Union Pacific will join the nation in celebrating its 250th year of American independence with its first-ever coast-to-coast steam tour led by the legendary locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014.
Union Pacific officials have said the nearly 1.2 million-pound Big Boy “makes a big impression in communities it visits, reminding us of bygone days and the important role the railroad continues to play in our global economy.”
For now, the schedule shows no Big Boy stops in Southern California as it did in October 2019, when the locomotive made a stop in Victorville during its “Great Race Across the Southwest.”
Big Boy also came through the High Desert in April 2014 and made a stop in Barstow as it was towed by a modern Union Pacific engine from Colton to Wyoming.
2026 steam run
The first leg of the 2026 tour starts March 29, with the Big Boy and several historical passenger cars from Union Pacific’s Heritage Fleet traveling west to California from Cheyenne, Wyoming, the steam locomotive’s home base.
The first leg of the tour ends Friday, April 24, in Cheyenne.
Two major public display days are set:
A daily schedule with additional stops, along with a map of the route, will be released closer to the tour’s launch.
The eastern leg of the tour, anticipated to start in late spring, is still being finalized and will be announced soon.
There will not be any passenger excursions offered on the first leg of the tour.
Commemorative locomotives
Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will be joined by two commemorative locomotives, including the railroad’s newest locomotive: No. 1776 – America250.
This new commemorative locomotive pays tribute to the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the founding of this nation.
The locomotive will feature the emblem of the America250 Semiquincentennial Commission, the national nonpartisan organization established by Congress to lead the nation’s 250th anniversary.
More information about No. 1776 will be announced soon.
“We are proud to honor our nation’s great history and legacy of innovation with our heritage locomotives. For the first time, we will share the Big Boy with communities on the East Coast, operating it from ocean to ocean,” CEO Jim Vena said. “America has never been afraid to dream about what’s possible – and neither is Union Pacific as we carry the grain that feeds families, the steel that builds cities and the household goods that stock store shelves.”
Union Pacific officials said the company is proud that its efforts to create America’s first transcontinental railroad are making a coast-to-coast Big Boy tour possible.
“Our combination with Norfolk Southern will strengthen America’s competitiveness, enhance safety, safeguard union jobs and deliver exceptional service,” Union Pacific officials stated.
To learn more or write a letter of support, visit AmericasGreatConnection.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Big Boy Train to celebrate U.S. anniversary with tour into California
Reporting by Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press / Victorville Daily Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
