OMAHA, Neb. — Union Pacific will send Big Boy No. 4014 on a “Four Corners” tour of its system in 2024, the railroad announced today, including stops in Oregon, California, Texas, and Illinois.
“As we move forward at Union Pacific, we remember where we came from; the Big Boy represents the history of Union Pacific and the United States,” Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said in a message to UP’s “Steam Club,” which receives first notification of plans for the 4-8-8-4. “When No. 4014 comes to town, we will celebrate with the communities where we operate, our employees and their families. Together, we will marvel at how far technology has brought us.”
Anticipated stops include Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston; Salt Lake City; Portland, Ore; Nampa, Idaho; and Roseville, Calif. A schedule and route information will be announced next year, and the railroad plans events for employees and their families in addition to public stops.
In an interview last month [see “The Trains Interview: Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena …,” Oct. 19, 2023], Vena had indicated he planned to use the Big Boy more.
“I love it,” Vena said then. “It’s a wonderful way to represent who we are, where we came from, and understand what technology does. There was a reason why the diesels came in and we’re able to change. But it is a wonderful symbol of who we are. And I’m going to bring it out next year and we’re going to use it for people to understand and learn more about Union Pacific. It will be part of our employee days, where the employees get to bring their families and are able to go jump on that thing and see how big it is.”
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