SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA CO. (WOLF) \u2014 As Union Pacific\u2019s legendary Big Boy No. 4014 prepares to roll into northeastern Pennsylvania \u2014 an event FOX56 has been covering for months\u2014 new attention is being drawn to a little-known moment when Scranton nearly lost its own Big Boy locomotive for good.<\/p>\n
Decades before No. 4014 was restored to operation and sent west for the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike, federal lawmakers considered relocating Scranton\u2019s Big Boy \u2014 No. 4012 \u2014 out of Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
In 2002, members of Congress introduced legislation that included a provision calling for the relocation of Big Boy No. 4012 from Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton to Ogden, Utah. The proposal was tied to upcoming historical milestones, including the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad and the significance of Big Boy locomotives to Utah\u2019s rail history.<\/p>\n
The language in the bill directed the federal government to move the locomotive to Utah by 2004, where it would remain for years as part of those commemorations.<\/p>\n
The move to Utah even had a budget of $500,000 to move the 4012 cross-country to a new home.<\/p>\n
Had the measure advanced and been implemented, Scranton could have lost one of its most iconic railroad artifacts.<\/p>\n
The proposal ultimately stalled in committee and was never enacted, allowing Big Boy No. 4012 to remain in Scranton.<\/p>\n
Instead, history took a different turn. Union Pacific later restored Big Boy No. 4014 to full operating condition, and that locomotive \u2014 not Scranton\u2019s \u2014 made the journey west under its own power in 2019.<\/p>\n
Back in Scranton, No. 4012 has remained a centerpiece of Steamtown. The locomotive underwent restoration work in recent years, including repairs and repainting, before being returned to public display.<\/p>\n
Now, with No. 4014 traveling east and expected to visit the region, rail fans will witness something once thought impossible \u2014 two Big Boys tied to the same history being reunited in the same part of the country.<\/p>\n
For many, it\u2019s a moment of celebration. But it also serves as a reminder of how close Scranton came to losing a major piece of its rail heritage.<\/p>\n
After more than two decades, the locomotive that almost left is still here \u2014 and now, its twin is coming to town.<\/p>\n