The mere thought of the spectacle was awe-inspiring, really.
The very idea of what happened seemed more designed to capture imaginations than it did social media views.
A marvel of the American rails, the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 — a 133-foot long, 1.2 million-pound mass of steel, cast iron and brass literally steaming on 16 wheels — made its grand entrance over the hulking Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct on Saturday, the tree-covered hills of the Endless Mountains serving as the backdrop.
The Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct, also known as the Nicholson Viaduct,, Nicholson Bridge and Tunkhannock Viaduct, an historic rail bridge in Nicholson, PA. that opened in 1915 and remains in use, shown here on Sept. 18, 2021. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO)
There seems no better way to kick off a summer the likes of which we may never experience again in our region.
As Northeast Pennsylvania welcomed the largest and most powerful steam locomotive still in use in the world to the area, it was difficult for most of us not to feel nostalgic. It is every bit the year 2026; We’re about halfway through it now. But to see a locomotive as impressive as this venture over a nearly half-mile long, 240-foot tall span, it didn’t exactly make anyone looking on feel like they were in modern times.
A steam engine designed to power over the steepest of grades, to haul supplies from one side of the United States, to the other to aid in the most noble efforts of our troops during World War II. A viaduct that once was the largest of its kind, perhaps in the world.
It was a meeting of two icons of American might, ingenuity and perseverance. The likelihood any of us will get to see it again is not particularly high.
This summer provides us plenty of reasons to celebrate. It is, after all, the 250th anniversary of our nation’s birth. But for too many, the date itself doesn’t seem like a good enough reason to honor where we are.
That is understandable, really. We’ve all been through tough times. We’ve battled terrorism, at home and abroad. We faced a pandemic, and not so gracefully. We’ve struggled to define what constitutes truth, and battled our friends, family and neighbors to a bitter 50-50 stalemate while doing so. We’ve seen our way of life challenged by both our leaders and our technology, and our freedoms in key ways have eroded through the fights. The strongest pillars of our nation — free and fair elections, the irrefutable neutrality of our highest courts, the motives of leaders elected to our highest offices — have been roundly doubted.
Big Boy 4012 locomotive on display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton on Sunday, June 7, 2026. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO
This is why we hope Big Boy No. 4014 rolled into town at just the right time, with exactly the necessary visuals, and hauling all the history that really should matter to area residents this summer along with it.
Many rail enthusiasts have already caught Big Boy fever. With No. 4014 settling in for a temporary respite at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton as part of its historic coast-to-coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary, the area is bracing for an influx of visitors. Steamtown is expecting more than 35,000 people will pass through its gates on Monday and Tuesday alone, just to see No. 4014 alongside Big Boy No. 4012, which is on permanent display at the museum.
The economic impact is expected to be significant, and there will certainly be folks flocking to railroad right-of-ways and backyards that cut through our region’s small towns once No. 4014 leaves Steamtown and begins its journey to July 4 celebrations in Philadelphia.
We encourage all around our region, especially those who aren’t train fans, to do what they can, when they can, to catch a glimpse of No. 4014.
This is not a request purely derived from hopes of strong cash flow for area vendors or much-deserved attention for the jewel Steamtown is.
It is also a hope that seeing the locomotive will help capture a lost nostalgia.
It is a plea to seek out that necessary thirst for knowledge about the feats of engineering that made our nation great, and why they were necessary in a time current generations don’t likely grasp how they were even possible.
It is also a call to recognize that so much of what we saw with No. 4014’s arrival wouldn’t be possible without hard-working, forward-thinking Northeast Pennsylvanians of yesteryear. Rail history is one of the great drivers of American history, and no area made bigger contributions to the national railroads than ours.
If you’re looking to see something awe-inspiring, find a way to see Big Boy No. 4014 while it is in our backyard.
If you’re looking to understand what has made America’s 250th anniversary so very worth of celebration, understand how it got here.