Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In July 2026, railfans' wildest dreams came true as Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014 began the long journey home from Philadelphia to Cheyenne. Heading West from Harrisburg, it would take the old Pennsylvania Railroad mainline to Pittsburgh. In its heyday, this railroad boasted four tracks along most of its length, earning it the nickname "The Broad Way," which in turn became the name of the Pennsy's premier New York to Chicago passenger train, the "Broadway Limited." Although mostly reduced to two or three tracks, it is still a vital and very busy route for Norfolk Southern freight trains crossing the Allegheny Mountains. After a two-day display at the Juniata Shops in Altoona, where the PRR built many of its most famous steam locomotives, the Big Boy would put on an incredible show as it climbed the face of the Alleghenies and rounded the world-famous Horseshoe Curve. I chased the train all the way through Pittsburgh as far as Youngstown, Ohio, where Big Boy left the Pennsy. After catching my last glimpse of 4014, I headed just down the road to the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum. The museum was running Jones & Laughlin 58, a diminutive 2ft gauge engine which once worked inside a Pittsburgh steel mill. This little rectangular beast had been on my to-do list for awhile and I was delighted to finally see it in action, going from the largest steam locomotive to one of the smallest in under ten minutes. Three weeks later, 4014 returned home to Cheyenne, officially bringing to a close the historic Coast to Coast Tour.
As with every other part of the Big Boy's Eastern adventure, this was a pain in the rear from start to finish. Between heavy traffic preventing me from getting ahead of the train to an increasingly reckless crowd of spectators that could not be dissuaded from standing near or even on the tracks, I was stressed to say the least. I can't even imagine how much pressure Ed and the crew were under every step of the way. But at least for me, it was all worth it. Seeing the Big Boy stomp around Horseshoe Curve will certainly be a defining moment of my railfanning career, and a memory that I will always cherish.
In July 2026, railfans' wildest dreams came true as Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014 began the long journey home from Philadelphia to Cheyenne. Heading West from Harrisburg, it would take the old Pennsylvania Railroad mainline to Pittsburgh. In its heyday, this railroad boasted four tracks along most of its length, earning it the nickname "The Broad Way," which in turn became the name of the Pennsy's premier New York to Chicago passenger train, the "Broadway Limited." Although mostly reduced to two or three tracks, it is still a vital and very busy route for Norfolk Southern freight trains crossing the Allegheny Mountains. After a two-day display at the Juniata Shops in Altoona, where the PRR built many of its most famous steam locomotives, the Big Boy would put on an incredible show as it climbed the face of the Alleghenies and rounded the world-famous Horseshoe Curve. I chased the train all the way through Pittsburgh as far as Youngstown, Ohio, where Big Boy left the Pennsy. After catching my last glimpse of 4014, I headed just down the road to the Youngstown Steel Heritage Museum. The museum was running Jones & Laughlin 58, a diminutive 2ft gauge engine which once worked inside a Pittsburgh steel mill. This little rectangular beast had been on my to-do list for awhile and I was delighted to finally see it in action, going from the largest steam locomotive to one of the smallest in under ten minutes. Three weeks later, 4014 returned home to Cheyenne, officially bringing to a close the historic Coast to Coast Tour.
As with every other part of the Big Boy's Eastern adventure, this was a pain in the rear from start to finish. Between heavy traffic preventing me from getting ahead of the train to an increasingly reckless crowd of spectators that could not be dissuaded from standing near or even on the tracks, I was stressed to say the least. I can't even imagine how much pressure Ed and the crew were under every step of the way. But at least for me, it was all worth it. Seeing the Big Boy stomp around Horseshoe Curve will certainly be a defining moment of my railfanning career, and a memory that I will always cherish.
