Union Pacific\u2019s popular Big Boy No. 4014 \u2014 the world\u2019s largest operating steam engine \u2014 is powering through our neighborhoods this weekend.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what you need to know to get that photo and stay safe.<\/p>\n
Side-by-side runnings highlight weekend visit to Luzerne County<\/p>\n
The Big Boy departs Binghamton, New York at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and passes over the landmark Nicholson Viaduct at 10 a.m., presenting a once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity for railfans.<\/p>\n
Reading & Northern will operate a round-trip passenger excursion with steam locomotive #2102 from Nesquehoning to Pittston and its scheduled to meet up with the Big Boy around 11:45 a.m. in Dupont. The two trains will follow each other to the Pittston Yard. The Big Boy departs there around 1:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
A side-by-side running with both trains is planned through the double-track Oak Street highway crossing in Pittston Twp. around 2:30 p.m. More side-by-side running is planned between Mountain Top and Crestwood between 3:30 and 3:45 p.m. The Big Boy arrives in Nesquehoning around 6:10 p.m. where it remains overnight.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, the Big Boy leads a private, sold-out Union Pacific Museum passenger special to Pittston.It\u2019ll travel through Lehigh Gorge State Park and over Penobscot Mountain into the Wyoming Valley. It\u2019ll pass through the areas of White Haven, Glen Summit, Mountain Top, Avoca, Dupont and Duryea to name a few.<\/p>\n
A side-by-side running with steam locomotive #2102 is planned northbound at Mountain Top around 11:45 a.m.\u00a0 A second side-by-side running is planned through the double-track Oak Street highway crossing in Pittston Twp. around 12:40 p.m.<\/p>\n
The Big Boy train will leave Pittston at 3:30 p.m. to head to the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, where it will be on display through June 30. Tickets are required.<\/p>\n
Access to public stations will be restricted.<\/p>\n
In Dupont, Choo Choo\u2019s Ice Cream said it will open at 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday so people can gather to see the Big Boy pass by around 11:15 a.m.<\/p>\n
Craft Beans Co. on Main Street in Dupont is getting into the spirit with several train themed goodies such as LocoMocha Latte.<\/p>\n
The City of Pittston Police Department advises motorists to be aware of increased motor vehicle and pedestrian traffic and said there will be an increased police presence in the area to assist.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s after Scranton?<\/p>\n
The Big Boy departs Scranton at\u00a0 9 a.m. July 1 and makes its way to Jim Thorpe. It departs there at 9 a.m. on July 2 en route to the Reading & Northern Outer Station and then to Pottstown.\u00a0It will spend the Fourth of July in Philadelphia as part of America\u2019s 250th anniversary celebration.<\/p>\n
Safety measures<\/p>\n
Stay back at least 25 feet from all railroad tracks. This includes drones.
\nRailroad tracks, trestles, yards and right of way are private property \u2013 don\u2019t trespass.
\nNever assume tracks are abandoned or inactive. Always expect a train.
\nBe a safe and considerate driver \u2013 don\u2019t pace the train.
\nBe aware of the environment. The Big Boy \u201cis positioned in a working rail environment with uneven walking surfaces that may create difficulty for accessibility.\u201d<\/p>\n
Big Boy roars into NEPA<\/p>\n
We invite readers to share their photos of Big Boy \u2014 the world\u2019s largest operating steam locomotive \u2014 as it powers through the region this weekend. Email your photos to citydesk@citizensvoice.com. Please include your name, hometown and location of the photo. We\u2019ll publish a collection of photos on our website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Union Pacific\u2019s popular Big Boy No. 4014 \u2014 the world\u2019s largest operating steam engine \u2014 is powering through…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":218635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[182,803,139,28,178,180,179,802],"class_list":["post-218634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-local-news","tag-luzerne-county","tag-news","tag-pennsylvania","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news","tag-top-stories-cvc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=218634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/218634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/218635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=218634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=218634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=218634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}