Big Boy 4014 Train Tours Indiana This Week | Viewing Locations

A Historic Locomotive Makes a Return Journey Through Indiana

A historic locomotive is set to make its return trip through Indiana this week. Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, will make two stops in northern Indiana on Thursday, July 16. This journey marks the second time the train has crossed the country, as it celebrates America’s 250th anniversary, including a July 4 celebration in Philadelphia.

The train previously made a stop in Argos, Indiana, in Marshall County, on June 5. Currently heading west to its home in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the locomotive will depart Fort Wayne at 9 a.m. on Thursday, though there will be no public access during that time. About three hours later, Big Boy is scheduled to stop at Main and Bender streets in Knox, Indiana, giving the public a chance to get an up-close look at the locomotive from 12:30 p.m. CDT to 1 p.m. CDT.

(Note that Knox is on Central Time, which is one hour behind Fort Wayne/Indianapolis time.)

After the stop in Knox, the train will move on to South Holland, Illinois, where it will stop for the night. For those looking to catch a glimpse of Big Boy as it rolls through the Hoosier State, the locomotive is scheduled to enter the state in Edgerton and pass through New Haven on Wednesday, though the exact time is not yet clear. After leaving Fort Wayne Thursday morning, Big Boy will pass through Whitley, Kosciusko, and Marshall counties, passing back through Argos on its way to the stop in Knox.

Once it leaves Knox, Big Boy will travel through Porter and Lake counties, cutting between Merrillville and Gary before going through Hammond and leaving the state. The train is staying south of South Bend, as it was determined that Big Boy is too large for some bridges and overpasses in the area.

Safety Tips for Observers

Union Pacific is reminding fans who come out to see the train to stay at least 25 feet from the tracks, including drones, as it’s dangerous to trespass on or near the tracks. Officials also recommend using hearing protection, among other safety tips.

The Legacy of Big Boy 4014

Jack Culkin of 13News’ sister station, WNEP, visited the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, Pennsylvania, to learn more about the massive locomotive.

Steamtown is one of seven museums that house a Big Boy locomotive, caring for Big Boy 4012. Park Superintendent Jeremy Komasz says these two locomotives were part of a fleet of trains that helped build the USA prior to and during World War II. “25 Big Boys were made in Schenectady, New York. They all ran out west. Of those 25, only 8 remain, and Big Boy 4014 is the only operational Big Boy.”

But why are these Big Boys so big? Weighing roughly 1.2 million pounds loaded, Komasz says the locomotives were used to haul heavy loads. “The reason that they were designed this way and the reason they are so large was they needed the power to get over the Wasatch Mountains. What they were doing at the time is they’d have to use multiple locomotives to get over the mountains to move the freight. So they designed and built the Big Boy for that purpose to be more efficient and more cost-effective.”

Like everything, advances in rail transportation made the Big Boys more of a burden on the rails. “So in the 50s and 60s, you saw a transition from diesel loco or from steam locomotives to diesel locomotives, so the diesels were a little bit more efficient, a little bit easier to operate. They could go longer distances,” explained Komasz.

Many of the trains were taken off the tracks, some were scrapped, and others, like 4012, sat waiting for sites like Steamtown to open. “At some point, it made it to Nelson’s, Nelson Blount’s collection, so Steamtown USA, and it was up in Bellows Falls, Vermont, where Steamtown USA was at the time. It was then relocated here to Scranton under Steamtown USA auspices, which then became the collection that was donated to the National Park Service,” said Komasz.