The World's Biggest Steam Locomotive Is Coming to Ripley
Here's a bit of local history in the making: on Tuesday, June 9, Union Pacific's famous Big Boy No. 4014 — the largest operating steam locomotive on the planet — will roll through our backyard for a 30-minute whistle stop at the State Street Crossing in Ripley, New York. Arrival is set for 12:00 noon EDT, with departure at 12:30 p.m. Mark your calendar and carve out a lunch hour, because this is not one you'll want to miss.
What to expect: The Big Boy will stop right at the State Street Crossing in Ripley, giving spectators a rare, close-up look at this magnificent machine under steam. Union Pacific advises staying at least 25 feet from the tracks for safety — but from that distance you'll still get an eyeful (and an earful) of one of the most iconic machines in American history.
Why it's a big deal: The 4-8-8-4 "Big Boy" class was built in the early 1940s specifically for Union Pacific to haul heavy freight over the steep grades of the Wasatch Range in Utah. No. 4014 weighs over a million pounds, stretches more than 130 feet long, and is — depending on your perspective — either a work of art or a force of nature. Union Pacific painstakingly restored it from a static museum display back to working order in 2019. This 2026 tour is extra special: it's the first time any Big Boy has ventured east of Chicago, making this a once-in-a-lifetime event for western New York.
The stop is part of the Big Boy's historic coast-to-coast tour celebrating America's 250th birthday. On this eastern leg, it's joined by Norfolk Southern heritage locomotives and vintage passenger cars from Norfolk Southern's Heritage Fleet. And if you can't make it on June 9, the Big Boy heads to Buffalo the very next day for a full public display event — another solid option for the region.
Don't sleep on this one. Noon on a Tuesday takes a little planning, but when's the last time a million-pound piece of living history rolled through Ripley? Check the full tour schedule for updates, add the event to your calendar, and bring the kids — and your camera.
