Big Boy 4014 Steams Through Kansas
- Tanner Colvin
- Jul 27
- 2 min read
Last week, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, Big Boy No. 4014, rolled across Kansas, making stops in Topeka, Salina, Wilson, Hays, Grainfield, and Sharon Springs. Thousands of railroad enthusiasts and curious Kansans lined the tracks and packed depot areas for the opportunity to witness one of the most legendary locomotives ever built. Of the eight Union Pacific Big Boy locomotives still in existence, seven remain on static display in museums across the country. Big Boy No. 4014 is the only one still operating under its own steam.
Originally commissioned in 1941, the Big Boy locomotives were built to conquer the steep grades and tight curves of the Rocky Mountains between Utah and Wyoming, hauling massive freight trains that were vital to America's wartime effort. Big Boy No. 4014 served Union Pacific until its retirement in 1961 after logging 1,031,205 miles. The 1.2-million-pound locomotive was later donated to the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California, where it remained on display for more than 50 years.
In 2013, Union Pacific reacquired Big Boy No. 4014 and transported it to Cheyenne, Wyoming, for one of the most ambitious steam locomotive restoration projects ever undertaken. After several years of work, the locomotive returned to service in May 2019, once again running under steam as a traveling ambassador for Union Pacific and preserving the legacy of the Big Boy era for new generations.
Big Boy No. 4014 and its crew are entering the final leg of an epic cross-country tour commemorating America's 250th birthday. On Wednesday July 29th the crew is scheduled to return to Cheyenne, Wyoming. The tour began this spring and took the locomotive east of the Mississippi River for the first time in its operating career, with stops in Indiana, Ohio, New York, and a Fourth of July celebration in Philadelphia before making its way west through Kansas.
For many, the Kansas stops were more than just seeing a historic locomotive, it was a chance to experience a living piece of American history. Families gathered trackside, lifelong railfans checked a bucket-list item off their lists, and children watched in amazement as the massive steam engine thundered across the Kansas prairie. As Big Boy No. 4014 disappeared over the horizon and continued its journey west, it left behind more than a trail of steam and smoke. It served as a reminder of the engineering, determination, and pioneering spirit that helped build the nation, and of the power a single locomotive still has to bring communities together along the rails. Photos and article by Tanner Colvin Photos from the Salina stop, click to expand.
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