Big Boy No. 4014 Steam Locomotive Rolls Through Laramie on Coast-to-Coast Tour

Between 11:15 and 11:45 a.m. Sunday, a 1.2-million-pound piece of American railroad history moved through the heart of Laramie. Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, passed through town on the western leg of its first-ever coast-to-coast tour, drawing railfans, families, and history enthusiasts to South First Street and the Historic Laramie Depot grounds.

The locomotive left its home base in Cheyenne that morning bound for California, with Laramie as one of 27 whistle-stops on the western leg alone. Built in 1941, No. 4014 stretches 133 feet in length and stands 15 feet, 4 inches tall, its 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement a configuration found nowhere else in operating service today. Of the 25 Big Boy locomotives built between 1941 and 1944, it is the only one still capable of running under steam.

The stop carried particular resonance in Albany County. In the late 1940s, Big Boy-class engines were reassigned from Utah's Wasatch Range to Cheyenne, where they hauled heavy freight over Sherman Hill directly into Laramie, making this stretch of track their working home during the height of the steam era. Sunday's westbound pass reversed that historic direction.

The Historic Laramie Depot opened at 8:30 a.m., three hours before the locomotive's arrival window, and encouraged visitors to support preservation efforts through the gift shop or a QR code posted on site. Viewing along South First Street and the depot grounds was free, though organizers and Visit Laramie both warned that parking near the depot fills quickly, and pedestrians were urged to stay clear of the active tracks and follow guidance from event staff and first responders throughout the morning.

Union Pacific framed the full coast-to-coast run as a tribute to America's 250th birthday. After leaving Wyoming, No. 4014 continued west through Utah, Nevada, and California, where the tour is scheduled to conclude near the historic site where Central Pacific Railroad laid its first rail ties for the transcontinental railroad.