Erin Dealey

All aboard! We’re thrilled to have kidlit author Marsha Diane Arnold

back to celebrate her newest picture book,

BIG BOY 4014 and the Steam Team: The World’s Largest Steam Engine Roars Back to Life! 

Illus. Adam Gustavson (Sleeping Bear Press)

About the book:

In the 1940s, there were twenty-five 600-ton steam locomotives in the United States, known as Big Boys. Big Boy 4014 pulled her last train in 1959, and spent the next fifty years on display at an outdoor train museum–until a dedicated team of train specialists wondered what it would take to restore her. And could they get her up and running for the Golden Spike Celebration, the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 9, 2019? Big Boy 4014 is their amazing story.

Arnold and Gustavson pay tribute to the world’s biggest steam locomotive…a “Steam Team” takes on a seemingly impossible task: rebuilding Big Boy’s engine in time for the Golden Spike Celebration’

“Test those bolts. Check those rivets. Grab the torches. Grab the welders.”

Finally, it’s time for a test run…A mighty steam train is resurrected at last. — Kirkus

About the author

Marsha Diane Arnold has always loved trains. She grew up in the country, about a mile from the railroad tracks, where she could hear that lonely train whistle echo through the night. As a small child, she’d point at trains and exclaim, “Grandma! Choo-Choo” to her great-grandmother. From then on, Great-grandma was fondly called “Grandma Choo-Choo.” Marsha is a multi-award-winning author of twenty-four books, including Lost. Found.,Lights Out., and Badger’s Perfect Garden.

Readers may remember Marsha Diane Arnold from her previous Book Birthday blog about ARMANDO’S ISLAND (Illus. Anne Yvonne Gilbert / The Creative Company) or another one of my favorites, ONE SMALL THING (Illus. Laura Watkins / Beaming Books). Besides writing fabulous books, Marsha enjoys reading to her grandchildren and visiting schools to talk about writing and books!

And we have questions!

Q 1.We noticed on your web site that you have loved trains since childhood. When and how did you become aware of Big Boy 4014’s story?

M.D.A. The thing I remember most is being enamored with Big Boy’s story and wanting to share it with young readers. I think I first heard of Big Boy 4014 after her 2019 tours, soon after her restoration was complete. She had two that year, The Great Race to Ogden and The Great Race Across the Midwest. I recently discovered a 2020 note in my files– just a few sentences – where I was thinking about a child wanting to see Big Boy on a tour, but his father was too busy so Grandpa stepped in.

The story’s POV changed soon after that. I decided to narrate the story from a third-person perspective, keeping it aligned with Big Boy 4014’s experiences. Even though the story is non-fiction, I wanted readers to see the world through Big Boy’s “eyes.” I’ve personified Big Boy 4014 with sentient qualities – dreams, hopes, and gratitude.

Meeting the Legends

Q 2. Your book is dedicated to “Ed Dickens, the Steam Team, and locomotive lovers around the world.” We see that part of your research included a trip to Omaha, Nebraska to see Big Boy 4014 on tour. You write on your blog, “I was blessed to meet Ed Dickens, senior engineer and manager for Big Boy, and to ride in the cab with him and pull Big Boy’s whistle.” Can you tell us more about this?

M.D.A. What an adventure that was! I’d planned to travel to St. Louis, Missouri to view Big Boy on her 2021 tour. Everything was set, but sadly, my husband developed Covid and was very sick for several months.

We know that things often happen for a reason. Had I gone in 2021, I probably wouldn’t have met the wonderful Union Pacific team or ridden on Big Boy 4014. The 2023 Home Run Express tour was headed to Omaha, Nebraska, a city I’m quite fond of. Could we make the trip from Florida to Omaha to meet Big Boy and her engineer? I say “we” as my husband serves as my steadfast chauffeur. He loves to drive; I do not.

Research and Reaching Out

I reached out to UP and was fortunate to connect with the gracious Robynn Tysver. After I shared my project, I asked if it was possible to meet Ed Dickens, the chief engineer and head of the Steam Team. Robynn responded in May, delighted to arrange a meeting with Ed Dickens. I didn’t presume to ask, but she hinted, “To be on the safe side, pack a decent pair of shoes, just in case you need to climb a very steep ladder.” Riding in the cab of Big Boy is the dream of many a railfan; few get that honor. I dared not hope!

In early June, Robyn wrote again: “Would you be up for a short ride on Big Boy, moving from near Council Bluffs to Home Plate?” Well, yes I would!! (Home Plate is Union Pacific’s event space where in June 2023 fans gathered to celebrate Big Boy.)

Riding in the cab of this magnificent locomotive, right behind Ed Dickens – who’s a rock star to railfans – was both exciting and humbling. It felt like stepping inside decades of history, surrounded by the dedication of engineers, mechanics, machinists, and firemen (the men who manage the fuel and steam pressure.)

As you can see from the photos, I really did make it from Florida to Omaha in time to meet Ed Dickens and step aboard the largest working locomotive in the world!

Q 3. What was the most surprising fact or discovery you’ve made as your book, BIG BOY 4014, went from idea to published book?

M.D.A. Actually, there are a few stories relatives and friends have shared in the past few months, stories that show what an impact trains have on many of us.

One cousin reminded me how he and my brother used to sneak behind our grandparents’ apartment to the train tracks, placing pennies on the rails to see how smashed they’d be after a train rumbled by.

Another cousin reminded me that my uncle was a machinist for the Denver and Rio Grande West in the 1960s.

Joined by the Rails

But the most unexpected connection came from a writing friend, who messaged me to share that her husband once worked on the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad – a narrow-gauge steam railway running between Chama, New Mexico and Antonito, Colorado. She described it as the most romantic time of their lives, rich with history and color, and agreed that steam locomotives have a personality all their own. The serendipity here was that growing up I spent my summers in Manassa, Colorado, just five miles down the road from Antonito. My friend and I never knew it before, but we were connected by that authentic coal-fired locomotive without knowing it, joined by the rails that stretched from her home in Chama to my summers near Antonito.

I’ve ridden on the Cumbres & Toltec. It’s a wonderful ride, but…there’s no comparison to stepping aboard Big Boy 4014.

Q 4. What surprises did illustrator Adam Gustavson bring to the book?

I think a few folks were surprised by the illustration of an elk on the back cover of Big Boy 4014 And The Steam Team:

It’s a big elk! I love it. Many of my books celebrate wildlife and nature, but since this book is about a big machine, I hadn’t expected any wildlife to appear – yet there it was, and it’s perfect. Elk are often seen in places where Big Boy 4014 traveled – Wyoming, Colorado, and across the West. I love how Adam paired the mighty steam locomotive with the majestic elk.

The image of Ed and others pouring over blueprints was also a bit of a surprise:

I wasn’t sure how Adam would illustrate the part of the text describing Big Boy’s size and the challenge of fitting her on the tracks. We asked Ed his thoughts, and he generously shared photos of his planning notes and sketches, which Adam incorporated into the illustration.

Revisions

Q 5. .  I understand Ed Dickens and Robynn Tysver looked over your manuscript for accuracy. How was that helpful?

M.D.A. Ed and Robynn were most kind to take time out of their busy schedules to review my story. Not only did they review and edit the manuscript, but they also shared photos and answered lots of questions. For example, when Adam wondered exactly what color the loader was that towed Big Boy – there were discrepancies in the literature – Ed knew the answer instantly. Ed’s encyclopedic knowledge made everything so much easier.

Throughout the process, Robynn and Ed were generous and supportive – never demanding. (Of course, they love Big Boy’s story, and they wanted me to get it right.) The one note Ed made that really challenged me involved Big Boy 4014’s speed. In my original text I’d written: “If steam locomotives could dream, Big Boy would be chugging up the Wasatch Mountains at 70 miles per hour, feeling the warmth of the coal in her firebox, as powerful as 7,000 horses.” I loved that line, the 70, then 7,000. In fact, it was my favorite line in the book.

Facts vs. Favorite lines

Ed gently noted that Big Boys rarely operated beyond 60 mph and over the years, railfans had inflated the number to “crazy heights.” He added, “Big Boy loves 45 mph and I do as well, for a variety of technical and logistical reasons.” Then Ed, always the gentleman and always kind, ended: “I leave it up to you as you’ve written such a beautiful story.”

I appreciated his graciousness, but I also wanted to honor Ed’s wishes and I didn’t want experts arguing about the number.

Writers’ Groups to the Rescue!

I thought and thought. “…chugging up the Wasatch Mountains at 45 miles per hour, feeling the warmth of the coal in her firebox, as powerful as 7,000 horses” certainly didn’t have the same lyricism and romance as 70 miles per hour. I tried variations. Finally, I took the question to my two writers’ groups, who are always there in time of need. Thanks to Nancy Raines Day, who offered the perfect solution: “If steam locomotives could dream, Big Boy would be chugging up the Wasatch Mountains at top speed, feeling the warmth of the coal in her firebox, as powerful as 7,000 horses.”

It’s still my favorite line in the book.

M.D.A. Thank you, Erin, for inviting me to your blog to answer your insightful questions and thank you for all you do for children’s literature!

ED Note: It’s always a pleasure, Marsha! Thank YOU for sharing this wonderful book with us.

To learn more about Marsha Diane Arnold and her books:

Check out www.marshadianearnold.com

And follow her on social media:

FB: MarshaDianeArnold

Insta: marshadianearnoldauthor

Next up on the blog:

We chat with author Nadine Presley and illustrator Heather Brockman Lee

about their beautiful new picture book,

THE CITY OF JASMINE. (Harper Collins)