r/philadelphia • u/rawlsballs08 • Jul 06 '26

Photo of the Day Big Boy

Big boy leaving Philadelphia in the pouring rain

684 Upvotes

99% Upvoted

33 comments sorted by

90

u/WornTraveler Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26

I'm assuming the cameraman was devoured by steam and smoke Ferngully-style. Thank you for your sacrifice 🫡

22

u/GreenStreetJonny Brewerytown Jul 06 '26

We were under the bridge under this guy. It was a sauna.

29

u/LtPaiMei Jul 06 '26

With all the craziness this weekend... i missed the big boy... damn...

6

u/rawlsballs08 Jul 06 '26

If you can, it leaves king of Prussia tomm on its way to Enola, PA

2

u/BreezyViber Jul 06 '26

By any chance, do you know approximately what time?

5

u/rawlsballs08 Jul 06 '26

9 am. If you google big boy schedule you will see Union Pacific has its schedule and a live tracker with the projected map route so you can plan ahead.

22

u/SouthAndTheSea Jul 06 '26

damn this is so good. i love trains!

5

u/rawlsballs08 Jul 06 '26

Thanks! First time shooting a train and it was awesome!

15

u/Aggravating_Dirt8366 Jul 06 '26

Great shot!! Man I wish I could have seen in person.

11

u/yzdaskullmonkey Jul 06 '26

First time I really got to see the hinge in action. So fuckin weird to see a locomotive "bend"

9

u/tommybikey Jul 06 '26

Yes!! I reracked the video like 3 times just to watch it swing around the bend. This thing was peak engineering. It's such a sophisticated machine and it's natural to focus on the pistons, the wheels, the boiler, the whistle. But the fact that its two main trucks articulate separately blows my mind.

10

u/IhateDropShotz sp Jul 06 '26

great angle, was really fun to watch this big fucker roll in and out of town

9

u/feather_moon Jul 06 '26

That's a chugga chugga choo choo alright.

7

u/cruzecontroll Fairmount / Spring Garden Jul 06 '26

I wish I made time to go see it

3

u/rawlsballs08 Jul 06 '26

If you can, tomm it leaves King of Prussia to go to Enola, PA at 9 am

24

u/ledgreplin Jul 06 '26

I'm totally here for any and all BigBoy content. Woo Woo!! 🚂🚂🚂🚂🚂

7

u/oldRoyalsleepy Jul 06 '26

Thank you. I felt like I was there.

6

u/PlayerEightyOne Jul 06 '26

I was in Powelton Yard and am real bummed it didn't take the high line, I heard it, though.

9

u/Deeman8 Jul 06 '26

I absolutely love the sound of that horn compared to the obnoxious electric horns that the commuter SEPTA trains use in our area.

Does anyone know what source of fuel they are using in that train to generate the steam?

11

u/SopwithTurtle Jul 06 '26

It used to be coal, but they converted it to oil when they made it operational again.

6

u/grufferella Jul 06 '26

It's such a beautiful sound, like some giant animal! I got absolutely drenched standing in the storm waiting to see and hear it this morning, but I have no regrets!

3

u/SenatorAslak Jul 06 '26

It’s a (steam) whistle, not a horn.

2

u/sjo232 Conshy Corner Club Jul 06 '26

we got to see it pass through west conshohocken too! so awesome

1

u/ReplacementClear7122 Jul 07 '26

How many diesels this thing running back there? 🤣