UP BIG BOY 4014 Tour - IL

## Details

UNION PACIFIC BIG BOY 4014 Tour - West Chicago, IL

The Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 locomotive will starting its Eastern tour in May with a stop in West Chicago, IL on June 3rd. This is a great opportunity to photograph a piece of American railroad history, as this is one of the last remaining Big Boys (there are 8 still is existence, out of 25 that were originally built).

(Photo Credit: Union Pacific Railway Musem, circa 1994)

We'll meet at the West Chicago Metra station (I plan to get there about ~8am). The event starts at 9:00 AM but my guess is that people will start lining up early and it will be a busy event -- so I'm going to strongly recommend you plan to arrive around 8am. If your coming from the city (downtown Chicago, you may want to consider taking the 6:40 AM train on the UP West line). This should get you toe West Chicago before 8am.

I have made this 3 hours long, however you can come and go as you please. I am open to getting lunch somewhere afterwards (locally) if people are interested, but we can discuss this in the comments.

SPECIAL NOTE
***IMPORTANT: Per the UP website, there will be NO PARKING available at the event site (the event is located about a block from the Metra station). I would strongly recommend taking Metra or public transportation. If you do have to drive, you may need to park some distance away and walk to the station/event.***

EQUIPMENT AND SKILL LEVEL
This event is open to all skill levels from professional to new photographers - especially to new shooters. Any camera from [CELL PHONE TO DAGUERREOTYPE} Please note that supports (tripods or monopods) are generally not allowed due to the number of people that show up to these events, so I would leave that at home.

This is also a great opportunity to work on photography composition. For example, you can create a wide range of images from different perspectives, zooming in tight and capturing detail, etc. You will probably be battling crowds so it's a good idea to not only think "big" (wide shots) but also detail shots, which can help tell the story too. So I would plan to bring lenses wide to telephoto if you have them (such as a wide angle zoom, and maybe as standard zoom and/or 70-200 / 70-300 to get those tight, detail shots). Optionally you can also bring an on-camera flash as well to help light parts of the train (light stands and softboxes are not allowed-- all lighting must be handheld/on-camera).

CHANGES
Dates, times, meeting locations, and other details can change. Be sure to check for updates before the event.

This will (for the most part) be a rain or shine event, and I will only cancel if UP cancels the event (which is unlikely) or if there is severe weather/rain forecasted (but some light rain will not result in a cancellation).

LIABILTY RELEASE
You are in charge of your own safety and care. Be sure to always be careful when participating in our events. Do not put yourself in danger by standing in roadways or on railroad tracks or climbing on unstable surfaces, etc. The list is endless, We are all adults and you decide for yourself what is safe but, really, is any photo worth injury or even a fatality? Use your head and be cautious. Also please keep an eye out for other's safety - if you see something, say something.
By signing up you understand that your safety is your responsibility and are waiving your right to seek damages or take legal actions against the Chris Turley, Rich Kolar, organizer(s), and hosts of this event.