The world’s largest steam train is passing through Illinois as part of its 10-state route across the United States in early June.
The locomotive, officially known as Big Boy No. 4014, is heading east across the Mississippi River starting in late May to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
Big Boy No. 4014 is the world’s largest steam locomotive
Delivered to Union Pacific in 1941, the locomotive was among 25 built to haul wartime freight across the Continental Divide in Wyoming and Utah. Big Boy is the last one running, and in the 1960s was converted to burn oil instead of coal.
Big Boy is 133 feet long and weighs 1.2 million pounds. It traveled more than 1 million miles during its working life hauling freight between Cheyenne and Ogden, Utah. The train typically draws large crowds of rail enthusiasts, and it’s common to see superfans with cameras in hand chasing it in cars.
“Union Pacific couldn’t be prouder to share this powerful piece of history with the nation and to 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, our nation’s amazing story and the people who have helped build our great country and our railroad.”
Big Boy’s route across the Mississippi River
The train will depart from Union Pacific’s headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 25.
The train has only rarely ever been back east of the Mississippi River since its delivery in 1941, according to railroad officials.
Big Boy will be accompanied on the trip by several historical passenger cars from Union Pacific’s Heritage Fleet, along with two commemorative locomotives:
Big Boy will stop in West Chicago
The train will stop at the Union Pacific Training Center in West Chicago on June 3. It will be on display south of the West Chicago Metra stop from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. central time.
Admission is free, with no tickets required.
Big Boy will pass through these ‘whistle-stops’ in Illinois
The tour features a Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia, major display events in eight cities, and more than 50 whistle-stops across 10 states, including first-time visits to Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Beyond the public display days, rail enthusiasts will have more than four dozen opportunities to see this historic locomotive in motion during whistle-stops that typically last 15 to 30 minutes.
The train will pass B Street Crossing in Sterling, Illinois, between 1:30 and 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 2. It will then pass by Rochelle Railroad Park in Rochelle from 3-3:15 p.m.
After reaching its eastmost stop in Philadelphia, the train will then head back out west, passing by the Amtrak Depot in Springfield between 10:45-11:15 a.m. on Saturday, July 18. The last public view of the train in Illinois will be at Center St. Crossing in Girard between 1-1:30 p.m.
Track Big Boy as it travels across the US
Union Pacific will provide a real-time location tracker for Big Boy, allowing rail fanatics to follow the train on its coast-to-coast tour.
This story has been updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy about the train’s previous routes.
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: ‘Big Boy’ train will stop in Illinois this summer. Where to see it
Reporting by Hannah Hudnall and Trevor Hughes, Peoria Journal Star / Galesburg Register-Mail
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