Denver Post Archives

JUN 15 1970, JUN 16 1970 The Train Will Be Delayed Tony Kapors, left, Colorado & Southern Railway Co. Road master, looks on while Tony Leo cuts a twisted rail Monday in front of "Big Boy," the world's biggest railroad steam engine. The engine slipped off the tracks on a curve Friday afternoon while it was being pushed to the Colorado Transportation Museum, 1416 Platte St. It was bout 50 yards short of its goal on a spur track when the accident happened. E. A. Graham, C&S Chief Civil engineer, said the derailment resulted because the curve was too sharp for the huge engine's wheel alignment. Big Boy is a 29-year-old, 1.2 million-pound monster given to the Museum by the Union Pacific Railroad. A crew of C&S men is hauling Big Bay onto blocks and a straight section of track will be built to the side of the museum where the locomotive will be parked. Graham said he had no estimate of when the operation will be completed. Credit: Denver Post (Denver Post via Getty Images)