Big Boy at Clarke's Crossing Pt. 10 - a photo on Flickriver

            Photo dump time!
Exactly 1 year ago as of this posting.  I could not choose just one shot, so instead I'm posting a sequence to tell the tale.

On Monday, September 9, 2024, Union Pacific's Big Boy steam locomotive 4014 returned to the Chicago area on it's Heartland of America tour.  It had arrived in Rochelle at UP's Global 3 yard on Friday, September 6; was on private display for UP employees and other dignitaries on Saturday, September 7; was on a total shitshow of a public display at G3 on Sunday, September 8; and went east to Chicago before heading south on Monday, September 9.

Knowing that this was going to be a cluster F of epic proportions, I figured "one and done" was the best option.  Desiring nice morning light and somewhere where 4014 could really pour on the smoke, there could only be one option:  Willrett Road just west of Creston, IL.  

There was probably close to 100 people gathered here at this crossing as Big Boy 4014 made its way east on the Geneva Sub, and Ed Dickens really did put on smoke show as it climbed up the hill on its way to Malta, DeKalb, and other points east.  Fortunately, I had a step ladder to get me a vantage point above the crowd.

The Willrett Road crossing is now officially known as Clarke's Crossing, in memoriam to rail photographer Clarke Renard.  Clarke had many of his photographs taken from this location published in books and magazines, particularly his sunset shots.  When Clarke tragically died in 2018 of pancreatic cancer, his friends petitioned boy Union Pacific and Google to have this crossed dedicated to his memory.

I can only hope Clarke, whom I met twice and only briefly, would be proud of this sequence.

Taken in: United States / Illinois / Malta Township (show map)

Taken on: September 9, 2024

Tags:

4014

Big Boy

Clarke Renard

Clarke's Crossing

Creston

Geneva Sub

Illinois

Steam Engine

Steam Engines

Steam Excursion

Steam Locomotive

Steam Powered

Trains

UP 4014

Union Pacific

Union Pacific 4014

Willrett Road « less

Sets appears in: • 4014 Big Boy • Images of Union Pacific more » • Steam Engines « less

Groups appears in: • Transportation • Steam Trains more » • Train and Transport Photography. No 30/60 limit! • Union Pacific Railfanning • Geotagged: Illinois • UP Geneva Subdivision • Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 Steam Locomotive • flickrailroad « less

Camera: Canon EOS R6, f/10.0, 1/3200 sec, 240mm, ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS R6
Lens:	RF24-240mm F4-6.3 IS USM
Aperture:	f/10.0
Exposure Time:	1/3200 sec
Focal Length:	240mm
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Classic 13.5.1 (Windows)
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