HOUSTON — Union Pacific’s "Big Boy" No. 4014 steam locomotive has returned to Houston.
On Sunday, it departed North Texas and headed to the Bayou City.
Twenty-five Big Boy locomotives were built for Union Pacific in 1941. They were made to handle steep terrain between Cheyenne, Wy. And Ogden, Utah.
No. 4014 is the only operating Big Boy of the limited number still in existence.
After a restoration project that took more than two years, No. 4014 took an upper Midwest tour and a trip to Ogden to celebrate Union Pacific’s 150th anniversary. During that stop, the Big Boy and historic steam locomotive Living Legend No. 844 met nose-to-nose to create the image taken May 10, 1869, when the last spike was put into place at Promontory Summit. That moment marked the creation of America’s first transcontinental railroad.
When and where you can see Big Boy in Houston 2021
The locomotive arrived in Houston on Monday, according to Union Pacific's website.
Hundreds of all ages gathered as the “Big Boy” steam engine barreled down the corridor along 290 - 1.2 million pounds - living up to every bit of its name.
"I like the wheels. They’re like 12 feet tall," said one young girl.
"Maybe like the engine," commented a young boy.
“The whistle. Once you’ve heard that whistle you will never forget that whistle again," said one train enthusiast.
Lead Locomotive Engineer and Manager of the Union Pacific's Heritage Operations Ed Dickens helped acquire and restore the train - which had been out of commission for nearly 60 years before making its last trip in 2019; which commemorated the 150th anniversary of the transcontinental railroad.
“It’s fascinating. Railroads historically built our nation. It was the major workhorse of the American industrial revolution," Dickens says.
And that history lesson - up-close and in person - is both what teaches younger generations and makes everyone feel like a kid again.
“You can go to a lot of museums in our country and you can see locomotives like this. There happens to be eight models just like that. But none of them operate. It's something entirely different when you can actually experience one up close… watch it move, hear the whistle and actually experience it and that’s the connection I think people really have with locomotives… because they’re actually seeing something that seems to be alive," said Dickens.
The locomotive will be on display Tuesday, Aug. 17, at 902 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
More info from Union Pacific:
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941. The locomotives were 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds.
Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive. The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, Utah, and Cheyenne, Wyo.
There are seven Big Boys on public display in various cities around the country. They can be found in St. Louis, Missouri; Dallas, Texas; Omaha, Nebraska; Denver, Colorado; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Cheyenne, Wyoming. Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941.
The locomotive was retired in December 1961, having traveled 1,031,205 miles in its 20 years in service. Union Pacific reacquired No. 4014 from the RailGiants Museum in Pomona, California, in 2013, and relocated it back to Cheyenne to begin a multi-year restoration process. It returned to service in May 2019 to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's Completion.