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.
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.