SCRANTON, PA — There are only eight Big Boys left in the United States, and on Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16, you can see, up close, two of them together at Steamtown in Scranton. That’s a quarter of the U.S. supply of Big Boys.

Steamtown National Historic Site (Steamtown)  is hosting a visit from Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014, the largest operating steam locomotive in the country, as it makes its way from coast to coast to honor America’s 250th birthday, Steamtown said. “Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see No. 4014 reunited with Steamtown’s own Big Boy No. 4012!”

Steamtown will be the only place in the country to see two Big Boys lined up side by side.

The park, in partnership with Union Pacific, is offering two public display days on Monday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 16, although the 4014 will be on site until June 30. On the public days, visitors will be able to see the two locomotives up close, visit the Union Pacific Museum Experience car, and check out two Union Pacific special commemorative diesel engines (No. 1616 and No. 1776) on display at Steamtown. 

Steamtown’s history museum, technology museum, roundhouse and visitor center will also be open for visitors.

No. 4014 will remain at Steamtown from June 17 through June 30 while Union Pacific completes servicing and a boiler wash on the locomotive, Steamtown said. Both Big Boys will remain on view during that time, though viewing of No. 4014 may be more distant than the up-close opportunity on the public display days.  

The stopover offers “a rare and highly visible opportunity to connect visitors with the scale and impact of American railroading,” Steamtown said. 

Because tens of thousands of visitors are expected, reservations are required for the public display days on June 15 and 16. 

There will be no general visitor parking on site during those days, but visitors will be directed to public transportation, downtown parking and designated pedestrian entry points.

For parking information, to purchase tickets and more, see box at far right.

About Big Boy No. 4014

From www.up.com/about-us/history/steam.

Big Boy No. 4014 is the world’s largest operating steam locomotive. Of the eight remaining Big Boys in existence today, No. 4014 is the only one still in operation. Twenty-five Big Boys were commissioned exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad, and the first was delivered in 1941. 

“These massive locomotives were built to haul heavy equipment in support of the war effort, normally operating between Ogden, UT, and Cheyenne, WY.”

“The Big Boys are 133 feet long and weigh 1.2 million pounds. Due to their great length, the frames of the Big Boys are ‘hinged,’ or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They have a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which means they have four wheels on the leading set of “pilot” wheels to guide the engine.” There are eight drivers on the first engine, another set of eight drivers on the second engine and four wheels trailing that support the rear of the locomotive.

“No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941 and retired in December 1961 after traveling 1,031,205 miles.”

Union Pacific reacquired the locomotive from the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, CA in 2013 and completed a restoration in 2019.

The seven other remaining Big Boys are on public display in  St. Louis, MO; Dallas, TX; Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Scranton, PA; Green Bay, WI; and Cheyenne, WY. For more information on steam locomotives, visit  www.upsteam.com.

Big Boy No. 4014’s coast-to-coast tour

Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014 launched its first-ever coast‑to‑coast tour at Milepost 0 in downtown Sacramento, CA, where construction of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad began in 1863—kicking off a nationwide celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.

For more information on No. 4014’s schedule, visit Union Pacific’s Steam Schedule site; see box at right. Follow No. 4014 along its route with Union Pacific’s interactive Steam Location Tracking map there too.