Big Boy No. 4014 to embark on Westward Bound tour this summer

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Union Pacific’s famed Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will return to the rails this summer with a scenic tour across mountain ranges and high desert vistas in four western states: Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and California.

Big Boy will journey from its home base in Cheyenne on June 30, en route to Roseville, California, before returning to Wyoming by the end of July.

It will make numerous whistle-stops in communities along the way, with public display stops scheduled July 12-13 in Roseville, California, and July 20-21 in Ogden, Utah.

Additional route details and approximate times for whistle-stops will be shared closer to the tour. A route map can be found on UPsteam.com.

This is one of two public tours planned for Big Boy in 2024, with a second tour planned this fall with stops in Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Illinois, among other states. Details of the second tour will be released later this spring.

The month-long “Westward Bound” tour will honor Union Pacific’s rich railroad legacy and celebrate the railroad’s employees and communities it serves.

“The Big Boy locomotive symbolizes the pivotal role railroads played in shaping our nation’s history, and the technological advances we have witnessed within our industry,” said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. “We are thrilled to share this living piece of history with our employees and the public, and we love seeing the enthusiasm this locomotive generates wherever its whistle blows.”

This story was published on April 13, 2024.