The famous Union Pacific steam engine train, Big Boy No. 4014, is currently traveling on a nation-wide tour from Aug. 5 to Sept. 7. The Big Boy will be traveling through Hearne and Navasota on Aug. 16.
Twenty-five Big Boys were built exclusively for the Union Pacific Railroad, the first of which was delivered in 1941, according to up.com. The trains measured 132 feet long and weighed 1.2 million pounds. Because of their great length, the frames of the Big Boys were "hinged," or articulated, to allow them to negotiate curves, up.com says. They had a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which meant they had four wheels on the leading set of "pilot" wheels which guided the engine, eight drivers, another set of eight drivers, and four wheels following which supported the rear of the locomotive. The massive engines normally operated between Ogden, UT and Cheyenne, WY.
Big Boy No. 4014 was delivered to the Union pacific back in 1941 and was retired in 1961 with over one million miles in its 20 years of service. The Union Pacific restored the Big Boy and returned it to service in May 2019 in honor of the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad's Completion. The Big Boy 2021 Tour will have the locomotive stopping in Fort Worth, Houston, New Orleans, LA, St. Louis, MO, and Denver, CO, where it will be on display for the general public.
Parking at overnight stops and display locations is limited, according to up.com. Union Pacific encourages people to utilize available parking facilities surrounding these locations. People can follow the Big Boy on their interactive steam locomotive tracking map or check on their list of locations at up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/.
