power supply type (either DC or NMRA com­pliant DCC system) that is being used and will operate without
intervention from the user.

Hand-Held Wireless Controller

Included with the Big Boy locomotive is a hand-held wireless
controller. When operating with conventional DC, this control
unit is designed specifically to allow control of the speed and
direction of the locomotive as well as these six individual
sound functions:

• Bell • Whistle

• Water Injector • Air Release

• Blower Hiss • Fire Box Door

These are more sound features than have been previously
available to the conventional DC user in any format. The Gen­esisTM Big Boy Locomotive will operate on DC without the use
of this hand held, however, only the steam chuff sounds will be
available in this operational mode.

S o u n d a n d D C C F e a t u r e s

LED Indicator

Whistle

Bell

Stop

AccelerateDecelerate

Direction

The 12-volt transmitter battery, # A23-12, is available at any

electronics or office supply store.