Steam & Excursion > Big Boy 4014 at Tamaqua and Hamburg

A few photos of 4014 at Tamaqua and Hamburg during the July 2nd segment between Jim Thorpe and King of Prussia. Reading & Northern also ran a passenger excursion in conjunction with the Big Boy using their two America 250 painted diesels.
1 - R&N excursion led the way for 4014. During the excursion's trip between Nesquehoning and Reading, the train was occassionally held on sidings to allow the 4014 to catch up and do a roll by for the passengers.
2 - 4014 stopped at the Tamaqua station for a 15 minute layover to allow people to take pictures of the locomotive.
3 - 4014 departing Tamaqua.
 

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Hmaburg photos: Tempeture was 97 degrees with a Feels Like tempture in excess of 100 degrees.
4 - R&N excursion train holding the siding just north of the Hamburg station to allow 4014 to catch up and do a roll by for passengers.
5 - 4014 moving forward towards a photo stop at Hamburg after the R&N excursion train took the mainline and proceeded to Reading.
6 - 4014 departing Hamburg following a 15 minute stop for pictures and festivities.

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Thanks for sharing your encounter with UP 4014 on July 2, 2026.  UP 4014 is a crowd pleaser-!

Nice series. My sister was at Hamburg and shared some cell phone pictures with me. She talked about that heat.
John

Great time at a private 4014 event at The Village at Houser's Crossing. Super neat 'top shelf' place with 4 restored Sears houses right along the R&N mainline...it passes right through the10 acre property complete with a private bridge over the river.. Owner Carolee Smith had a great SAFE viewing area spread along the mainline curve complete with passing siding and mainline for the Big Boy which did a 2 minute 42 second SLOW runby just outside an elevated outside curve where we all (about 25 guests only) sat safely distant in the shade and enjoyed home made cookies, refreshments and Big Boy and R&N 1776-2026.
Great place to railfan in style that also is the only private flag stop in America complete with a new R&N station.

Was carried live showing the BIG BOY and train runby on wnep-TV at...
https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/schuylkill-county/union-pacific-big-boy-4014-makes-its-way-through-tamaqua-schuylkill-county-village-housers-crossing-steam-locomotive-train/523-5cf942e5-412b-44c3-ac99-94bcc40967a9

A big thank you to Carolee Smith, her husband Oliver and Andy Muller , President of the R&N RR

A real bucket list completion.

rr caboose



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/26 22:30 by rrcaboose.

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A few more photos.

rr caboose

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That sounds like a great afternoon, rrcaboose.  Thanks for the pictures.

The Reading and Northern has got to be the best railroad in America today!  Their freight traffic keeps growing due to good service, and they run great passenger services for the local communities.  Along with that, their pride is apparent in all they do--from beautifully painted engines, to restored facilities and buildings.  They deserve so much praise.

coach Wrote:
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> The Reading and Northern has got to be the best
> railroad in America today!  Their freight traffic
> keeps growing due to good service, and they run
> great passenger services for the local
> communities.  Along with that, their pride is
> apparent in all they do--from beautifully painted
> engines, to restored facilities and buildings.
>  They deserve so much praise.
 
R&N is very invested in the local community, too. It actively participates in recruiting shippers and other economic development projects.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Reading and Northern has got to be the best
> railroad in America today!  Their freight traffic
> keeps growing due to good service, and they run
> great passenger services for the local
> communities.  Along with that, their pride is
> apparent in all they do--from beautifully painted
> engines, to restored facilities and buildings.
>  They deserve so much praise.

Amen!