‘Big Boy,’ the 1.1 million pound train, passing through Colorado this fall
DENVER (KDVR) — One of the world’s largest trains will pass through Colorado this fall.
Union Pacific Railroad announced the train’s second-ever tour, which showcases the 1.1-million-pound beauty as it travels across the country.
According to the company, the train known as Big Boy No. 4014, is the world’s largest operating steam locomotive.
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The railroad company reflects on the history of Big Boys on its website, which started as 25 trains that were 132 feet long and originally weighed 1.2 million pounds. Today, all are out of service, and some are on display – except for one.
Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in December 1941 and retired just 20 years later after traveling over a million miles. Thanks to a multi-year restoration process, the railroad company said the train hit the tracks again in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion.
Now, the train is up and running and heading through the United States on the “Heartland of America Tour,” which starts in Wyoming in late August. The train will travel across nine states, one being Colorado, on its eight-week tour.
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It will also pass through Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas with scheduled stops to be displayed in Illinois and Texas.
The railroad company said the train plans to only make quick stops, or “whistle stops,” in the Centennial State. They will announce additional stops and approximate times closer to the tour.
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