Jay Leno climbs aboard Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014

CHEYENNE – Is "Jay Leno's Garage" big enough for the Big Boy?

The legendary comedian with a well-known passion for cars recently tried his hand at steel wheels, riding in the cab of Union Pacific Railroad's Big Boy No. 4014 steam locomotive for an episode of "Jay Leno's Garage."

Union Pacific and the National Park Foundation welcomed Leno and his team on the iconic steam engine and Union Pacific's Heritage Fleet cars during a tour across western Iowa in September – part of the Heartland of America tour covering 10 states over eight weeks. Union Pacific is a key sponsor of the National Park Foundation, and the episode honors Union Pacific's role transporting visitors to our nation's parks, including Yellowstone, Zion, Grand Canyon and Death Valley, in the early days for their formation. Now, Union Pacific works to inspire the next generation's love of the outdoors and curiosity about the world around them through the National Park Foundation's Open Outdoors for Kids program.

As part of the episode, Leno visited Union Pacific's Heritage Fleet to see the railroad's garage, where UP's restored passenger cars are maintained; ate breakfast in the dining car (he loved the bacon); and rode in the cab from Missouri Valley to Denison, Iowa, with Ed Dickens, manager of Heritage Operations, and other members of Union Pacific's Steam Team.

Leno hosted "The Tonight Show" on NBC for nearly 17 years, taking over the job from comedian Johnny Carson in 1992 and becoming the nation's top-rated late night talk show host for many years. After he left the late-night show, Leno had more time to devote to his passion for rare and unique cars, which is the focus of "Jay Leno's Garage."

A self-described gearhead, Leno has more than 181 cars and 160 motorcycles, including a McLaren F1.

The special episode will be available to watch on Leno's YouTube channel starting Monday, Sept. 23.

This story was published on September 18, 2024.