As this is a Special, you'd think "everybody knows" where BB is. But confusion and accidents happen, and the UP may have a strict policy that !ALL! trains have electronic reporting, no exception even for Big Boys.
Big Boy was not built for electricity. They could regulate the lighting generator and screw wires and boxes as needed. But BB doesn't run that often. OTOH all the UP's Diesels have all the electronics onboard and working every day. So while BB smokes and puffs, the idle Diesel is logging the miles and pinging the train tracking system so all the data is available.
And of course for limp-home. Though two steamers should not both fail at once, and if they fail on the steeper grades the one Diesel may not have the weight/traction to finish the climb even at low speed. But it could back-down (making data-tracking extra important!) or shunt the train on the level into a side-track to clear the main line.
And of course featherbedding, labor contracts specifying how many crewmen must be hired. Although their work was obsolete by 1960, coalers and brakemen jobs were protected.
In the Arkansas statute a crew of six was required on freight operations: "an engineer, a fireman, a conductor and three brakemen, regardless of any modern equipment of automatic couplers and air brakes." link Much of this was knocked-back in the 1960s. However "obviously" a train needs an engineer! But what if the available (Diesel) engineers have never worked a steamer?? Then by contract the railroad has to hire a union (Diesel) Engineer to oversee the work of the steam engine staff. Who may not be up-to-date on Railway Operations, which are charged to the (Diesel) Engineer to know when to go or stop.
