Union Pacific’s Big Boy to Tour the Northeast

Union Pacific's famed Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, will journey to the East Coast for the first time in collaboration with Norfolk Southern, as part of a historic coast-to-coast tour as both railroads celebrate America's 250th anniversary. 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.

This is the first time Big Boy has steamed across the Mississippi River and into the Ohio Valley since it was built in Schenectady, New York, and delivered to Union Pacific Railroad in 1941. As Big Boy makes this highly-anticipated journey, the eastern portion of the tour will operate across the Norfolk Southern network, marking a historic collaboration between two of the nation's storied railroads and bringing the legendary locomotive back to communities that helped power America's industrial rise.

"Union Pacific couldn't be prouder to share this powerful piece of history with the nation and to be a part of America's birthday celebration," said Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena. "This tour celebrates our company's rich 164-year history, our nation's amazing story and the people who have helped build our great country and our railroad."

"Railroads helped build this nation by connecting people, communities and commerce - work carried forward for generations by dedicated railroaders," said Norfolk Southern President and CEO Mark George. "As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, Union Pacific's Big Boy's return to the East on Norfolk Southern rails reflects a shared legacy."

The eastern leg of the tour starts May 25 from Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Big Boy officially launched its 2026 coast-to-coast tour on April 10 from downtown Sacramento near historic Milepost 0 - the site where Central Pacific began construction on the nation's first transcontinental railroad in 1863.

The route through the Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania and the Northeast reflects the historic role railroads played in shaping America's economic heartland, connecting factories, ports and population centers and fueling the nation's growth across generations. For nearly 200 years, Norfolk Southern and its predecessor railroads have served these corridors, helping move the people and goods that built the modern United States.