The Big Boy has made it to Scranton! The world’s largest steam locomotive arrived at the Steamtown National Historic Site on Sunday, and it will be here for more than two weeks. People started lining up to see it around 4 am.
“Look at that thing! That’s American heavy metal right there. It’s just an awesome piece of machinery. Nothing like it in the world,” Walter Derek-Marczdak said.
“I drove all the way down here just for this because I grew up around here. Seeing this thing come here, I couldn’t miss it,” Jason Schaedler said.
Union Pacific’s Big Boy Number 4014 was one of 25 Big Boys built. There are eight remaining, including one here in Scranton. But 4014 is the only one that’s up and running.
“Steamtown National Historic Site is the only place that two Big Boys can be next to each other on the rails. So having 4014 pulling in beside 4012 yesterday for the sibling reunion was just an amazing sight,” Steamtown National Historic Site Superintendent Jeremy Komasz said.
Big Boy’s coast-to-coast tour is in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. There are plenty of chances to see the train, starting today. Today and tomorrow are public display days.
“The Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern teams will be here on the ground talking to the visitors. Big Boy is going to be steamed up, you can come down and hear the whistle which everybody loves to hear,” Komasz said.
After that will be public viewing days. While the rail teams won’t be around to answer questions, you’ll still be able to see Big Boy.
“Steamtown National Historic Site is usually about 60,000 people per year. We expect that we’re going to do more than 60,000 people in the 17 days that Union Pacific’s 4014 is visiting,” Komasz said.
You need a ticket to come to these events. They are one dollar each, which covers the processing fee.