In honor of the nation’s 250 birthday on July 4, 2026, the Union Pacific Railroad is planning something special. The world’s largest operating steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, will journey from Cheyenne, Wyoming, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it will be in Philadelphia on July 4. This will be the first time that the Big Boy will cross the Mississippi River into the eastern United States since it left the factory in Schenectady, New York, after being built there in 1941.
During its tour east of the Mississippi, the behemoth locomotive will make stops for “major displays” in Omaha, Nebraska, Chicago, Illinois, Buffalo, New York, Scranton, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Altoona, Pennsylvania, Fostoria, Ohio, and St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, there will be “whistle-stops” lasting 30 to 45 minutes in smaller towns along the way including seven stops in Ohio: Continental (June 6)(east bound), Fostoria (June 6)(eastbound), Lorain (June 8)(eastbound), Euclid (June 8)(eastbound), Struthers (July 12)(westbound), Rocky River (July 13)(westbound), and Continental (July 15)(westbound). The “major stop” in Fostoria will be westbound on July 14.
Details regarding the tour schedule are available through the UP’s dedicated website: UPsteam.com. While many of the tour events are ticketed, the stop in Fostoria includes an open display, free to the public, on Tuesday, July 14, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. That will take place at the Fostoria Automotive Distribution Center, 3101 North Township Road #47, Fostoria, Be sure to double check the website for any changes in schedule.
Fun Facts About the Big Boy Locomotive:
• The engines were built to carry heavy loads across the mountains between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyoming, without the need for “helper” engines.
• Engine 4101 is 133 feet long and weighs 12 million tons (compared to a school bus which is about 40 feet long, or a diesel locomotive which is about 75 feet long)
• When fully loaded, the 4101 carried 25,000 gallons of water, and 56,000 pounds of coal.
• The Union Pacific retired Engine 4101 in 1961 after it had logged 1,031,205 miles. It was restored in 2019 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the linking of the transcontinental railroad near Promontory Point, Utah, in 1869.
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