Loaded up some friends in the Suburban this afternoon to see the Big Boy on it's tour headed to the east coast for the 4th of July. It stopped near Argos, IN, and I knew it was going to be a zoo there because they had been promoting it on the local TV and radio stations, and I knew where it would cross SR 15 at a little burg called Claypool, so that's where we went. Since there is a crossing diamond there where the east/west NS tracks cross the north/south NS tracks, I figured that would be a decent place to see it. We got there at about 3:15PM, and the Big Boy roared through at about 4:00 PM going about 45 MPH. There were probably 20-30 people there, so the population of Claypool was probably doubled for an hour or so.
I was hoping it would have to slow down to cross the diamond, but he blew right through, not slowing a bit. Still, it's was something to see that massive engine up close and personal, a rare sight nowadays.
It will be coming back on the same tracks on July 16 after it's stay on the east coast, and my friends want to go back to see it again, so I'm sure we will.
I was hoping it would have to slow down to cross the diamond, but he blew right through, not slowing a bit. Still, it's was something to see that massive engine up close and personal, a rare sight nowadays.
It will be coming back on the same tracks on July 16 after it's stay on the east coast, and my friends want to go back to see it again, so I'm sure we will.
