Train enthusiasts, rejoice. The Big Boy has arrived in Illinois.
The famed Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 began its “Heartland of America” tour last month, with the iconic steam engine traveling across 10 states, allowing enthusiasts to get a close look at the historic locomotive.
The train made its first of four stops in Illinois on Friday after beginning its journey in Wyoming. The train also stopped in Nebraska and Iowa on its way to Illinois.
After stopping in Sterling on Friday, here’s where you can see the train in Illinois before it leaves the state early next week.
- Sept. 9 – Rochelle, 8:45 – 9:00 a.m. CT, Rochelle Railroad Park, 124 N. 9th St.
- Sept. 9 – Watseka, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. CT, North St. Crossing
- Sept. 10 – Nokomis, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. CT, Maple St. Crossing
After its visit to Illinois, the steam engine will travel to Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma and more. The full Heartland America tour schedule can be found here.
All attendees must remain 25 feet back from the tracks when viewing the locomotive, and must never take a picture or video while standing on the track or ballast and must never climb on the locomotive or related equipment, officials said.
According to officials, Big Boy No. 4014 is one of 25 built in the 1940s to handle the steep grades in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range during World War II. It is just one of eight to survive, and the only one that remains in operation today.