I just happen to discover the Rocket park today. I will definitely take the detour
I, living on an island just next to you, and approaching 20 years of marriage with the Missus, would also be appreciative of your insights on how you swung that trip. 
Cheers
N
Somebody has moved New Zealand !
I’m not sure I’m answering the question you asked… but here we go.
Short Answer: took herself on the Durango & Silverton first, and even with all the soot in her hair she was hooked on trains, mountains and bears.
Long Answer: I think Neil and Mick would probably agree, that when you leave Australia or NZ you might as well keep travelling in the same direction as it’s going to take a long time to get back in either direction. Once you get past the fact that 24 hours will be spent in the air and airports, deciding to swing a big trip across North America is a piece of cake.
I was amused you used the word ”swing”. We often use the phrase “swings and roundabouts” that means situations often have both positive and negative aspects, and these tend to balance each other out in the long run.
The analogy is to the swings and roundabouts (merry-go-rounds) found in a playground. Just as a kid might find equal enjoyment from either activity, the phrase implies that advantages and disadvantages are like the different kinds of rides: they provide a similar overall experience of ups and downs.
I laughed when I thought about someone potentially asking Herself how she managed to “swing” a trip through America visiting State Fair Quilting exhibitions and scrapbooking stores. (…and her roundabout is that I now have access to her Cricut machine for manly actives).
We too are approaching 20 years, married a bit later in life though. We enjoy each others company. We both are more travellers, than tourists, so we plan activities (but not necessarily schedule) what we don’t want to miss as we are easily open to be diverted to checkout things we stumble across.
We are accustomed to finding a motel or campsite long after dark, because doing a tour of the jelly belly factory, exploring a lesser known national park or just dipping in to see a little rocket display had not been on the general plan for the day…
On the upside, for the cost of doing a week’s worth of being a tourist, we can generally get in about 6 weeks of travelling. There are not too many downsides… but it’s not for everyone. For travelling through America have embraced the words of the famous Tom Bodett… “Motel 6 looks and feels just like a ritzy hotel… once you’re asleep”
…and if you’re open to that sort of travel, you can both still travel in relative comfort. For example we travelled from London to Leeds for £6 (compared to £158) by finding how locals do discounts. That savings went towards renting a canal boat and spending a week on the water watching trains go by, but we had to make your own beds, cook our own breakfast and open our own locks on the canal. (Swings and Roundabouts).
Interesting, they had her actually hauling stuff. I thought she was just special passenger trips now.
That video was a test run. They use the freight cars for weight and braking. Better simulates loaded passenger cars.
Those are great stories and insights Bill, thanks!!
So your pending US trip is around 6 weeks long? Wow… Are you renting a $$car$$ for all that time, or…?
Roger that on the Motel 6 (or 8 or whatever). You might, however, check BnB’'s at more lengthy stops, since they are often comparatively inexpensive, and have at least a kitchenette and perhaps other nice amenities, like a more private setting.
Linda and I have pretty much “swung” (I love your backstory on that, haha!) entirely to BnB’s, but I check the prices between 2 or 3 of the main agent companies.
Cliff,
Happy to be taking your thread off-piste yet again. 
Yes, the next trip will be that long, but where and when will depend on finding an event or place we allegedly can’t miss.
We keep a couple of atlas road maps for planning options
And place stick numbered stickers in the atlas when we find something interesting…
Then finally connect the dots with on the map as a general itinerary.
We place dots year round, when they come up. Are you familiar with roadsideamerica.com and atlasobscura.com? They pop up on my news feed occasionally, but we generally go to the websites so we won’t miss something unique.
Cliff here’s a local one for you Maryland Tourist Attractions and Oddities Index. As you can see, you can waste a lot of time planning. (Not that you’ll need to entertain the grandkids having effectively hooked them on trains)
Oh, and if you’re into Devoning, try to leave Idaho without contemplating visiting these. Idaho Tourist Attractions and Oddities Index (Devon, there’s one for Utah as well and I might expect you’ll consider a side trip to take a picture of the worlds largest blender for your cooking thread. 
)
Covid certainly knocked our travel habit on the head and I must say possibly because Herself & I haven’t had covid, she has been pretty reticent to get in the air.
Unlike the US, Australia literally shut down travel outside the country for 2 years, in & out. Even interstate travel was shut down for months. That was interestingly called the Spice Girls effect.
Prices have skyrocketed in car rentals since we last visited. If we knew we could swing it, we’d buy a reliable car and store it somewhere. It’s unfortunate that rail transport is not as attractive as it is in other parts of the world, where you can hop off and get back on 30-60 minutes later.
On one trip we stumbled on a UK rental agency rentalcars.com renting in the USA which had no hidden fees and included insurance. It was a good experience to know the price quoted was the actual price. The car was Thrifty brand, not a no-name.
Options! We stumbled across uk.megabus.com in the UK and travelled London to Leeds for 1£ plus a 50p booking fee. I see that thru have a 
service us.megabus.com that have fares as low as $1 plus a booking fee.
…and to get back to the thread they have a stop in Cheyenne home of the Big Boy. UP: UP Steam
Herself has just told me that we will travel the American way by car, and will be taking the back roads to see the real America. But apparently as she has informed me, we will also be checking out the better known ”Big Boy” that she googled… 
…sigh.
Food for thought…
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I hear in June of 2025 some redneck from Idaho is making a BBQ brisket. Sounds like an event worth planning a 6 week vacation around. And Idaho. . . I mean Iowa is beautiful that time of year.
They updated the schedule to now include the Heartland Tour.
"Heartland of America Tour
Big Boy No. 4014 will depart on the “Heartland of America Tour” on Thursday, Aug. 29 from Cheyenne, Wyoming, and travel across nine additional states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas. The eight-week tour concludes in late October. No. 4014 will be on display in the following locations:
- Sunday, Sept. 8: Rochelle, Illinois (Chicago metro area)
- Sunday, Oct. 6: Houston, Texas
- Thursday/Friday, Oct. 10-11: Fort Worth, Texas
Additional route details with additional whistle stops, display locations and times will be shared closer to the tour."
Thanks for posting that Devon. I got the email notice on this today, and am glad they’re expanding their coverage. I’m hoping they’ll come further east sometime.
I wonder if the diesel is MU’d with the BB in some fashion, or if it’s all radio communication, or…?
I wondered this myself. I even watched a few videos that I had hoped would explain it. The most I could gather from the videos is that the diesel is not there for motive power. The Big Boy is 100% pulling the train from what I gather. It is there, because whether out of necessity or regulation, to provide dynamic breaking. I presume this is regulatory because of the mention for reliable breaking because it is operation on a Class 1 RR. Everything I read or listened to said the Big Boy was more than capable of pulling the train on its own without assistance but there was a need for better performing dynamic breaks.
Now I have no idea, and couldn’t determine, if there was a breakman in the diesel or if it was MU’d. If there is a breakman in the diesel then I can only guess he is being directed by radio. But all of that is speculation. If we don’t get our answer and I get a chance to ask and if I remember I will try to ask the question.
That’s very enlightening, thanks Devon! Even though you include guesswork, it’s all better-founded than I’d have guessed.
You bet, ask away when you’re there, you’re our emissary! And in the meantime, maybe others here might have insights or links they can share.
Devon,
I was going to ask if they took passengers, but apparently they do.
They even have a commemorative map that you can print and trace your route!
I was just looking at the Idaho Roadside link…
Is Craigmont on your way?
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About 2.5 hours south of me. Unfortunately never was down there when I was old enough to care or remember. But don’t think I have ever seen a train on this before it was taken out of service and the line abandon.
DAMN. I am heading West, but not South in September, but the 8th is my brother’s 80th Birthday Bash. I really should be there.
The test runs this spring were without any diesel units. Big Boy underwent a PTC upgrade over the winter and can now run the main without diesels. I don’t know if they will do that for the tour. Would be great if they do.
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It’s nice to see a YouTube video that doesn’t waffle too much.
Thanks for posting Hollywood.