Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
History was made in the summer of 2026 as Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014 made its way to the East coast for the very first time. This was the culmination of the Coast to Coast Tour to celebrate America's 250th birthday, as well as promote the merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Having traversed UP and NS rails as far as Binghamton, New York, the Big Boy turned south into the Pennsylvania coal country, crossing over the gigantic Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct on the old Lackawanna mainline before rolling onto the Reading and Northern Railroad for a run over Penobscot Mountain and through the Lehigh Gorge. The R&N ran their ex-Reading T1 2102 simultaneously, and the two titans of steam would make several unforgettable side-by side runs. After running an excursion on the R&N from Nesquehoning to Pittston, 4014 would be placed on display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, alongside fellow Big Boy 4014. This was the first time that two Big Boys were together in one place in 70 years, and over 100,000 people came to Scranton to witness this historic reunion over the course of the two-week event. At the beginning of July, the train left Steamtown for the final leg of their transcontinental run from Sacramento to Philadelphia. We caught them at Jim Thorpe, chasing the train South down the old Reading mainline now operated by the R&N and NS. On arrival in Philadelphia, 4014 utilized Conrail trackage rights to take CSX's line down the East bank of the Schuylkill through Center City to the Navy Yard, where the Big Boy would spend the 250th anniversary weekend on display.
Shot over six days in the Keystone State, I have to say I'm not totally thrilled with how many of my shots turned out. Massive crowds, heavy traffic, a string of camera problems, and an intense heatwave that sent temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the first weekend of July had me frequently frustrated and not making the best decisions. Despite the difficulties, I am so glad that I got to be there to experience this historic journey. Seeing the Big Boy thundering alongside 2102 was perhaps the most incredible thing I've witnessed in my 18 years of chasing trains, and who could have imagined that we'd ever see big Union Pacific articulated running through Center City Philadelphia? I can't thank enough all of the people at Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, the Reading & Northern, Steamtown, the Delware - Lackawanna, and CSX who worked hard to make this amazing tour happen.
History was made in the summer of 2026 as Union Pacific "Big Boy" 4014 made its way to the East coast for the very first time. This was the culmination of the Coast to Coast Tour to celebrate America's 250th birthday, as well as promote the merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Having traversed UP and NS rails as far as Binghamton, New York, the Big Boy turned south into the Pennsylvania coal country, crossing over the gigantic Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct on the old Lackawanna mainline before rolling onto the Reading and Northern Railroad for a run over Penobscot Mountain and through the Lehigh Gorge. The R&N ran their ex-Reading T1 2102 simultaneously, and the two titans of steam would make several unforgettable side-by side runs. After running an excursion on the R&N from Nesquehoning to Pittston, 4014 would be placed on display at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, alongside fellow Big Boy 4014. This was the first time that two Big Boys were together in one place in 70 years, and over 100,000 people came to Scranton to witness this historic reunion over the course of the two-week event. At the beginning of July, the train left Steamtown for the final leg of their transcontinental run from Sacramento to Philadelphia. We caught them at Jim Thorpe, chasing the train South down the old Reading mainline now operated by the R&N and NS. On arrival in Philadelphia, 4014 utilized Conrail trackage rights to take CSX's line down the East bank of the Schuylkill through Center City to the Navy Yard, where the Big Boy would spend the 250th anniversary weekend on display.
Shot over six days in the Keystone State, I have to say I'm not totally thrilled with how many of my shots turned out. Massive crowds, heavy traffic, a string of camera problems, and an intense heatwave that sent temperatures well over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on the first weekend of July had me frequently frustrated and not making the best decisions. Despite the difficulties, I am so glad that I got to be there to experience this historic journey. Seeing the Big Boy thundering alongside 2102 was perhaps the most incredible thing I've witnessed in my 18 years of chasing trains, and who could have imagined that we'd ever see big Union Pacific articulated running through Center City Philadelphia? I can't thank enough all of the people at Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern, the Reading & Northern, Steamtown, the Delware - Lackawanna, and CSX who worked hard to make this amazing tour happen.
