The legendary Big Boy No. 4014 is rolling through our backyard this April on a once-in-a-generation cross-country adventure.
If you’ve never stood next to a locomotive the size of a small building while it lets out a thunderous whistle, consider this your sign — and your invitation.
Union Pacific’s legendary Big Boy No. 4014, the largest and most powerful steam locomotive ever built, is making a triumphant return to California this April as part of an epic, coast-to-coast tour celebrating America’s 250th birthday. And for anyone in the Stockton area, a short drive north puts you right in the middle of the action.
What Exactly Is Big Boy?
Glad you asked. Back in World War II, Union Pacific needed something seriously powerful to haul freight over the brutal grades of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. The answer? Twenty-five of the most massive steam locomotives ever constructed — nicknamed “Big Boy” because a worker chalked those words on one during assembly, and the name stuck…