On August 8, 2021, Union Pacific’s legendary “Big Boy” No. 4014 steamed into Plaquemine, Louisiana—drawing locals, tourists, and even Union Pacific VIPs to Railroad Avenue. The locomotive had just made a short run from Addis, but its arrival was anything but ordinary. As it crossed the Bayou Plaquemine Railroad Bridge, built in 1921, the scene became a rare convergence of two giants of American rail history. I spoke with a group of railfans who had spent the summer following No. 4014 across the country, and we all agreed: seeing this 1941-built steam engine roll across a century-old bridge was unforgettable.
Originally designed to haul coal over the Wasatch Mountains, Big Boy No. 4014 operated in revenue service until 1959. After decades on static display in California, Union Pacific reacquired and restored the locomotive in 2013—bringing it back to life in 2019 as part of their heritage fleet. At 132 feet long and weighing 1.2 million pounds, it remains the world’s largest operating steam locomotive. Today, it runs public excursions and ceremonial tours across the U.S., bridging generations of rail innovation and steam heritage.
Whether you saw it in person or are discovering it through photographs, No. 4014 is more than a machine—it’s a moving monument to American engineering, perseverance, and beauty.
Big Boy No. 4014: Union Pacific Steam Schedule
