union pacific big boy
Heartland of America Tour
4-8-8-4 Mallet Steam Locomotive

about this tour

The Union Pacific Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive built by Alco between 1941 and 1944 to haul long heavy freight trains over the Wasatch Range between Ogden, Utah and Green River, Wyoming. In later years they worked Sherman Hill out of Cheyenne. The Big Boy is the largest steam locomotive in the world and was not retired until 1961.

Today, eight Big Boys survive, with most on static display at museums across the United States. One of them, No. 4014 was delivered to Union Pacific in November 1941 and has now been put back into operation by Union Pacific in 2019 and is used to tour the entire UP system as a public relations tool.

The last operating Big Boy will again hit the mainline on August 29 this year as the 4-8-8-4 begins it's Heartland of America tour. This tour will honor Union Pacific's rich railroad legacy and celebrate the railroad's employees and communities it serves

We will follow the Big Boy eastbound from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Des Moines, Iowa Railroad photographic enthusiasts from all over the world will have the opportunity to enjoy the excitement of experiencing the largest steam locomotive in the world operate on the mainline pulling a train at full speed! On the Big Boy's recent Western States Tour tens of thousands of people came trackside to watch the huge steam locomotive pass by. When the Big Boy ran down the former Western Pacific's Feather River Canyon the line of auto's on Highway 70 stretched for miles. At the famous Keddie Wye Bridge it was impossible to find a place to park. The highway was in total gridlock and a person had to park almost a mile away and hike up to this famous bridge.

We will cater mostly to rail enthusiasts from Europe that wants maximum exposure to the Big Boy but is not familiar with the route and most important of all , the highways and roads in order to keep up with this special train.

Our driver guides are retired and active railroad employees that know the route of the train and which rail line it will take. Some of the Union Pacific's mainlines now has several different routes such as climbing up Sherman Hill and only a retired or active railroader would know which line the Big Boy will be on and the speed of the train and even the stops that will be made along the way.

Also knowing how to drive on the highways and navigate through the many towns along the route is important. If you are from a country where you drive on the left hand side of the road just getting acustom to driving on the right side of the road can be challenging. Why take the chance, book with us and enjoy the maximum exposure to the Big Boy for your money. Our guides know what speed the train will be traveling and where it will stop for water and service. The first leg of the Heartland of America tour has a confirmed route of Cheyenne to Chicago and will be on display to the public in Rochelle, Illinois September 8. We are offering three options for this tour.

day by day - Itinerary

option 1

option 2

option 3