The world’s largest steam train is heading east across the Mississippi River to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The train, officially known as Big Boy No. 4014, will begin traveling between 10 states in late May. Delivered to Union Pacific in 1941, the locomotive was one of 25 built to transport wartime cargo across the Continental Divide in Wyoming and Utah. Big Boy was one of the last to run, switching to burning oil instead of coal in the 1960s.
“Union Pacific is extremely proud to share this great history with the nation and be a part of America’s birthday celebration,” Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said in a statement. “This tour celebrates our company’s rich 164-year history, the wonderful stories of our country and the people who helped build our great country and railroads.”
This stunning machine has traveled west across California from its headquarters in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The train will depart east again on May 25. According to railroad officials, this will be the first time the train has crossed the Mississippi River since it began running westward in 1941.
Big Boy is 133 feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. It traveled more than 1 million miles during its operating life, hauling freight between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. The train usually attracts crowds of rail enthusiasts and super fans can often be seen chasing it in the car with cameras.
The Union Pacific Railroad has a close relationship with President Abraham Lincoln, who built the railroad in 1862 during the Civil War to help connect California to the rest of the United States. The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 transformed the movement of people across the country. Less than twenty years ago, they followed the Oregon Trail westward across the Mississippi River.
Big Boy No. 4014, the largest operating steam locomotive in the world, underwent a multi-year restoration in 2019. No. 4014 began its first coast-to-coast trip on March 29 and will sail to the East Coast on May 25, 2026.
The Big Boy will make stops at the following stops, but other public viewing opportunities are posted on the Union Pacific website. UP also offers a real-time location tracker.
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May 30 – Omaha, Nebraska (Headquarters of Union Pacific Corporation)
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June 3 – west chicago illinois
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June 10 – Buffalo, New York
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June 15-16 – Scranton, Pennsylvania
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July 4th and 5th – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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July 9-10 – Altoona, Pennsylvania
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July 14th – Fostoria, Ohio
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July 19 – st louis missouri
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Huge ‘Big Boy’ train makes rare trip to eastern U.S. 250