By Railfan & Railroad Staff

CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Union Pacific “Big Boy” 4014 will hit the main line for the first time since November 2019, this week when it makes a break-in run from Cheyenne, Wyo., to Denver on Thursday and Friday. 

On Wednesday, UP also released a schedule of its upcoming tour set to begin on Aug. 5, as well as details about a public excursion out of New Orleans on Aug. 22, to benefit the Union Pacific Museum. Big Boy 4014, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, was restored to service in 2019 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the First Transcontinental Railroad. UP was preparing to take the locomotive out again last year when those plans were shelved due to the pandemic. 

The locomotive will run from Cheyenne to Denver on Thursday and then return north on Friday, the railroad announced. There is no set schedule for the break-in run at this time. 

On Aug. 5, the steam locomotive will head east to Nebraska before heading south to Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana. On Sunday, Aug. 22, the locomotive will lead an excursion from New Orleans to Livonia, La. The railroad said that patrons of the Union Pacific Museum will be able to buy tickets first and that additional information would be coming soon. The locomotive is scheduled to return to Cheyenne on Tuesday, Sept. 7. 

The full schedule is below. 

• Thursday, Aug. 5: Cheyenne, Wyoming to Sidney, Nebraska
• Friday, Aug. 6: Sidney, Nebraska to North Platte, Nebraska
• Saturday, Aug. 7:  North Platte, Nebraska Viewing
• Sunday, Aug. 8: North Platte, Nebraska to Fairbury, Nebraska
• Monday, Aug. 9: Fairbury, Nebraska to Kansas City, Missouri
• Tuesday, Aug. 10: Kansas City, Missouri Viewing
• Wednesday, Aug. 11: Kansas City, Missouri to Parsons, Kansas
• Thursday, Aug. 12: Parsons, Kansas to McAlester, Oklahoma
• Friday, Aug. 13: McAlester, Oklahoma to Fort Worth, Texas
• Saturday, Aug. 14: Fort Worth, Texas Display Day
• Sunday, Aug. 15: Fort Worth, Texas to Hearne, Texas
• Monday, Aug. 16: Hearne, Texas to Houston, Texas
• Tuesday, Aug. 17: Houston, Texas Display Day
• Wednesday, Aug. 18: Houston, Texas to Beaumont, Texas
• Thursday, Aug. 19: Beaumont, Texas to Livonia, Louisiana
• Friday, Aug. 20: Livonia, Louisiana to New Orleans, Louisiana
• Saturday, Aug. 21: New Orleans, Louisiana Display Day
• Sunday, Aug. 22: New Orleans, Louisiana to Livonia, Louisiana
• Monday, Aug. 23: Livonia, Louisiana to Shreveport, Louisiana
• Tuesday, Aug. 24: Shreveport, Louisiana Viewing
• Wednesday, Aug. 25: Shreveport, Louisiana to Prescott, Arkansas
• Thursday, Aug. 26: Prescott, Arkansas to North Little Rock, Arkansas
• Friday, Aug. 27: North Little Rock, Arkansas to Poplar Bluff, Missouri
• Saturday, Aug. 28: Poplar Bluff, Missouri to St. Louis Missouri
• Sunday, Aug. 29: St. Louis, Missouri Display Day
• Monday, Aug. 30: St. Louis, Missouri to Jefferson City, Missouri
• Tuesday, Aug. 31: Jefferson City, Missouri to Kansas City, Missouri
• Wednesday, Sept. 1: Kansas City, Missouri Viewing
• Thursday, Sept. 2: Kansas City, Missouri to Salina, Kansas
• Friday, Sept. 3: Salina, Kansas to Hays, Kansas
• Saturday, Sept. 4: Hays, Kansas to Sharon Springs, Kansas
• Sunday, Sept. 5: Sharon Springs, Kansas to Denver, Colorado
• Monday, Sept. 6: Denver, Colorado Display Day
• Tuesday, Sept. 7: Denver, Colorado to Cheyenne, Wyoming