Midweek Trivia
Boy do we have a big question this week... *groan*
While these massive locomotives are universally known as "Big Boys," that wasn't their official project name, nor was it the nickname Union Pacific management intended for them.
Question: How did the name "Big Boy" actually originate?
Leave a comment with your answer.
The name “Big Boy” originated accidentally when an unidentified ALCO worker chalked the words “Big Boy” on the smokebox of the first 4‑8‑8‑4 locomotive while it was still under construction. This informal bit of shop‑floor graffiti stuck, overriding Union Pacific management’s intended name, the “Wasatch” class.
Chalked on the smokebox door of a locomotive on the erecting floor at ALCO.