Trains News Wire
Union Pacific plans major Big Boy tour in 2024
By Trains Staff | November 2, 2023 | Last updated on February 2, 2024
Steam locomotive will visit ‘four corners’ of 23-state system
OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will send Big Boy No. 4014 on a “Four Corners” tour of its system in 2024, the railroad announced today, including stops in Oregon, California, Texas, and Illinois.
“As we move forward at Union Pacific, we remember where we came from; the Big Boy represents the history of Union Pacific and the United States,” Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said in a message to UP’s “Steam Club,” which receives first notification of plans for the 4-8-8-4. “When No. 4014 comes to town, we will celebrate with the communities where we operate, our employees and their families. Together, we will marvel at how far technology has brought us.”
Anticipated stops include Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston; Salt Lake City; Portland, Ore; Nampa, Idaho; and Roseville, Calif. A schedule and route information will be announced next year, and the railroad plans events for employees and their families in addition to public stops.
In an interview last month [see “The Trains Interview: Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena …,” Oct. 19, 2023], Vena had indicated he planned to use the Big Boy more.