As part of Union Pacific’s “Westward Bound Tour,” the massive steam engine Big Boy No. 4014 is making its way back home after carrying freight across the Wasatch Mountains. The locomotive, which is set to arrive at the Morgan Depot from Evanston, Wyoming on Thursday before departing for Salt Lake Central Station in Salt Lake City, will be on display in both cities before continuing its journey to Elko, Nevada.
Big Boy No. 4014 is one of only eight remaining locomotives built by the American Locomotive Company for Union Pacific in the early 20th century. These massive steam engines were once known as the “world’s largest” and played a vital role in transporting freight between Ogden and Cheyenne. In 2019, Union Pacific restored No. 4014 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad, and now operates on industrial heating oils as part of the restoration process.
The Westward Bound Tour began in Cheyenne and will end on July 26 where it started. However, Big Boy No. 4014 will go back on tour later in the summer as Union Pacific plans to visit 10 states primarily in the Midwest from late August to October.