A 1.2 Million-Pound Legend Is Rolling Into Northeast Ohio — Here’s Where to See It

Train enthusiasts, mark your calendars. The massive Big Boy No. 4014 — the only operational locomotive of its kind left in the world — is finally heading east, and it’s making several stops in Ohio.

Weighing in at 1.2 million pounds and stretching 133 feet, this steam-powered giant was originally built during World War II to haul heavy military equipment. After being restored to service in 2019, Big Boy has drawn huge crowds on its western tours. But until now, its range was limited because Union Pacific’s tracks only run through 23 states, mostly west of the Mississippi. The key to this eastern swing? A partnership with Norfolk Southern, which lets Big Boy roll on their rails for the first time since it left the Schenectady, New York, factory in 1941.

The tour kicks off from Cheyenne, Wyoming, on May 25 and wraps up back home on July 29. Ohio stops include Continental, Fostoria (limited public access), Bellevue (no public access), Lorain, Euclid, Conneaut (closed to the public), Struthers, and Rocky River. Major public displays are planned in Fostoria, along with cities like Omaha, West Chicago, Buffalo, Scranton, Philadelphia, Altoona, and St. Louis.

If you plan to catch a glimpse, Union Pacific asks that you stay at least 25 feet from the tracks. And please — don’t place coins on the rails. It’s illegal, dangerous, and can distract you from oncoming trains.

Can’t make it? Seven of Big Boy’s sibling locomotives are on permanent display in museums across the country, including in St. Louis, Omaha, Denver, and Scranton. Of the 25 ever built, only eight remain.