DICKSON CITY — For railfans, the Big Boy Reunion of two of the largest steam locomotives at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton represents a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to see the siblings side-by-side, said Norman Barrett, a former train engineer.

Barrett caught the railfan bug at age 2 when his brother put a Lionel train set under their family Christmas tree. Growing up in Dickson City, he often marveled as a young boy at trains rumbling through the borough. He would go on to work for the former Delaware and Hudson Railroad for 31 years, working his way up from trainman to conductor to engineer.

Now 78 and retired, he has been volunteering at Steamtown National Historic Site since 2010 and will be there next week for the appearance of Big Boy 4014 with the park’s Big Boy 4012.

Expected to draw the largest crowds to Steamtown since it opened in 1995, the reunion event will feature a two-week stop by Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 — the world’s largest operating steam locomotive. Big Boy 4014’s stop at Steamtown is part of the locomotive’s coast-to-coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

Steamtown already has had the nonoperational Big Boy 4012, a cosmetically restored museum piece, on display for years. The park anticipates massive crowds of over 47,000 visitors from Monday through June 30, most of whom have tickets reserved for the two public debut display days of the locomotives on Monday and Tuesday.

Trains, rails and railroads generate strong public interest for any number of reasons, including American history and the expansion of the nation coast-to-coast; the Industrial Revolution that forged the rails and built the train engines and cars that would knit together a growing nation; the engineering aspects underlying the sheer power of this “iron horse” mode of transportation; the cross-country freight commerce and passenger travel it spawned; and the Americana folklore surrounding all of it buried deep in the nation’s collective consciousness.

“It’s all of that. It’s not any one thing” that railfans gravitate to, said Vee Pauli, 80, of Scranton, president of the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society Inc., which is a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society.

Barrett also said the Big Boy Reunion taps into a vast current of varied interests, and thus the Steamtown site and Scranton will become a focus of railroading for throngs of fans during the latter half of June.

“Recognizing railroading is a big thing because railroads built America,” said Barrett, who also is a member of the Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society.

The reunion will bring the last operational Big Boy (4014) rolling through the region, coming from Buffalo to Binghamton and then to Scranton and beyond, and eventually to Philadelphia for July 4. It’s the 4014’s first trip to the East Coast since it left the factory in Schenectady, New York, where it was built in 1941.

The Big Boys were the longest and among the largest and most powerful steam locomotives in the world, capable of reaching speeds in excess of 80 mph. Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad before and during World War II. They hauled long, heavy troop and freight trains over the steep grades of the Wasatch Mountains east of Salt Lake City. They were the ultimate in modern, main-line, heavy duty steam locomotives.

Only eight of the 25 remain. Seven of those are nonoperational, including Big Boy 4012 that has been at Steamtown for years. When it arrived, it had to be towed in and was in poor condition. It has since been cosmetically restored but no longer runs.

The 4014, also built in 1941, was restored in 2019 to run again and converted from coal-fired to oil. It is the only remaining Big Boy that can roll on rails under its own power.

“Once they were out and delivered to Union Pacific, they never came east. So to have one come east under its own power and meet with one of its sisters (Big Boy 4012 at Steamtown), it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing and it will never happen again,” Barrett said.

The 4014 will be fired up for viewing on Monday and Tuesday, with its nose positioned slightly ahead of the 4012 as they sit side-by-side for public viewing and photography purposes.

“It’s a living, breathing machine,” Barrett said of the 4014, noting that’s another reason railfans are excited to see it up close.

Pauli added, “They (railfans) want to see it running and the other draw is that they are going to position them so the two are side-by-side. I don’t know of any other opportunity to see that, except at Steamtown.”

Barrett expects crowds to also include more-casual fans, including many senior citizens who remember the heyday of steam locomotives, “and of course the young kids love trains.” Steamtown National Historic Site also will get a well-deserved due, he said. “I don’t think people in Lackawanna County even realize that’s a national park. To have a national park in downtown Scranton is unbelievable, and it’s an operating rail yard.”

Pauli and her husband, Roy Pauli, 81, also are excited for the event and the attention it brings, but will not attend the reunion because of the big crowds. Roy Pauli, who declined to comment, became a railfan as a young boy growing up in South Scranton, where he would watch trains pass by his middle school, his wife said. Vee grew up in Western Pennsylvania and recalled Roy took her on their first date to Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark in Altoona, considered one of eight engineering marvels of the world. “The completion of the Curve was widely celebrated and heralded throughout the state as a grand opportunity. The now-iconic railroad link opened for business on February 15, 1854. Over the next century-and-a-half, the landmark also became a tourism destination, a target of Nazi spies, and one of the primary east-west arteries of railroad travel in the nation,” according to its website. Horsehoe Curve expects Big Boy 4014 in mid-July.

“My husband’s a train nut. I started going to the (Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railway Historical Society) meetings with him. They needed someone to organize and that’s how I got elected president,” Vee said. Formed in 1973, the chapter has about 200 members and she has been president for 20 years.

While serious railfans are well aware of the Big Boy Reunion, it’s also grabbing the attention of the general public. Social media is abuzz with people inquiring about the locomotive and its route and where they could get a glimpse of Big Boy 4014 as it passes through the region.

Starting out from the West Coast in April on an America250 tour, the locomotive has drawn huge crowds of spectators along the way throughout the nation, and the same is expected in Northeast Pennsylvania when it gets here. Rail companies are warning the public to spectate safely.

Genesee Valley Transportation Co. Inc. and the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. Inc. issued a statement Tuesday saying they are proud to host Big Boy 4014 on its route to Philadelphia by way of a Norfolk Southern rail line and Steamtown National Historic Site.

“As many of you know, the 4014 will be traversing the tracks of the Delaware-Lackawanna railroad Sunday June 14th as it enters the Steamtown National Historic Site for display. We are aware of the historical significance of this move and the likelihood that many people will wish to follow, photograph or just experience this one-time event,” the statement said. “In the interest of safety, and in an effort to provide an excellent overall experience, the employees and management of the Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad would like to remind everyone that there is a ‘0 tolerance’ policy for trespassing on railroad property at all times, and especially during this event. It is extremely important that spectators do not interfere with the movement of any locomotives, the train, or general railroad operations. Railroad property is at all time off limits, unless specifically instructed by D-L or Steamtown employees in a specifically designated area. Please also refrain from placing debris on the rails, including coins, or objects for the creation of keepsakes and souvenirs.”

The Union Pacific website also warns the public to “stay back at least 25 feet from all railroad tracks. This includes drones. Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and right of way are private property — do not trespass. Never assume tracks are abandoned or inactive — ALWAYS expect a train. Be a safe and considerate driver — do not pace the train.”