Sunday, Oct. 13, Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest steam locomotive, will make its way through Whitesboro as it travels from Fort Worth, TX, to Durant, OK, on its ‘Heartland of America’ tour.
The massive steam locomotive began its voyage on Aug. 28 from Cheyenne, WY. Its eight-week tour has taken it through Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
It will be on display in Fort Worth Thursday, Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Friday, Oct. 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 275 W. Lancaster Ave. Admission is free and open to the public.
Sunday, Oct. 13, the engine will begin its return voyage. Its first stop is Durant, OK, at 1:15 p.m. It should reach its final destination of Cheyenne, WY, on Oct. 23.
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad. The first was delivered in 1941. These locomotives were 132 feet long and weight 1.2 million pounds. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were “hinged,” or articulated, to allow them to navigate around curves. The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo.
Currently, there are seven Big Boys on public display in various cities around the country. They can be found in St. Louis, MS; Dallas, TX; Omaha, NE; Denver, CO; Scranton, PA; Green Bay, WI; and Cheyenne, WY.
Big Boy No. 4014 was in service from December 1941 until its retirement in 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles. Union Pacific reacquired the train from the Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013. After a multi-year restoration, it returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s Completion.
While it is not scheduled to stop in Whitesboro on its way back to Durant, Big Boy 4014 may be seen traveling through town on its return trip home. To keep up with the locomotive’s location, visit www.up.com/heritage/steam/track
Please note, the Union Pacific schedule may change at any time.
Source: Freepik.com