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APPN Big Boy US Early

As the Appalachia Northern grew as a business and saw their cargo haulage increase in kind, the need for powerful, heavy locomotives to pull freight over the steep mountain grades became apparent. For that reason, the Big Boys were developed. Only a few modifications were necessary from ALCO's existing design for the Union Pacific's 4-8-8-4s to suit APPN's specifications. The Big Boys proved themselves useful on both the steep grades and the flatter trackage in APPN's domain, as the high horsepower and large driving wheels allowed them to reach impressive speeds. Sadly, as the tendrils of dieselization affected even the reluctant APPN, the monstrous locomotives were retired, outlasted only by the upgraded, smaller locomotives like the Berkshires. Several of the iconic Big Boy locomotives are mothballed to this day in the APPN's Anthracite River locomotive shops for future sale or preservation.

The Big Boys were designated "RFS-4884", denoting a Road Freight Steam locomotive with a wheel arrangement of 4-8-8-4. As the locomotives were intended to be operated alone, they were never equipped with the "Steam Master" multiple unit control system like many of APPN's smaller steam power.