The countdown is on for the Hornell arrival of the world’s largest steam locomotive.
Union Pacific’s famed Big Boy No. 4014 will make a whistle stop in the Maple City on Thursday, June 11 as part of its historic coast-to-coast tour celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
The train is scheduled to roll into the city at 2 p.m., where it will stop at the shrine to Hornell’s colorful rail history, the Hornell Erie Depot Museum on Loder Street.
Union Pacific is expecting more than 1 million people to view the historic locomotive in person during its coast-to-coast tour.
Local officials are preparing for large crowds of train enthusiasts to visit the city and to line favorable viewing locations along the train’s route from Letchworth State Park to the City of Hornell.
Big Boy No. 4014 schedule on Thursday, June 11
New York state will get a front row look at No. 4014, which was built in Schenectady to haul heavy equipment during World War II and is the only Big Boy still in operation.
According to Union Pacific, Big Boy will depart Buffalo at 9 a.m. on June 11, and reach the North Main Street crossing in Silver Springs, New York at 11:45 a.m.
After departing from Silver Springs at noon, Big Boy will pass through Letchworth State Park in Castile, crossing the park’s Genesee River Arch Bridge at 12:20 p.m.
Spectators planning to view the locomotive from a vantage point in the park will be charged a $10 per car admission fee to enter Letchworth.
Big Boy rolls from Letchworth to Hornell, passing by Burns, Hornellsville and Arkport before arriving at the Erie Depot Museum at 2 p.m.
The train is scheduled to spend 30 minutes at the Hornell depot before continuing its journey at 2:30 p.m., bound for Sayre, Pa.
Track Big Boys’ progress in real-time here: up.com/about-us/history/steam/track
Another Big Boy stop in the Southern Tier June 12
A stop in Owego at an old train station — now The Turn Golf Simulator — will follow on June 12. The stop will be accessible to the public, and Village of Owego Mayor Mike Baratta said the village is expecting a “pretty big crowd.”
The train is expected to arrive at 53 South Depot St. in Owego by 10:45 a.m. and depart at 11:15 a.m.
There is also an exclusive Norfolk Southern stop planned for the Binghamton-area employees on June 12, but that is not accessible to the public. The train will be departing from the Binghamton area on June 13 at 7:30 a.m., then heading toward Nicholson, Pennsylvania, for the next stop on the tour.
How to safely and legally watch Big Boy locomotive pass by
Union Pacific requires spectators to stand back at least 25 feet or more from the tracks to avoid debris and steam or being hit by the train itself.
The same rules apply to drones, they must be at least 25 feet from train tracks.
Union Pacific also noted that railroad tracks, trestles, yards and right-of-way are private property, and they asked spectators to please not trespass.
Why Big Boy’s Hornell whistle-stop just feels right
It seems fitting that Big Boy is making a whistle-stop in Hornell.
The Erie Railroad helped transform the sleepy backwater to a bustling rail town in the middle of the 19th century.
When the Erie Railroad main line was completed in 1851, Hornellsville was chosen as a primary repair and maintenance center for the entire Erie line, according to the Steuben County Historical Society.
That was the beginning of a symbiotic relationship between the railroad and Hornell that would endure for more than 100 years.
The Erie operation was a very busy place, according to the Historical Society, with activity going on around the clock.
In May, the state Assembly adopted a resolution commemorating the 175th anniversary of the inaugural trip of the Erie Railroad through Hornell.
The resolution chronicles the rail industry’s impact on Hornell’s economy and growth.
Prior to the arrival of the Erie Railroad, the population of Hornellsville stood at approximately 700 residents in 1851. Within a year, the population surged to 1,841, demonstrating the transformative economic and social influence of rail transportation on the community.
By 1877, the Erie Railroad employed approximately 800 individuals in Hornell, and by 1940, the city’s population had grown to 15,649 residents, illustrating the central role the railroad industry played in shaping the identity and development of the region.
The City of Hornell established the Erie Depot Museum in 2005 to preserve the history and mementos of the Hornell area railroad industry.
With the presence of Alstom, Hornell continues to play a pivotal role in the modern day rail industry. Alstom’s large Hornell workforce produces a variety of rail cars and propulsion systems, including the high profile Acela high speed cars for Amtrak.
Big Boy’s return to the East reflects ‘shared legacy’
The Eastern leg of the tour tour Big Boy onto Norfolk Southern tracks with more than 50 whistle-stops and display days across eight cities.
During the Eastern section of the tour, Big Boy will be accompanied by Norfolk Southern commemorative locomotives as well as a historical passenger car from Norfolk Southern’s Heritage Fleet, according to Union Pacific.
Indeed, one of the highlights of the tour are the histories of Union Pacific in the West and Norfolk Southern and its predecessors in the East, reflecting the shared legacy of American railroads serving as the backbone of the country’s economic growth.
“Railroads helped build this nation by connecting people, communities and commerce – work carried forward for generations by dedicated railroaders,” said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George.
“As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Union Pacific’s Big Boy’s return to the East on Norfolk Southern rails reflects a shared legacy.”
Email Neal Simon at nsimon@gannett.com. To get unlimited access to the latest news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
This article originally appeared on The Evening Tribune: Big Boy No. 4014 on track to roll into train town Hornell on June 11
Reporting by Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune / The Evening Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Neal Simon, Hornell Evening Tribune | USA TODAY Network
