Steam & Excursion > Big Boy Coast to Coast Tour Announced - sort of...

January 5, 2026

We will celebrate our nation’s 250th anniversary by bringing out Big Boy No. 4014 to make history on its first-ever coast-to-coast tour. I look forward to announcing the tour schedule soon, so Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern employees can bring their families to key stops on the route as a celebration of where we came from and where we are headed."

The road to perdition?

The road to filing a complete merger statement for the STB? Might need an AC-12
that way you'd be sure to get the cab ahead of the boiler so to speak.

Out 

You have wonder if this merger becomes reality with UP who allows its steam locomotive on its system if 611, 765 and others will be allowed to spread their wings on the system.  Guess one can hope,  

srman Wrote:
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> You have wonder if this merger becomes reality
> with UP who allows its steam locomotive on its
> system if 611, 765 and others will be allowed to
> spread their wings on the system.  Guess one can
> hope,  

Highly doubt it 

srman Wrote:
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> You have wonder if this merger becomes reality
> with UP who allows its steam locomotive on its
> system if 611, 765 and others will be allowed to
> spread their wings on the system.  Guess one can
> hope,  

Please remember that, currently, UP does NOT "allow other steam locomotives" on its system. I seriously doubt if they ever will.

The betting man that I am, I will say they will, but to a limited extent like current NS does. Don't be surprised if 765 comes out to meet the Big Boy.

Victor Baird



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/26 15:42 by wabash2800.

For the last 20 years I’ve wished the UP Steam program would announce a “date window” so that us working folks who need to submit vacation requests in January could put in a decent target time. Don’t need a detailed schedule just a window of days/weeks they expect to be “out of town”.

If UP #4014 gets to the 'East', my routing thoughts are UP to NS at Chicago, NS/ex NKP across Ohio - Pittsburgh - Horseshoe Curve to Harrisburg, PA then former NS ex-Reading Line to Allentown, PA, then former LV Lehigh Line across NJ to Oak Island Yard, Newark, NJ...in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty. Probably the best route and closest location to NYCity.
One can only dream.
rr caboose

I note the “I look forward to announcing the tour schedule soon, so Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern employees can bring their families to key stops on the route as a celebration of where we came from and where we are headed."

Word choices kind of raises the question or at least possibility there may be limited to no public access to the engine.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

Posted from iPhone

I expect Philadelphia to be on the list. Liberty Bell and all that.

30th street, South Philadelphia dockyard or Navy Yard would make good props.

Washington DC. On July 4 or June 14.

Posted from Android

JDLX Wrote:
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> I note the “I look forward to announcing the
> tour schedule soon, so Union Pacific and Norfolk
> Southern employees can bring their families to key
> stops on the route as a celebration of where we
> came from and where we are headed."
>
> Word choices kind of raises the question or at
> least possibility there may be limited to no
> public access to the engine.
>
> Jeff Moore
> Elko, NV
>
> Posted from iPhone

No it doesn't. UP and NS are highly sensitive to the PR value in such a trip - it's been UP's basic orientation in recent years in their steam operations, and NS' in the past when they still had a steam program. The public relations and goodwill values are enormous - and they know it. Especially when they are trying to curry favor in whatever way they possibly can for a major merger.

There may be employee-only events and stops - fine. The employees and their families more than deserve that. I would want nothing less than that. But there will certainly be all kinds of public viewing opportunities as well, as there have been in the past. I've seen quite a few of those with the Big Boy since its been running, and they were always very well staged, with a high degree of positive reception by the public. I'm sure that they will not only happen, but will be enhanced in some way - both for the 250th anniversary celebration, and for the politicking for the merger. 

And in the final analysis, the trip will be almost entirely out in the open and very public in the moves between overnight stops. How will the public be excluded from that? UP and NS know that PR value - and it's huge. In the past, Ross Rowland and others frequently spoke about just seeing people gathered trackside in the dozens, hundreds, thousands as they passed between stops as being one of the most gratifying aspects of running the whole Freedom Train operation. UP and NS know that. And if this happens - that is what it will all be about - as well as the completely appropriate and desirable events for employees and their families.

MC

According to a local tv station news story yesterday, it will visit Topeka, KS on it's tour.

Topeka? At least it's on the other side of the river, the other side of the river from a shop
that's still open and running.

Out 

Philly to DC on the NEC would be amazing if Amtrak would ever dream of allowing it....then again I don't think it could run through the Baltimore tunnel!

-Sean

Is there a route with large enough clearances for the Big Boy to make it to the East Coast cities?

PHall Wrote:
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> Is there a route with large enough clearances for
> the Big Boy to make it to the East Coast cities?

The former Erie Railroad would qualify on clearances, I bellieve.  Old six foot gauge. 

NS could slide in a few heritage units to help out along the way...

PHall Wrote:
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> Is there a route with large enough clearances for
> the Big Boy to make it to the East Coast cities?


There have been steam officials behind the scenes working on any clearance issues so stay tuned....

Posted from Android

Looking forward to seeing how this all comes together. Would be neat if they coordinate meets and displays while out east with the NKP 765 and N&W 611. Maybe even a double header with N&W 611 since it would be on NS?? Would love to see them also coordinate meets and maybe displays with other steam locomotives out west too during this tour.

Posted from iPhone



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/26 16:02 by GNRocky.

GREAT THOUGHT!! If the UP is majority stockholder, I’ll walk “the plank” and say, “YES!!”

“A hopeful” Markus V.
“The Fort” in Indiana

Posted from iPhone

bigmc83 Wrote:
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> Philly to DC on the NEC would be amazing if Amtrak
> would ever dream of allowing it....then again I
> don't think it could run through the Baltimore
> tunnel!
>
> -Sean
>
> the amtrak tunnels are "plate C " clearance only,
> extra tall boxcars stop at amtrak bayview coming south, 
> and at bowie coming up from D.C.
> CSX out of D.C. thru the howard street tunnel,
> dont know if it could crossover at CSX bayview.