The massive steam engine Big Boy No. 4014, which played a vital role in transporting freight over the Wasatch Mountains, is coming home as part of Union Pacific’s “Westbound Tour.” The locomotive is scheduled to arrive at the Morgan Depot in Evanston, Wyoming on Thursday before heading to Salt Lake Central Station in Salt Lake City. It will be on display in Salt Lake City before continuing its journey to Elko, Nevada.
After leaving Salt Lake City, Big Boy No. 4014 will return to Utah later in the month, arriving at Ogden Union Station on July 20 for public display. From there, he will head to Montpelier, Idaho, before continuing his tour. Of the original two dozen locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company for Union Pacific, only eight remain, including number 4014.
These massive steam engines were once known as “the largest in the world” and played a crucial role in transporting freight between Ogden and Cheyenne. Union Pacific restored No. 4014 in 2019 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The locomotive is now running on industrial fuel oil as part of the restoration process.
The Westward Bound Tour started in Cheyenne and will end on July 26th where it started. However, the locomotive will return to tour later in the summer as Union Pacific plans to visit 10 states primarily in the Midwest from late August through October.