(Cheyenne, WY) – Officials with the Union Pacific Railroad say their famed Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will journey to the East Coast this summer for the first time as part of a historic coast-to-coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. Union Pacific said today (Tuesday), all of Big Boy’s eastern tour stops, will kick off from Cheyenne, WY, on May 25th.
In Iowa, the train will roll through:
- Denison
- Carroll
- Boone*
- Tama
- Belle Plaine
- Cedar Rapids*
- Grand Mound
Stops with an asterisk * (shown above) will not have public access, according to the locomotive’s schedule. The train will make 15-to 30-minute long whistle stops at the aforementioned cities beginning May 31st and running through June 2nd. For specific dates and times, visit Union Pacific’s website.
For western Iowa, the Denison stop carries a little extra history. Big Boy No. 4014 last drew major local attention in Denison September 4th, 2024, when former “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno surprised spectators during the locomotive’s Heartland of America tour. Union Pacific hosted Leno in the cab of the locomotive for an episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” and Railway Age reported that Leno rode in Big Boy’s cab from Missouri Valley to Denison with Union Pacific’s Steam Team.
In addition to stops in Iowa, the tour includes a Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia, major display events in eight cities and more than 50 whistle-stops in 10 states, including stops for the first time in Indiana, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.
