Giant ‘Big Boy’ train begins a rare trip East. Here’s where to see it

CHEYENNE, WY. ‒ Under wide blue skies, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive began heading east toward Philadelphia and the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations.

Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” It pulls a small train of cars as it heads east across the Mississippi, a rare journey into the eastern United States for the locomotive born to move heavy supplies across the Continental Divide between Wyoming and Utah. The 43-foot-long locomotive, accompanied by the sound of its iconic steam whistle, will make numerous public stops during its journey timed for the sesquicentennial ceremonies on July 4th.

“The steam locomotive is a great machine from a bygone age,” said Ed Dickens, locomotive engineer and Union Pacific’s senior manager of steam operations. “You don’t have to be a railroad fan to capture your imagination.”

Train stand or appear In Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, including West Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the northern part of New York before turning south to Philadelphia. The vehicle that will make the return journey west will arrive in St. It will stop in St. Louis and Kansas City, then return to Cheyenne in late July. Union Pacific recommends checking the following: Big Boy’s website for specific dates and times and “vapor tracker“To follow the historical journey of the train.

This year, Big Boy traveled west to California via Utah and Nevada as part of the 250th celebration. Union Pacific officials say they expect more than a million people will have seen the train in person by the time it returns to the Cheyenne shipyards. People who watched the train depart Cheyenne on May 25 came from as far away as New Jersey, along with enthusiasts from North Dakota, Colorado and Nebraska.

President Abraham Lincoln founded the Union Pacific railroad during the Civil War, using the rails to help connect the then-new state of California to the rest of the Union. Big Boy is the last operating locomotive of the heavy engine class built to transport military supplies between coasts during World War II. Keeping the train, officially known as 4014, running was a labor of love for Dickens and his crew.

Union Pacific purchased 21 Big Boy locomotives, the first of which was delivered in 1941. Unlike modern locomotives that use diesel engines to power electric motors, the Big Boy class was originally powered by burning coal, which heated water to create steam that moved pistons attached to the wheels. Today, the last remaining Big Boy has been converted to burn fuel oil, but the railroad also uses waste engine oil from conventional locomotives.

The train traveled more than 1 million miles during its operating life and was retired in 1961. Union Pacific bought the train back from a museum, and Dickens and his team spent several years restoring it; in many cases, he handcrafted replacement parts that were no longer available. Today, because the train is the only one of its kind, it carries a special carriage filled with machine tools, including drills and lathes, so workers can make any necessary repairs along the way. It also carries a dormitory car for the crew to sleep in.

Dickens asked those who came to see the train during its journey east to stay at least 25 meters back for safety. If you move a little closer, the intense heat from the steam boiler is a powerful reminder of how powerful the locomotive is.

“When (people) arrive, they will hear that whistle, and they will probably hear that whistle long before they see it. You will feel the ground rumbling, you will feel the warmth radiating from this giant machine. This locomotive does not disappoint,” he said. “It works like a Swiss watch.”

This article first appeared on USA TODAY: Big Boy, the world’s largest steam locomotive, is on its way to be the 250th anniversary of the USA