Union Pacific’s Big Boy steam engine will return to Texarkana, Ark. on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 from 1:15 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014, will embark on “The Big Boy 2021 Tour” Aug. 5 to celebrate railroad heritage and the communities Union Pacific serves. This is the first tour since the locomotive was restored for 2019’s “Great Race” tours celebrating the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad’s completion. The multi-year restoration took place at Union Pacific’s steam shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, following a retirement that spanned six decades.
“Weighing in at 1.2 million pounds, the 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,” said Scott Moore, senior vice president – Corporate Relations and chief administrative officer. “This summer, we are proud to announce that the Big Boy will be back to tour through 10 of the states and hundreds of the communities which Union Pacific serves.”
No. 4014 will leave the Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming, August 5, making brief whistle-stops in communities across Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming.
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific, the first of which was delivered in 1941 to handle the steep terrain between Cheyenne and Ogden. Of the eight still in existence, No. 4014 is the world’s only operating Big Boy. The other seven can be found on display in Cheyenne, Wyoming; Denver, Colorado; Frisco, Texas; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Omaha, Nebraska; Scranton, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri.
The Texarkana stop will be for viewing only.
