I arrived back at the Gauntlet Track and West Ninth Street north of Tower 55 before dawn on Saturday August 14th to spend the day covering the crowd expected to visit the Big Boy on display. Starting out on the east side of the four main lines my first photo of the day captured the entire train tied down on the uphill grade.
Driving back to the west side I scored a prime parking spot across from the UP 4014 where I recorded the sun rising past the front pilot.
Various groups were represented at the display including my friend Robert Holzweiss and son working for the Bush Library in College Station.
Not long after the 9:00 am opening I sent up the drone up to get an overall view of the scene.
You can see the long line that has formed to visit the “Experience the Union Pacific ” car.
Shortly after 11:00 am two Fort Worth mounted police officers were polite enough to pose for me.
Next I encountered friend Danny Click and his family up from Brownwood.
At 1130 am Steam Program Director Ed Dickens is seen giving a presentation and hosting a well-attended Q&A session.
A few minutes after Ed finished up I took a few more crowd photos and then retreated to my SUV as a thunderstorm approached.
After the passage of the storm the City of Fort Worth would not let any more vehicles park at the event along with closing the exhibit car. This did not deter the viewing public who parked in downtown lots and walked the 1/4 mile to the train. Business was brisk at the souvenir tent.
A lot of children were drawn to the National Model Railroad Association tent.
Back at the hospitality tent I scored this view of photographic mentor Steve Crise and his wife as they visited with Ed Dickens.
At 3:02 pm I flew the drone again as a southbound freight pulled upgrade on Choctaw Main One passing the 4014 still drawing a steady crowd.
As the event started to wind down at 4:00 pm a group of Fort Worth Police motorcycle officers rode in and I asked them to pose for me to finish up the day’s photography. Officials estimated the overall attendance for the day at roughly 20,000 people, a record for one of these events.
I was glad the day was coming to an early end for once as the 4014 would be departing Monday morning for Hearne and Troy and I would be back on the road with it.
