1949 Union Pacific Exhibit, Big Boy Engine, Chicago Railroad Fair, Illinois

A companion card to my other Chicago Railroad Fair listing. From Union Pacific of Omaha, Nebraska, a standard-sized postcard. Not new and not used but showing some toning and very minor soiling. No tears or creases. The engine is described as:

"Big Boy, a giant 4-8-8-4 Mallet type engine, is 133 feet long, nearly one-half the length of a city block, weighs 1,208,750 pounds, and has a fuel capacity of 28 tons. This monster of the rails is hinged in the center to permit it to take curves it otherwise could not accomplish. One Big Boy does the work which formerly required two locomotives, and when under full steam consumes 100,000 pounds of water and 22,000 pounds of coal per hour. It sets a world standard for size and power. Union Pacific Railroad has a large fleet of these giants in service."

The back of the card also adds:

"Travelers think of Union Pacific when they plan trips to or from the Scenic West - Denver - Salt Lake City - Los Angeles - San Francisco - Portland. Fine streamliners and other comfortable passenger trains daily via Union Pacific."

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