By Railfan & Railroad Staff
Union Pacific announced Monday that 4-8-8-4 “Big Boy” 4014 would depart Cheyenne, Wyo., on August 28, for an eight-week tour across ten states. During the “Heartland of America Tour” the world’s largest operating steam locomotive will steam through Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming. The train will return to Cheyenne, Wyo., on October 23.
Highlights of the tour will include extended display stops in Fort Worth and Houston, Tex., and the Chicago area. The tour comes just weeks after the locomotive completed a month-long trip to California.
No passenger excursions will be provided during the Heartland tour, but cab ride opportunities were being placed up for bid in coordination with the Union Pacific Museum. Bidding began on Monday.