By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
One of the most famous locomotives in America is stopping in Hays this week at E 9th and Milner St.
Union Pacific's Big Boy No. 4014, the world's largest operating steam locomotive, is scheduled to arrive in Hays on Friday and remain on display Saturday as part of a coast-to-coast tour celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
The Hays stop is one of more than 50 whistle-stop and public display events across 10 states during the eastern portion of the locomotive's 2026 tour. After leaving Hays, the Big Boy will continue west toward Colorado, where the locomotive is expected to stop in Grainfield, Sharon Springs, and eventually Denver.
Built in 1941 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO), Big Boy No. 4014 was one of just 25 Big Boy steam locomotives constructed for Union Pacific.
The massive engines were designed to haul heavy freight over the steep grades of the Wasatch Mountains between Utah and Wyoming during World War II, when railroads played a vital role in moving troops, supplies and equipment across the country.
Weighing more than 1.2 million pounds and stretching about 133 feet long, the locomotive can produce 6,300 horsepower. The engine's 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement, which gives the Big Boy class its distinctive appearance, allowed the locomotive to pull enormous loads while navigating mountain curves.
No. 4014 remained in service until 1961, when it was retired and placed on display at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California, where it sat for more than 50 years.
In 2013, Union Pacific reacquired the engine and launched an ambitious restoration project at the company's steam shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. After years of work, the locomotive returned to service in 2019, becoming the only operating Big Boy locomotive in the world.
Since returning to the rails, No. 4014 has traveled thousands of miles across the United States, drawing large crowds wherever it stops. The locomotive has become a traveling ambassador for American railroad history, giving communities a chance to experience a working steam locomotive that once powered the nation's freight network.
Earlier this spring, the Big Boy visited California, including a stop at Sacramento's Milepost Zero, where construction of the transcontinental railroad began. The eastern leg of the 2026 tour marks the first time the locomotive has traveled through several eastern states, including Indiana, Ohio, New York, Kansas and Pennsylvania.
Rail enthusiasts, history buffs and families are expected to gather in Hays for the rare opportunity to see the legendary locomotive up close before it continues its historic journey across the country.
Big Boy 4014 will stop in Hays on Friday, July 24, at 1:30 p.m. and will stay until its departure at 9 a.m. Sunday, July 26. Public viewing will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.