150 years ago today an event took place that transformed the nation.� An idea given birth during the civil war reached its conclusion with east and west connected by two ribbons of steel.� The work of many celebrated and captured on a glass plate as Central Pacific's Jupiter and Union Pacific 119 faced each other in Promontory Utah.� You can still see a reenactment of this event there today, though for those luckily enough to be in Ogden, Utah today you will be treated to seeing the largest operating steam locomotive in the world.� The Big Boy as it is known is a 4-8-8-4, meaning it has four leading wheels then eight driving wheels then another eight driving wheels concluding with lastly four trailing wheels.� The locomotive had sat on display at the Pomona fair grounds and I had seen in there during a break between architectural exams held in one of the buildings there.� Union Pacific went across the nation to inspect the remaining locomotives and 4014 was deemed the best candidate for restoration.� So two years ago it made its journey to Wyoming to undergo restoration finally moving under its own steam on May 4th.� Kind of an amazing itself though a far cry from the eight plus years from Lincoln signing the legislation to the driving of the gold spike during Grants term.