The Big Boy Reunion at Steamtown National Historic Site of two of the largest steam locomotives will bring a big boost in tourism to Scranton and the region.

The event, which is on track to far surpass crowd numbers at the historic site and railyard just off the downtown, will feature a two-week stop by Union Pacific’s Big Boy 4014 — the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.

The 4014 will park next to Steamtown’s nonoperational Big Boy 4012, and the pairing promises to draw the largest crowds to Steamtown since it opened in 1995. The park expects 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. Earlier this week, the numbers of tickets reserved were in the neighborhood of 23,600 for Monday and 12,000 for Tuesday — and counting, noted Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce President Bob Durkin.

He thinks the Big Boy event will draw more day-trippers than overnighters, but it will bring a mix. Spitballing an estimate of potential economic impact, Durkin said a day-trip tourist typically spends $80 per day per person in the area, and the spend rises to $500 for those staying overnight.

“I think we’re talking about $5 million or better in direct expenditures coming to our community on those first two days” alone, Durkin said.

And with sizable crowds continuing to visit Steamtown and Scranton daily from Wednesday through June 30, he thinks the overall impact could reach about $10 million.

“There’s no question it’s going to have a tremendous economic impact,” Durkin said of the two-week event.

Some hotels in the area are booking up and that seems to correspond with the Big Boy Reunion, said Curt Camoni, the executive director at the Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Hotel rooms are selling out. I expect this to account for at least a couple thousand sold hotel rooms related to this event,” Camoni said.

While the city and Lackawanna County get large crowds at various venues, such as Montage Mountain, the Big Boy Reunion represents a different kind of attraction, he said.

“This stands alone. This is a very unique set of circumstances coming together,” Camoni said of the appearance of the 4014 with the 4012. “The initial expectation is Big Boy will be busy. It’s just a very unique event that is for people of all ages.”

Along with direct spending, the event will produce residual spinoff impacts, in terms of promotion of local and regional tourism.

Big Boy 4014’s stop at Steamtown is part of the locomotive’s coast-to-coast tour to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary. The reunion will bring the last operational Big Boy (4014) through the region, from Binghamton, New York, 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, which has been at Steamtown for years. It has been 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.

Big Boy 4014’s trip to Scranton also promises to draw large crowds along the route, particularly on Saturday when it crosses the historic Tunkhannock Viaduct over Tunkhannock Creek in Nicholson. Known colloquially as the Nicholson Bridge or Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct, the colossal arched-span opened in 1915 as the world’s largest reinforced-concrete bridge and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The spectacle of the largest operating steam locomotive rolling over the picturesque viaduct has created its own buzz as a must-see event.

“People really want to see it cross the Nicholson Viaduct. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Camoni said.