It takes a lot of work to move a 500+ ton locomotive, and that includes laying track just to get the beast out of confinement. These Union Pacific "gandy dancers" are laying temporary "snap track" across the parking lot at the Fairplex in Pomona, the home of Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4-8-8-4 4014 for the last fifty-one years. This crew assembled this pre-fabricated track a few pieces at a time, and then the large steam engine is towed from one end to the other, at which point the process begins all over again. After a week or two, the 4014 will arrive at the Metrolink mainline at the northern edge of the Fairplex. The "Big Boy" is headed to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for an extensive rebuilding to add it to the UP's other two operating steam locomotives. Traditional track laying tools - spike mauls, tamper bars, large wrenches - are used, along with plywood shims to level the track on the uneven asphalt.
